MX-3.com

Outlaw Engineering makes the thermo spacers that supposedly reduce the intake manifold temperature. Has anyone used them? Are they effective? Any negatives? Is it worth buying them? thanks

i heard nothing possitiveness about them

I had them on my KF and my K8. They do do deffinatley lower intake mani temp.

they do what they are made to do

In addition to thermal isolation, they can be made to be more effective if they were a little thicker and if center opening were the same diameter as the throttle plate then stepping down to a diameter approximately 3 to 4mm smaller over 12mm width of the block. At part throttle, the throttle plate creates a negative pressure area above the plate causing a reverse airflow out of the intake manifold. As the throttle plate opens closer to WOT this negative air flow diminishes. The bore in the spacer can be a sphereical taper or even a small radiused lip to create the venturi effect. This creates a strong low pressure area after the spacer pulling the air over and under the partly open throttle plate cancelling out much of the negative air flow effect. This improves part throttle response, low/mid torque (ie: accelleration) and can boost peak power number over that of a straight open bore spacer. Somewhere I have a VHS video of clear plastic demonstration model where you can see just how strange airflow dynamics can be.

like how spoon sells tapered & slightly bored tb's because it improve throttle response

Steeb wrote:like how spoon sells tapered & slightly bored tb's because it improve throttle response

Exactly or any one of a number of companies making TB spacer for Truck, SUV, Mustangs and Honda. Similar designed have been used in the HVAC industry for yeasr to improve airflow around inline dampers. Go figure that it would take this long to make it to the automotive industry. BTW the K8 has an OE plate the serves this purpose.

I always wondered what the hell that thing was for.
I use the thermo spacers too and did notice that the power drop when the motor gets warm isn't as obvious so I would say it works. However, for the 100 something dollars I might get something else more beneficial if I were to spend the money again. A short shifter, cold air intake, good muffler (although more than 100 bucks) would be more help than the thermo spacers.