SR Performance Throttle Body Spacer: Review

[zackmd1]

So as the title says I thought I would give you guys my first impressions on the throttle body I recently installed. I bought the SR Performance TBS from AmericanMuscle last week and got it installed over the weekend. Installation took about 15 minutes, very easy to install. In my initial driving impressions I was little disappointed. The two biggest improvements I noticed was in how the automatic responded to throttle input and throttle response but I was expecting a bit more kick down low then it provided. The little bit of lag the 15 has when you step on the throttle is now gone for me. Overall the throttle feels much more precise and responsive. On the transmission side of things it seems to have finally got the automatic in sync with the engine/throttle. Now when you floor it in drive the automatic will actually downshift to the correct gear 9/10 times. That is a drastic improvement from stock that was hit or miss at best.

Since the weekend I have been able to put about 150 miles on the spacer and have noticed a few more benefits I did not notice initially. Low end torque has definitely improved. Now going up a hill in 6th gear is possible and actually feels like it has power to spare at times. Milage seems to have improved as well. Before the spacer my tank average was around 24.6 with moderate driving. After the spacer with some aggressive driving mixed in (had to test it out! ) tank average has jumped up to 26.1. I will know more above any improvement on the next few tanks.

Pros/cons list

Pros

• Improved throttle response
• Improved automatic shifting
• Low end torque boost
• Improved milage

Cons

• Price
• Not as much of an increase in low end torque as I was hoping for.

Would I recommend this product:

• For an automatic V6 owner I think it is a worth while mod. Improved shifting is the major benefit to me.
• For a manual V6 owner I think you might find the price a little hard to justify with the improvements you will see.

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[Reaper]

Thanks for the review Zack! I know that with spacers most believe it's typically a performance placebo effect or completely a useless paperweight. I used one on my last stang and it seemed to improve a few aspects as you said. It comes down to the value/$. I might check one out when they come down in price or if I can grab one used.

Have you noticed any change in the sound from the engine as well?

 

[zackmd1]

Thanks for the review Zack! I know that with spacers most believe it's typically a performance placebo effect or completely a useless paperweight. I used one on my last stang and it seemed to improve a few aspects as you said. It comes down to the value/$. I might check one out when they come down in price or if I can grab one used.

Have you noticed any change in the sound from the engine as well?

It seems to have smoothed out some areas in the exhaust but it really wasn't enough to be mentioned. It does however idle lower and the idle quality is improved.

 

[Reaper]

It seems to have smoothed out some areas in the exhaust but it really wasn't enough to be mentioned. It does however idle lower and the idle quality is improved.

Thanks. What I meant by noise, do you notice any whistle sounds since the addition?

I also found another potential spacer alternative for those that are interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/JET-62166-1...its=Model:Mustang&hash=item4d0a7ddfde&vxp=mtr

I'm not sure of the quality, fit, or performance though.

 

[zackmd1]

Thanks. What I meant by noise, do you notice any whistle sounds since the addition?

I also found another potential spacer alternative for those that are interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/JET-62166-1...its=Model:Mustang&hash=item4d0a7ddfde&vxp=mtr

I'm not sure of the quality, fit, or performance though.

Ahh! I understand now! Haha I personally haven't noticed any whistle noise but the engine does seem to have a bit more aggressive intake sound. It's hard for me to tell though because of my exhaust.

 

[tangermean]

dont yall think that if TBS's really worked that the people at ford would add them from the factory to get the better power and mileage for such a cheap to manufacture part?

you should add one of these in there too

http://www.tornadoair.com/

 

[Reaper]

dont yall think that if TBS's really worked that the people at ford would add them from the factory to get the better power and mileage for such a cheap to manufacture part?

you should add one of these in there too

http://www.tornadoair.com/

You could say the same thing about an oil separator. They do seem to work because they actually collect oil that would otherwise go into places it doesn't belong.

Not sure if there really is any tangible change with TBS's but it could help with feel.

Hell, I might even try the tornado out just to validate their claims (seems gimmicky) for such a cheap part and because they guarantee return / shipping.

Edit: Reviews I've seen so far are very mixed. Might try it out for myself to see for sure.

 

[zackmd1]

dont yall think that if TBS's really worked that the people at ford would add them from the factory to get the better power and mileage for such a cheap to manufacture part?

you should add one of these in there too

http://www.tornadoair.com/

You could literally say that about any aftermarket performance part... Why doesn't Ford use long tube headers for their cars, why don't they use a larger cold air intake, why do they not install a better tune with the car, and the list goes on and on. They don't do it because of costs and regulations. A part might only cost $5 per car but multiply that buy production levels in the hundred thousands to millions, that cheap part suddenly becomes very expensive to the company. Now I did not say anywhere in this review that it helped increase my horsepower or torque. It has just tightened some areas up and made more torque available lower in the RPM range. It has also improved my milage by about 2-3mpg. So yes it does work to improve things on the car. It just depends on what you are looking for with the TSB.

 

[ford20]

For all of the new 2015 owners new to Mustangs I implore you to look elsewhere outside of Mustang 6G for your information and not to rely solely on the site. Don't get me wrong, this is the best site so far for S550 news and whatnot but seriously you really need to. From everything that I have seen over the past 4 years the 3.7 will gain mileage as it gets broken in a little bit more and more.

A Throttle Body Spacer is nothing more than a paperweight and if you are really considering the tornado thing ..... well. At the end of the day though you are the one who gets to fart in the drivers seat and as long as you are happy that is all that really matters. SR performance parts hahahaha oh well.

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