Saw the Group Buy, and I was wondering if anyone here has tried this. I'm not quite sure I understand how this generates more power.

https://acurazine.com/forums/sponsored-sales-group-buys-10/outlaw-engineering-thermoblok-spacer-kit-group-buy-310050/

 

Basically it helps prefent heat transfer from the engine block to the intake manifold. Sort of why a lot of cars are coming out with plastic instake manifolds now. This results in the air fuel mixture being cooler once the engine heats up and lets you keep some of the power you would usually lose to heat soak.
I had one to the first units he ever produced on my 94 Mazda MX-6. Talk about and engine that had heat soak, shove a V-6 into an engine compartment that was really designed for a 4 banger and then shove a variable intake on top of it. The spacers definitely helped as I took the car out to the drag strip the following weekend against one of ht eother car club members who had pretty much teh same modifications and I was able to keep consistant track times as the day went on and the engine got hotter. I could also still touch my intake manifold where as his was too hot to touch.
You won't gain any power but you won't lose as much to heat soak as you do know. That's where these really help.

 

cooler air = more dense air = more power

The spacer kit essentially blocks the heat transfer from the engine block to the intake manifold and the throttle body, therefore keeping these components running cooler. This will help keep the incoming air cooler.

I have this kit on my car, and also bypassed the coolant feed to both throttle bodies. It works.

 

I see. I understand the concept now. I just can't see how a small spacer like that can prevent heat transfer.


So you have a 3G TL and it works? I'm wondering why you used to smiley.

 

No, on my '03 TL-S. But the A2 and A3 are virtually the same engines.

The block, intake manifold, and throttle bodies are all made out of metal, and heat from the engine block will transfer to the manifold and the throttle bodies. The spacer kit is made out of phenolic materials, and they are not good at transferring heat; in other words, they are good at blocking heat transfer.

 

How hard is it to install?

 

I answered my own question...see http://photos.phytte.com/view_album....okInstallation

 

Hey Pure, were you suppose to take off the metal gasket on the IM when installing the OE IM spacer? The person that installed mine left it on with the OE spacer. I never really touched the IM plastic top b/4, but after the OE spacers, I decided to touch the plastic cover after running for an half hour ride and the cover was hot. Not hot enough to burn you, but hot that you really don't want to keep you fingers on it too long.

 

Yep, you're supposed to use the factory IM gasket, PLUS the gasket they sent you.

From top to bottom, here's how it should be. Factory gasket, the actual spacer, supplied gasket, then the intake manifold.

Did you feel it immediately after running the car, or did you leave it sitting there for a while before you felt it? If you left it sitting for a while, then heat soak explains it. The coolant (not circulating since the engine has been shut down) traps all the heat from the engine block and everything gets hot, including the top cover.

If the car was still running, and it was still hot, then it's just too hot out. My car does the same thing. In the winter, I could've left an ice cube on the top cover for a while. Now with this 80+ degree weather, the spacer kit is not AS effective. Mine gets hot, too. But rest assured, it's not as hot as it would be without the spacer kit on there.

 

Thanks for the input. Did you unplug your battery to reset the ecu? I don't really feel a diff. The shop that installed mine didn't unplug battery or any of the plugs from the IM or TB. I also used the bypass valve. Didn't clean out the TB or IM. I might take it off myself and clean it, not sure if the shop placed the IM metal gasket on top or bottom. I'll find out when I take it apart.

 

I know it won't be popular but this is a like snake oil. The best unvalidated quasi data I saw when Outlaw first came out for the Mazda V6 was 2 hp increase. Manifolds are plastic now because it is cheaper. Yes the concept only has merit. The engineering reality is totally another story for but how how long is the air actually in the manifold what are you talking about 100 milliseconds. The whole heat transfer balance is way too complex to between the overall engine compartment and the bolts that connect the manifold. Try removing the plastic cover over the engine. Nobody want to spent time and money on some modification and admit the change is insignificant.

 

It's funny you say this because this was the question I asked - is this snake oil or for real...never got a clear answer...

 

Disagreed. I've seen as much as a 9-hp increase at the wheels. My engine and throttle bodies are noticeably cooler, which is always good. And the fact that the night I installed it, I went out cruising with a friend and beat a mildly modified Z28 only adds to the excitement and happiness.

True, some cars come with plastic manifolds now, but not our cars. They still have aluminum manifolds.

I would be lying if I said that I felt the gains; because it is minimal. But it is theoretically sound, and cooler running engine is always better. One of the top priorities on my mods list is Mugen cooling mods which includes a T-stat and a fan switch operating at a lower temperature than the factory ones.

And honestly, for a hundred bucks, it's not bad at all. I've spent over 10k dollars on parts alone on my car, so a 100 bucks isn't that big of a deal. Consequently, if your car is not moderately/heavily modded, then this won't yield any useable gains and therefore virtually useless.

 

Does anybody have a a straight forward dyno curve. Otherwise the logic seems to be it is cheap so why not do. I got some special oil for 10.....

 

Not everyone has the money to dyno their car after every single little mod.



Outlaw Engineering has several dyno charts on their web site, and there was a dyno chart of a CL-S after the spacer kit in the CL section a while back. They work. Not all the data may be present here in this thread, but many people did a lot of research, including myself, and we all came to the conclusion that it is a good modification especially one that makes financial sense at the price. The logic isn't "it's cheap so why not?"

How about doing some research for yourself first instead of just sitting there calling BS left and right?

 

No thanks. I really think it is BS but I let my info stand as is!

 

And it is your privilege to do so. I'm not trying to convince you. Just representing the other side of the argument.