Strange sound after throttle body spacer installed.
 

So last weekend after I installed the throttle body spacer weird whistling sound started to come out of the intake at about 2000-3000 rpm while driving... anyone know what could it be?

I'm assuming that you have an aftermarket cold air intake. Did the sound occur at all before the TBS install? CAI are known to whistle. Try taking off the intake and putting it back on the spacer to see if that solves the problem. Could be an air leak.

Did you plug the hole in the spacer (it comes with a small plastic npt thread plug)? It's for an alternate vacuum line or some such thing - I really don't recall for sure what it's for.

If so, are you sure it's tight? Did you put any teflon tape on the threads?

If not, you should put a plug in there. :tomato:


Edit, btw, it's typical. Lots of people have reported a whistle.

what is the purpose of this spacer?

Yeh i have injen cold air intake... no sound prior to spacer, as soon as i installed the spacer sound started... I am thinking it might be an air leak, what about spraying some copper on each side of the spacer and the thermal gasket to seal everything off?

Definitely installed it, and tightened it all the way without any tape. I also have one thermal gasket closer to the throttle body side, should i install second one to the intake side?

I have an AEM CAI and the p2r tbs on my car, and I've had the whistle since the install. I actually like it though. My father has an 03' Cobra with a CAI, and after he put his Accufab throttle body on, he got the same "whoosh" sound, only much louder :rofl:

So im assuming this is normal... it was just a concern, i actually like the whistling sound

You should have one thermal gasket on each side of the TB Spacer (2 total).

It looks nice. ??

Not much beyond that. Might save a couple HP from heat soak. Maybe.

thanks, ill go get one more

does add couple off hp (was specified by the manufacturer), and definetly looks nice installed with CAI

The sound your hearing is an air leak, probably at the plug on the spacer. I put medical tape on mine before I installed it an didn't have any problems. Or course I got rid of the spacer after I dynoed the car and saw that I had lost 5 HP to the wheels, and that was with the spacer and the thermal gaskets. If your looking to reduce the heat a bit, I'd eliminate the spacer and do the throttlebody coolant bypass mod. That thermotech reflective wrap stuff for the CAI works well too. I think the part # is 14500. Also, for the leaks, check the bolt in the CAI to make sure that is tight and sealing. They leak air there too. I actually used some Honda bond on mine to quiet it down. Check the union piece to ensure its on properly as it is a bit tough to get that back over the intake tube after you install the spacer. Make sure the clamps are tight both there, and at the filter. Should be fine after that

Also consider sealing the gaskets with a copper sealant. See here: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-performance-parts-modifications-112/another-p2r-tb-spacer-install-807329/

I gotta take everything apart this weekend and make sure everything is sealed off.. So you actually lost 5hp with spacer on??

You can't measure reliably measure to 5 HP on a dyno, imho. It's with in the day-to-day variance of the machine.

Every dyno run should, ideally, say, "xxx WHP, +- yy".

I was thinking of getting one are they worth it?

Yes I did. Dyno sheets are in my album. Numbers are SAE Corrected. Both sets of pulls were done on the same dyno. The sheet with 2 pulls is is after the spacer was installed. Interestingly, my gas mileage went down quite a bit after I had installed the spacer too. About a month after I did the dyno with the spacer, I removed it and threw it out for garbage. It doesn't serve much purpose on an N/A car especially one that utilizes speed density air metering like the TL. Message me if you have anymore question about this.

No, save your money for exhaust work, or some other mod.

+1!!! Use the money on an under drive pulley or light weight. Money much better spent!

i get the whistle but i have no spacer just aem cai....what could that be, i had a stage 1 exhaust done didnt know if maybe theres a hole where they would have welded maybe?

it wistle because of that spacer.... can't believe you got it.. you would have been better off with the thermo gaskets..

The air leak is probably at the bolt that's on the intake, where you could put the air temp sensor. That's typically where they leak. Is there a solution to completely eliminate the whistle, who knows, but I got mine to quiet down almost completely by wrapping that bolt with some reflective tape.

that's the sound of 30HP you got from that mod :thumbsup:

:pofl::hater: