Re: Throttle to Airbox

["I.Mannix" <mannix@privatei.com>]

At 3:19 PM -0700 03/27/1997, Stephanie E. Gill wrote:
>Greetings All,
>
>I've been reading some of your postings about constructing a pipe from
>the throttle body to the airbox.  If anyone's interested in purchasing
>one, there's a place called Performance Engineering that has them.
>The ad is located on page 161 of May's issue of European Car.

Wow, do you memorize each copy?  What page is the Velocity ad on;)?
Kidding.....

>
>I realize some of you just like working with your hands :) but for those
>of you who'd rather skip the aggravation of road trips to Home Depot but
>still want the upgrade, check out the ad.  No issue?  No prob.  It
>reads:

I called them, too.  Left a detailed message - *how much* power?  Why does
it work?  It sounds like some kid on the other end, and he basically said
(in his reply) that it "adds power and torque."  Umm, how much?  Why?
"because it flows better."  Oh.  I did not talk to him, but he left a
longass message on my machine, and, unfortunately, I was not impressed.
$50 is a lot to spend on a piece of plastic that is not known to give more
power - for $10, I might try it (Home Depot), but $50?  Come on.  Not a
flame, Steph - it is good of you to provide this option, BUT, for that kind
of cash, I'd like *some* numbers, even if it is simply a Gtech Pro ($140).
Dyno time around here is $120/hr, one hour would be more than enough time
to get some numbers, and if it proved to be worthwhile, I'd probably buy
one.  I'd bet they'd sell more of them if they had numbers to back it up.
OK, I am a skeptic, but "more power" is not going to lure $50 out of my
pocket.  Sure, a round pipe probably flows better, but what about the
corners?  Why did VW do it the way they do?  Could it have something to do
with the "S" bend in the stock pipe?  It would have been easier for VW to
use a straight pipe, right?  Oval S bend, higher velocities around the
outside of the corner?  I don't know.  I don't doubt that the PIPE flows
better, but it seems to me that the oval pipe might "set up" the airflow
somehow for the throttle body, by using the s shape, creating uniform
velocity at the body itself.

Now, I'm not a "Stock is the ONLY way" type - one look at my car and you'd
all see that I have found many flaws in the original GTI wrt power output.
(suspension, too.....)  However, the intake side of things makes me leery -
there's a lot to be said for improving flow, but this pipe seems as though
it might disrupt flow (while having the capability to flow better).  It
might not hurt, but I'm not convinced it'll help.  That said, I'll probably
try one myself one of these days.  Currently working on  a good combination
of cold air and flow into the box.   Regardless.  Seems like a good thing
to try, but IMHO, think about it before spending $50 - make one?  Sure.
Why not?  Can't hurt, I suppose.  Spend a bazillion dollars on one?  Not
for me, thanks!  OK, wow, it feels like morning;)


Mannix






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