PowerAid Throttle Body Spacers from AIRAID

todd11231 · February 14, 2003

So i was debating wether or not to get the intake system yet and as I was looking around the AIRAID website i saw the link to the AIRAID throttle body spacer...it claims a to increase HP and fuel efficiency. So whats the deal..its 100 bucks think its worth it??

Also....AIRAID....K&N FIPK......or Volant????

AIRAID is the cheapest

K&N seems to be the most popular

Volant is the most expensive(Quality?)

Which one do yall prefer? ???

Y2K Silverado · February 14, 2003

I have a Helix Power Tower from Street Performance and Electronics, basically the same as the PowerAid. I've heard more positive things about the HPT vs the PA, so that's why I got it. It helps my truck, it definitly has more low end and midrange power. It seemed to get better over time, not much difference at first. I've also had a UPD and FIPK intake, neither worked as well as the stock air box modified with a ram air set up. I've also tried several high flow air filters, K&N Rush, AFE and Amsoil, none of them worked any better than the stock Delco filter. The ram-air is pretty simple to do. Use a 4" hole saw to cut a hole in the air box bottom, then use a saber saw to cut a hole in the lower mounting plate. Run some 4" flex duct (dyrer ducting will work) down to the lower gray airdam under the front bumper. I hooked a scoop up behind the hole next to the passenger side fog light and connected the duct to the scoop. For the scoop, I used a 5x10" A/C register I got at Home Depot. It has a 4" round back that connects perfectly to the 4" duct. It has to be trimmed at about a 45* angle so it lines up with the angle of the lower airdam. You're going to get alot of opinons, soak it all up and use your on judgement.

Jim

elboberino · February 14, 2003

I've also had a UPD and FIPK intake, neither worked as well as the stock air box modified with a ram air set up. I've also tried several high flow air filters, K&N Rush, AFE and Amsoil, none of them worked any better than the stock Delco filter.

I find that pretty hard to believe. I've got the K&N GenII FIPK and it not only has noticeably increased my HP and Torque, but also given me better gas mileage, city driving and highway. I'd say a total of a about 3mpg of long trips where I am cruising 60-80 MPH.

Y2K Silverado · February 14, 2003

I find that pretty hard to believe.

Well, I'm not lying! I had an FIPK and the filter ALWAYS felt hot, I didn't think the metal heat shield worked well, metal conducts heat quickly. One hot summer day I made the ram air set up and went for a drive, came back and opened the air box, the filter was cooler than is was when I used the FIPK. I've used an infra red heat gun we use at work to check the temperarue of heaters, A/C units, steam traps, etc. I checked both the FIPK filter and the filter inside the stock air box. The FIPK filter was almost as hot as the engine itself, the filter in the airbox was only 10* hotter than the outside air, big difference. I haven't noticed any mileage change with any intake I've tried. I've done SEVERAL 0-60 runs with all the intakes and the stock set up with the ram-air mod was .1 seconds quicker than the FIPK. The UPD lid and tube made no difference in performance over the stock lid and tube. Keep in mind this IS with the ram-air set up, the FIPK did perform better than the UN-modified airbox. I have two stock air boxes, one isn't modified. I've put that one back on the truck several times to test it against the one that is modified. The truck is slower with the unmodified airbox by about .25 seconds than it is with the ram-air set up, it definitly doesn't pull as hard. All this is only my experiences on my truck though, you can believe what you want, it's your money!

Jim

elboberino · February 14, 2003

I have heard that the Silvs and Sierras each react differently to the K&N FIPK like I have. My cousin's is giving him noticeably much more HP than mine is whereas my buddies didn't like it one bit. He ended up combining the K&N Filter part with the stock air-tube and it helped him get back some of the HP/Torque he lost. You can argue it any way you want. I like mine, it has helped me. Others may not, but hey, it also depends on your driving style. I do lead-foot it sometimes and my fuel mileage suffers as a result, but times when I drive like I should, I get higher mileage than I did when I had the stock air intake. IMHO, if something like the K&N doesn't work, send it back, most places will accept it as long as you pay the shipping and in some cases, a re-stocking fee, but hey, at least you won't be unhappy about it anymore.

By the way, I haven't heard much about the throttle body spacers but it does not seem like something worth investing in, IMHO.

Y2K Silverado · February 14, 2003

You're right, it seems that identically set up trucks react differently to the same mod. My truck for instance didn't have alot of low end stock, couldn't spin the tires at all. While others with the exact same truck as mine as far as engine and gears reported being able to roast their tires just by punching the gas. I have played around quite a bit and found what works best on my truck, other trucks may be different.

Jim