Hi I have a 97 4.6L 4x4 F-150 with 191k miles.

I have heard of people getting larger throttle bodys or a throttle body spacer to get a increase in power. Is something as simple as bolting on a larger throttle body going to give any significat or noticable horsepower?

Also are there any easy, simple, cheap, ways to gain a little bit of a seat of pants feel on the 4.6 F-150?

Thanks.

 

Moved to proper forum.

 

If all else is stock, you won't get alot of gain from a Tb and Spacers are pretty useless.
A chip/programmer and/or lower gears like 4.10's will really wake it up.

 

In principle, the idea of a spacer works by adding an additional volume of air. In a port injected engine it really doesn't help. The head will only allow what it can and the fuel is injected at that point.... so the real issue is the head.

I own a spacer and it's installed on my truck. Was it worth the money... in hind sight - no. Especially knowing what I know about mechanics in fluid systems. Makes it seem that I didn't pay attention in school...I could kick myself for buying it. It's installed though, so I'm gonna keep it there.

If I had a carbed or TFI engine the spacer would have made more sense. The fuel and air are mixed way before it reaches the head and those spacers help that mixing. The companies that manufacture TB spacers make claims that I haven't been able to support through any of my driving or listening to first hand accounts of those who have bought them. Especially the TB spacers with a swirled pattern, kinda like a particular intake piece they make called the tornado. Thinking I was smarter than that, I chose to back away from the swirled type and go with one that forced the air flow towards the center of the intake plenum. This method, in theory, increases flow velocity which is beneficial in torque production. With that big curve downward of the intake plenum and the spliting of the air flow into 8 runners... I'm sure that the added velocity of the air doesn't really matter when it reaches the head... by then the air is moving as fast as the head will allow anyhow.

-Kerry

 

Alright thank ya'll for clearin that up. It does make sense though, if there was any power to gain by putting a bigger throttle body on a bone stock engine seems like ford would have done it to help out the pathetic 210hp my truck has stock.

Thanks
Zach