I hate to break the news to you guys, but the tornado does not have a fan or fan blades. There are louvers in the device which can not come loose. You guys just post without really knowing the product. I tested the device for a national company years ago, and I determined it of little value. To get into your engine is a real stretch.

 

I know I kinda laughed when I seen that, those blades are "staionary shaped" like that to direct that supposedly cyclone air direction. They don't come loose.

 

Thanks a lot, jimtracker, I just spit soda all over my keyboard.

Trying to poke out my mind's eye;
Chris

 

Some day I will get energetic and put the "Tornado" in my 82 Ford and see if it makes any difference.

Then I will let you know about a carb'ed engine!

 

While I did not say the blades rotated, that was implied and was my mistake. I admit never attempting to use the product. But from the photos, which I did check before I posted, the blades, their thin size and where they were did scare me. See what I am talking about:

http://www.tornadofuelsaver.com/272/products.php?PHPSESSID=ccefdf3d5452f72c2c285425267 cb8dc

The source of my concern was from an e-mail I received from an SAE engine engineer in a manufacturer's plant. He told me that a certain '04 model engine with about 3,000 miles was returned to the plant for inspection on a warranty claim and that, indeed one of those "blades" from a Tornado had come loose and had been sucked into the intake.

He did not comment on how or why it separated. It jammed between the piston and cylinder head, was driven into the head, gouging both the combustion chamber and the top of the piston, damaging an intake valve and seat, and bending a connecting rod.

He was asked to inspect to determine if they should warranty the engine. His call was that the Tornado was at fault and that the engine was not going to be covered. He does not know how management ultimately resolved the claim.

He is a good guy who has leaked some pretty nice info to me on new engine development stuff. I need to protect his identity and the company he works for if I am to continue to get his useful "back-channel" advice. It's proved reliable and I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of his e-mail, but cannot state this of personal knowledge. I do try to be careful. If I overstated my position, I regret that.

Given the info I received and the photos of the product, I just would not feel comfortable with that device in harm's way, even if it did help a little. We all seem to agree that it will not help port fuel injected engines.

 

ok, understood

 

If and 04 model, how did the tornado part get past the air filter?

 

I think your friend is jerking your chain or reading the Jack Daniels service manual. The blades inside the tornado oval are actually just three pieces of metal, bent in the center forming a different angle so it looks like 6 blades. At the ends of each of the three pieces of louvers are two tabs, that are inserted through slots and tack welded. Twice to each tab or four spot welds on the end of each piece of metal. The only way these things would come loose is to bash them with a sledge hammer and to get through the air cleaner, rubbish. This claim borders right up with Kennedy and the magic bullet

 

I do not mean to argue and don't have a dog in this hunt. But if you check out the link I posted and go to the installation instructions for fuel injected engines, you will see that the device is inserted into the intake AFTER both the air filter and the MAF sensor, not before them, giving it a clear shot directly into the intake manifold if something should break loose for any reason..

As to how the "blades" detached, I don't know. The thing looks pretty flimsy to me. Tabs can break and spot welding, well . . . .