I was flipping thru the eckler's catalog and saw this "1984-1996 throttle performance switch"

Is it worth the time & money? or just a get rich quick invention?

anyone used it before? If so what were your thoughts about it?

 

that along with the air foil are junk. You'd get better results just advancing your timing +2 degrees.

 

All it does is intercept the voltage signal from the TPS and causes the PCM to interpet 60% throttle position as 100%. You can generate 100% throttle position for free by pressing the pedal all the way to the floor with your foot, as it was designed. Nothing but a gimmick. If anything, it reduces throttle resolution (range of motion).

 

That's what I figured.

Thanks

2 deg boost in timing... what would I have to do for that? Obviously a timing light, but would I have to disconnect anything?

 

You would need to disconnect the EST wire at the distributor.

you should read my website

 

The dark side just keeps loading my brain full of knowledge... LOTS of good info... not enough time

 

Advance your timing, in 1 degree increments, until you start seeing detonation, and then back it off. I'm running 10 degrees of base timing on regular fuel with no issues on the 84. It will take more if I run better fuel.

The factory calls for 6 degrees. Just advancing it 4 degrees gave it a sizeable boost in low end torque with no ill effects.

Also, if your engine has more than 100K, it's a good idea to change the timing chain. Just a little bit of slop in the chain retards timing and costs you power.

The "Throttle switch" is snake oil.

 

The throttle switch will cost you money for nothing but trouble.

 

I have one, it works. F all the haters.

it takes off a LOT faster than it does without it in there.

My only problem with it is, they don't last long, Mine died after about a year or so, as did a couple of other people I know that have them.

After reading all the timing stuff though, I am considering doing some of this instead of replacing it ... hrmmmm

 

Dream on bullwinkle, all youre doing is paying money for the same experience you get by pushing your foot to the floor. At the same time youre throwing away about 40% of your fuel trim and timing tables....

 

Have you actually OWNED one?
Didn't think so.

You can't push your foot through the floor, it only goes so far. Without it it takes off nice, with it on, it pulls harder off the line, is capable of breaking traction much quicker, etc. You can't say it doesn't do anything if you have never used on personally. I am not saying I know how it fully works or how it may or may not benefit anytihng but THERE IS A BIG SEAT OF THE PANTS DIFFERENCE WITH IT ON WHEN YOU PUSH THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR.

If I can pull away from someone much quicker in a race than I can without it, then how exactly am I dreaming?

Would I buy one had I know about it now? No, probably not since everyone bad mouths it. I bought that switch (along with teh super duper awesome useless airfoil) when I first bought my car years ago before I had the CF to ask questions about

The only way to find things out sometimes is to just find out for yourself.

I would tell someone if what I did was a pointless waste of money, and many things I have done just that and said so... but you can actually feel this thing doing something.

 

Nope, never owned one. Driven an 86 that had one on it and the owner thought it was the best invention ever, til i told him what it did and the fact of the matter being with the TPS and the throttle cable correctly set he would feel exactly the same by putting his right foot all the way down to WOT. It most certainly wont make the car any faster.

There is only 1 WOT, and it doesnt come in increments.

 

I like the concept of hitting WOT before actually being at WOT. I'm not gunna buy it now, however I wouldn't mind seeing 2 bone stock C4's equally matched go at it with the only difference being this switch. If you can feel it in the seat then it must be worth something.... but I'm going to look into a timing chain upgrade and then the timing adjustment.

 

Back to back I would think the car with the switch would be slower, because it would be more difficult to launch well.

 

I think it would launch just a hair harder and quicker, being that it thinks it's already floorboard deep at 60% throttle... meaning it's already ***** out sooner than the other guy having = timing with the pedal.

But I used to play with timing on my el camino before it became a serious racer and the more timing it got the stronger it would launch but you could over and under time it so it would do nothing but sit on it's face at the line and/or down the road. It's currently set so It'll throw the nose up at a stand still without stumbling.

But I'm no expert on the L98 or fuel injection setups. to me it seems the one with the switch would launch sooner if everything was timed perfectly.... G-tech? (and traction was present)

 

Let's see before and after dyno results

 

I like how every time someone posts something controversial like this, the main response is "show me dyno results, show me 1/4 mile times"....

well how about you guys do that? why should the person that says "yes it actually seems to do something" always have to prove himself right? Why can't you guys spend your own time and endless money that you all seem to have on money trees to prove these people wrong?

yes, I will definately test it all when I goto the track, but for now, I will continue to say "yes it gets me off the line quicker than it did before"


Learn to launch better

How about this side of it then?. If you guys say you can get the same results with changing the timing, then I guess I can get he same result then without having to screw around with my timing. I can turn it on and I can turn it off and not have to constantly mess with timing which I don't know how to really mess with anyway. not everyone is an expert at this stuff, me included. Plus, i don't want to adjust stuff just for racing around with, then have to worry about if I have it set just right when I drive it to work the next morning.

That whole concept is one reason I like nitrous. It's performance with an on/off switch.

sure this throttle thing won't make me any "faster" but it will get me out ahead of someone tearing off the line just a little faster.

 

Interestingly enough, i found a few items on ebay, and another web site (while looking for info on this thing for you guys) that recommends that you NOT use it on a programmed car... I guess I better take it back off ASAP

It sure is fun driving with it on though...

 

Was going to say the same thing myself....
The reason it says dont use it on a programed car is cause its a bad idea. When you program fuel and timing maps you can make them anything you like within reason, so why on earth you would need this item for i dont know. If your car is allready tuned for better performance and it goes bettter with this device then you should get onto whoever tuned it and ask them to do it again. It is obviously not tuned as good as it could or should be.

 

Not an upgrade per se, just a replacement if you have high miles on the motor. As the chain stretches over time, you lose timing advance. This equates to less torque at the lower end of the RPM range.

If you want to do a quick analysis, try this; Rotate your engine to 0 degrees on the harmonic balancer. Remove the distributor cap. Rotate the engine backwards until the rotor begins to turn. Note how many degrees the engine turns prior to the distributor moving (let's say it's 6 degrees). Divide that number in two, and that's how many degrees of timing advance you're losing due to a sloppy timing chain. In your example, 3 degrees of timing advance are lost due to chain slop.

A couple of degrees of retarded timing makes a big difference. I changed my timing chain at 145K miles, and it was very sloppy. I immediately noticed a smoother idle, better vacuum signal, MUCH better performance off the line, and just a healthier sounding engine. You're not really gaining anything....just gaining BACK what the engine has lost over the years.

Don't buy the throttle switch. Think of it this way....yes, it sends a WOT signal at 60% throttle. But how long does it really take you to mash the pedal to the floor as opposed to 60% of the way there? There's a reason that 99.9% of the folks on here call it crap. If you want the same effect for free, tinker with the voltage settings on your TPS until you find something that makes you happy and doesn't set a DTC.