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From: Bardstown ( Bourbon capitol of the world ) KY ( The Bluegrass state )
Do I need a bigger throttle body?
I have a 95 lt1 with port and polished lt1 heads, cc306 comp cam, and a ported and polished intake, and the bottem end has been bored .30 over with srp forged flat top pistons. I have a mechanic telling me that i need a 52mm tb. Do I need one for better air flow/hp or is this a waste of time/money?
Also future mods : long tube headers
Last edited by "J"; Jun 26, 2008 at 11:15 PM.
Reason: misprint
Sometimes you have to step away from the crowd and follow your instinct. You are about to receive a number of posts. Some for and some against installing a larger throttle body.
I didn't ask for other peoples opinions on my '95 LT1. I seen what GM had installed on the engine and seen how nice the after-market units are and made a knee-jerk purchase. Afterwards I noticed people commenting larger throttle body's do no good. Since I actually have a 52mm Edelbrock on my car and they do make a difference.... I suggest you install one on your engine and ignore the negative responses. Sounds like you could benefit from the 58mm.
BBK is a site sponcer and might offer a discount to members. I purchased mine before registering here and didn't know better.
Wide Open a larger throttle body may or may not offer more additional air. I do know part-throttle they certainly do make a difference. Having seen a few of those "Air Foils" some are extra cheep and made of plastic. Anyway, my car has long-tube headers and 4:10 gears with a 6-speed. Maybe higher geared cars still feel sluggish with larger throttle body's, I don't know... My car responds quickly when I nail it..all the way into third gear...
You can buy a TB from Summit, Jegs, or MAMotorworks for around $300. For your application, since the intake and heads are ported, you will get the best out of the 52mm. The only reason you would need 58mm is if you have a setup for over 6-7k RPMs, as a 52 can feed enough cfm to give you power up to 6k for around 500hp. If you throw on a 58 it would give you too much air and lean out the mixture, making you lose power in the low end and gain a slight amount in the top.
I have a 95 lt1 with port and polished lt1 heads, cc306 comp cam, and a ported and polished intake, and the bottem end has been bored .30 over with srp forged flat top pistons. I have a mechanic telling me that i need a 52mm tb. Do I need one for better air flow/hp or is this a waste of time/money?
Also future mods : long tube headers
You NEED to have a TUNER chime in on which way to go! It sounds like you have alot of the goodies, but no mention of a tune and/or injector upgrades. Long Tubes will make a HUGE difference in this setup, but without a tune, your wasting potential...........Just my $0.02
From: Former NCM Drag Racing coordinator, National director Corvette Challenge Spring Hill, Tennessee: Whiting, New Jersey
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Originally Posted by BlackHarleyMan
You NEED to have a TUNER chime in on which way to go! It sounds like you have alot of the goodies, but no mention of a tune and/or injector upgrades. Long Tubes will make a HUGE difference in this setup, but without a tune, your wasting potential...........Just my $0.02
R/Noland
That is a no brainer. A tune is a must and to complete the package long tubes and 30lbs injectors. That then would be very close to my old set up.
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
A simple low cost test should give you an indication of the efficiency of your present throttle body. Just put a vacuum gauge or manometer on your intake and measure the pressure drop at WOT across the throttle blades. If there's no pressure drop then there's no restriction.
Last edited by 69427; Jun 27, 2008 at 08:33 PM.
Reason: spelling correction
From: Bardstown ( Bourbon capitol of the world ) KY ( The Bluegrass state )
Originally Posted by BlackHarleyMan
You NEED to have a TUNER chime in on which way to go! It sounds like you have alot of the goodies, but no mention of a tune and/or injector upgrades. Long Tubes will make a HUGE difference in this setup, but without a tune, your wasting potential...........Just my $0.02
R/Noland
I have stock injectors. An it has been tuned for the current set up. After a TB upgrade, I guess I'll have to get it tuned again?
WOT is Wide Open Throttle. Odd to spend that much money for no gain at WOT and only want it for part throttle feeling. That TPS booster thing would be cheaper but still not free like pressing the gas more.