I must be missing something here, so I'm going to go out on a limb, even though having installed my own $3 version of this mod doesn't put me at risk of the throttle body freezing in the open position where I live.

You stated that the throttle body will heat up to a certain extent relative to the engine heat "by convection". Because of that very fact, then the throttle body coolant bypass can't really allow the throttle body to be frozen in the open postion, right?

FWIW, I bypassed by throttle body coolant ports to try to help keep my throttle body from getting too hot, plain and simple. I don't expect ONE IOTA of additional horsepower. If I did, I would've bought the "performance hood seal", too, but I instead made my own "sealing" hood seal.

I believe that anything I can do to keep my throttle body from getting as hot as my engine is better for my engine and it's optimum performance (not hi-performance, just "optimum performance"). While it may be true that doing this bypass will not result in cooling air as it comes ripping through the throttle body, at least I know I'm doing everything I can to prevent that air from losing it's already-colder quality (because ANY air going into the intake is colder than the engine), regardless of whether you're running a true cold air intake like the Varam or a stock air filter with a swiss cheese mod. After all, even the lowest liquid temps running through the engine (that being coolant) is anywhere between 170 and 235 degrees, and even if your airbox is sucking engine compartment air, there's no way the intake air is even close to those temps. So, my bypass mod helps me keep my throttle body temp as low as is possible; even if it can't actually cool my intake air, at least I know it can't heat it any more.

Edit: And, for me heat is a BIG issue (causing detonation), so anything I can do to minimize heat is a worthwhile mod for me...especially one that takes only a few minutes, and $3 (and that includes extending those hose, and the hose clamps). The connector itself was only 89 cents.

Good thread, by the way, I get so much more info from threads like these where people state their individual opinions. While no one is ever right or wrong (well, mostly), I appreciate hearing all sides of an issue, so I can make more educated decisions. After all, each one of our cars runs differently, environments aside. I mean, even if you took several cars of the same model and options, with the same stock tune, the same gas, and in the same area, some cars will undoubtedly go faster than others, while some will idle better, and yet some will be more responsive.

Therefore, whether we're each looking to simply maximize the potential of what we already have, or we're looking to add power via modifications, I think we all owe it to ourselves to read, read, read on this forum, as well as give back by posting our opinions, findings and results. That way, we might all be able to make our cars run how they were designed to run and not have to live with the configurations and restictions that enabled GM to even bring these cars to market.

The only reason I don't tip my hat to GM is because there are other things they could've had more control of like the column lock bug, under-sized piston rings, and that damned straw they stuck into the crankcase they refer to as the PCV system. I mean, I can excuse the low-performing stock tune, the throttle coolant and the high-runinng temps, because they're there to help produce clean emmisions, but man, there are so many things wrong with these cars, it's not funny. On the other hand, they must've done SOME THINGS RIGHT, because look at us all!

 

Ok... It does make some differance, based on use of the same dyno on 4 pulls, 2 before the mod and 2 after the bypass. All pulls where between 178-182 collent tempurature and where done as in the same morning. Ambient air temporture was 80 degrees. The gain on the dyno with the bypass in place was .2 WRHP and .3 WR Torque.

Be ready to hang on to your seat... that might be enough to over come the rolling resistant loss of running over a beetle.

 

Good to know...for the vendors advertising increase in HP, that is. At least they won't be sued now.

Do you work for one of them?