Throttle Body upgrade......is it worth it?

[Flamed 96]

I have a 1996 Z28 with a 6speed.......as far as I know I have the stock throttle body, but have heard and seen alot of different size throttle bodies advertised. What set up works best?
52 mm or 58 mm?

What all is involved in the swap? Do I need a new fuel pump or injectors or anything really involved?

I'm looking for some quick easy bolt on performance.

I took my car to the track and ran 9.99 in the 1/8.
I also drive my car daily, so don't get too wild on me. Gas prices are too high for all that.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[screaminchev93]

well as far as i know you don't need anything but just the throttlebody but the more mods the bettter like an exhaust and more importantly an intake to complement the throttlebody...neways like you prolly know the stock T/B is 48 mm soo 52 isn't really that but bigger ....not enough for $350 to $500 well to me anyways. i mean granted you will have to port the throttlebody holes out on the intake but a 58 mm will make a big difference(from what ive heard) compared to a 52mm.But also i have heard that 52mm is good enough for very mild mods... but PERSONALLY i would not want to buy something this exspensive TWICE... just do it right and do it once thats my moto. ...The only down fall other than the PORTING thing is that some people say you actually lose power with a 58mm but i can't see how this is possible unless you just have a k&n filter on a stock intake and everything else is stock too....THEN THATS VERY POSSIBLE...but who the hell would do that

[BradfromSD]

I have a 94 camaro and my first mods were the borla exhaust, high flow cats and then I purchased the K&N performance intake, I really noticed alot more throttle response and alot of top end. After a few months I got bored and installed the mass air flow sensor and a 58mm bbk throttle body, I always ran premuim pump gas with octane booster and I was smokin' S-281 saleens all day long. So I would go with the 58mm, more potential! Goodluck.

[88z2try]

If you go with the 52 mm throttle body you will not have to port the inlet holes on the intake because they are 52mm from the factory even with the 48 mm throttle body. If you go with the 58 which is obviously more performance than with the 52 then you will have to do intake manifold mods. Alot more involved and time consuming. especially if you do it yourself. For what your looking for i would just go with the 52mm. You will see enough of a gain and not much work at all. Everything bolts up easily. Also do the TB bypass while your there. And if you have an extra 230 or 240 bucks throw some 24 or 26 lb injectors on it. That would make a great combo. After all you drive it everyday and dont want to go crazy. I have an 88 IROC and did a 52mm throttle body and 24 lb injectors and drive it every day with no problems. Had it done for almost a year now with not one single drivability problem. So go for it man!!

[94ZHawaii]

I have a Question about the 58 mm TB...where would i go to get the intake ported to 58mm?? I live in hawaii and the rave here is imports....so there is not alot of speed shops devoted strictly domestic, well as far as ive seen so far....but im looking into it. And does a person have to change out the injectors for the 58mm tb? or are the stock ones ok?
Ryan K

[Toplessghost97]

Take your intake off and take it to a machine shop, or get a port and polish kit and do it yourself.

[Lyle A]

I think 58mm is too much without a head swap. 52mm is sufficient with a stock engine.

[emile turks]

Hey flamed 96, I am at the end of the line on bolt on's except for the throttle body and underdrive pulleys. I'm going with the 52mm BBK/Edelbrock for 299 out of either skoggin****************ey GM or summit. 58mm is good if you have ported heads/intake and a higher RPM cam(like LT4 or likewise). To port it you are simply enlarge the two holes to match the 58mm TB, you could make a cardboard template of TB, pencil that to the intake and get yourself a porting kit from a high performance shop or maybe even a local sears(they have that kind of stuff here in new orleans) but I'd say 52mm unless you are going to supercharge it or make a high RPM monster out of it. I sure wouldn't want to go through the drama of taking an intake off, the TB will be enough of a "take this off to get to that" experience. Do the throttle body bypass while you are there(connect the lines to one another vice 2 into the TB, it cools the intake charge but if it gets cold in Hawaii, you might want to leave that, it prevents extreme cold from sticking the TB plates. Just my 2 cents.

[94ZHawaii]

I think ill just go with the 52mm for now... if i do decide to supercharge..then i will deal with it then. Hey.l..has anyone ever turbo charged a camaro?? id like some information about that, cause it would be neat to see one.
Thanks
Ryan K

[86RedRocket]

Originally posted by Lyle A
I think 58mm is too much without a head swap. 52mm is sufficient with a stock engine.

Correct. Stock cars will not benefit from a 58mm tb. Supposedly, you actually lose power. I would stick w/the stock tb until you upgrade your heads(port/polish, lt-4, etc.) before I would spend the money on one. You could port the stock oneyourself if you are skilled or trust yourself w/a dremel tool. Make sure you port match the tb to the intake.

[Domestic Muscle]

I'd agree w/ 86RedRocket, the 58mm will be almost worthless until you up your head. An option for you is to get a better performing 52mm and in the future, have it worked on to fit a 58 mm head, if you go that far. Good luck, and let us know what u choose!

Josh

[tyz28ss]

Im in the market for a new throttle body as well. What size would benefit a 1997 LT1 with an SS-RamAir, Granatelli MAF, Hooker Exhaust and Reprogrammed Computer? 52mm or 58mm? Does the 58mm really add that much more air that the current heads can't benefit. Would the HP increase be less than a 52mm? I just hear conflicting views when on a stock engine.

If the 58mm gives equal or better HP increase than a 52mm, then it would be worth the extra upfront. Then later if I want, I can port my heads, change lifters etc and get even more from the 58mm.

[camarokid95]

The racing engine specialist said that with my LT-4 conversion kit, it comes with a 58mm throttle body. Im not sure what the stock CFM's (cubic feet per minute) but he said i would be increasing my stock cfm's which is around 320 cfm's to 1000 cfm's. I can understand that you can loose hp if your internally stock and you put a 58mm on. Its wasted $. I was gonna buy the edelbock 52mm throttle body. You will see alot of response with that kind of throttle body from edelborck.

[camarokid95]

Personally i dont like ram air because it is more restrictive. I know lots of guys that took of their ram air system....put in a cold air intake and now the ram air scoop on the hood shoots cold air down and cools their cylinder heads now that they dont have the ram air intake blocking it.

[jasb105]

You are talking about while swapping TB, do a TB bypass. For somebody who knows nothing, but is trying to learn. Can somebody explain in simple terms what you mean by TB bypass? How do you do it, and what does it accomplish? Thanks guys.

[Lyle A]

It is removing the coolant lines from both sides of the TB and connecting them together.This Site (http://csce.uark.edu/~jgbertr/rb/tb_bypass.jpg) describes the 95 to 97 cars.

[mdstud]

Well the throttle body has two coolant lines one on each side of it one goes in and one goes out.... all the throttle body bypass does is you take each line off the throttle body and stick in a connector and clamp and your done, personally I wouldnt be able to benfit from it because I live in a cold climate and I need all the help I can get in the winter... all it does is circulate antifreeze through the throttle body... when disconnected I would guess it keeps the throttle body a little cooler....

[mdstud]

well you beat me to it lyle lol :lol:

[camarokid95]

Flammed 96, if you want a good throttle response and more airflow, then get a aftermarket 52mm Holly TB and if you have a ram air, but the conversion kit to make it a cold intake system. That i garentee will give you the response you are looking for.

[curtz28]

A TB bypass is a Throttle Body bypass which is disconnecting the coolant lines that run through the throttle body and connecting them together. This is supposed to cool down the air comming into the motor. For guys that dont run their cars in winter, which is most people it is fine to do this.

[curtz28]

well you both beat me to it

[IHATEFORD]

before doinf your mods,you might wanna look at something wrong woth your car,a 6 speed lt-1 stock should run way lower than 9.9,i have my 97 z auto,and she ran 9.4 all stock...

just a little f.y.i, before bolt-ons...

[DynoTomSeattle]

The mere 580 cfm that the stock OEM twin 48mm flows is well under what the OEM TPI or LT1 motor needs as far as airflow to make all the power the motor is capable of. We have installed severel on built and bone stock applications. Again, even bone stock you will see 17rwhp min. The myth that you will kill MPG, drivability, and lose low end could not be more wrong. We installed the DynaThrust adapter for those that do not want to go out and port/bore their intake and still so awesome results, no different then a 58mm bored intake.

The twin 58mm 1000 cfm is what you need, do not waste time with twin 52mm 750 cfm unless you have no further plans for your f body or vette. remember SBC's like airflow..period, they operate best with more... GM used the twin 48mm because that was sufficient for all applications. Keep in mind the 4.6 Ford runs a Twin 62MM.

I run a 1125 cfm twin 60mm with a dynathrust adapter with twin 3" true dual exhaust, twin hi flow cats, twin aero turbine mufflers( in the rear) twin DynoMax straight through mufflers (at the rear avle) and twin resonators (behind the cats) (ALL 3") all stock motor, shorty headers, 125hp nitrous shot, Granatelli 5%rich MAF, SS ram air hood, MSD ignition, cap & rotor.. Without the NOS, I dyno at 355 rwhp, with NOS 478.

The twin 58MM is the first upgrade that should be done, you will love it... rest assured I have installed over 100 and they always work great. I recommend the Edl 3810 that comes with the pre-calibrated and new TPS.

You WILL get WAY MORE throttle response, you WILL gain way more top end, you will gain far more low end response, you DO NOT have to change injectors, you should add a good cold air as the stock system is far too restrictive, you should mod the exhuast to at least a good cat back system and a high flow MAF with a LE1?? intake elbow or SLP without silincer baffle.

You will hear that good old SBC intake hiss and the sound that the Q-Jet GM's made with the Twin 58MM, I love that sound, to me its worth it just for that.

Bottom line you will NOT make the power your capable of gaining withour adding airflow..

Hope this helped!

Good luck guys, go get em!!

[mdstud]

eh, mm kay. :scratchch

[MeanGreen94Z]

yeah when my car was stock i ran a 9.15 on a slipping tranny but you have to keep in mind the altitude, because i ran 2/10's faster on the mountian than i did at almost sea level

[apexz]

Wow, talk about bringing a Thread back from the dead.

[Menekali]

It was actually really informative. Good read.

[Raoul-Duke]

get a quadruple 100mm flap throttle body that flows 50,000,000,000 cfm and give u 1000hp and you'll run 8 sec in the 1/4......




























j/k

[Gatorhead]

Your car would run best without a throttle body at all, then you wouldn't have to by pass nothing and the weight you take off is good for a solid second in the quarter!!!!!!!!

[mdstud]

lol :)

[Lyle A]

Your car would run best without a throttle body at all, then you wouldn't have to by pass nothing and the weight you take off is good for a solid second in the quarter!!!!!!!!
How then would you control the engine rpm.

[Gatorhead]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorhead
Your car would run best without a throttle body at all, then you wouldn't have to by pass nothing and the weight you take off is good for a solid second in the quarter!!!!!!!!

How then would you control the engine rpm.

Ummm I was trying to make a funny, lol sorry for the confusion, but to answer your question there wouldn't be any rpms, cuz the car won't run lol again sorry for being sarcastic!

[linemanap7423]

lol i thought it was funny...

[Raoul-Duke]

How then would you control the engine rpm.

:rolleyes: :biglaugh: