52mm 160 Throttle Body

52mm 160 Throttle Body

Author
Discussion

kiwi le

Original Poster:

262 posts

268 months

Thursday 26th December 2002
quotequote all
Guys dump the LEGO TB (plastic 48mm), after a week with the 52mm 160 TB (slightly modified) and a clean air filter, the car has never run better........

Throttle response, sensitivity etc is much better, makes the car easier to drive with minimum throttle lag and input delays. I would recommend this too anyone looking to do a relatively cheap upgrade. Not sure on the power increase but will dyno the car end of the month so will report back on any increase.

Also tested the "DIY" carbon cold air box and that works a treat as well (got pics if anyone is interested ?), tested this with some advice from Joe at Prototype Racing and has proven to be pretty efficient ......so saved a heap not buying the hurricane unit.

Now an estimated 98 kW's at the wheels, dyno later in the month should confirm this.

fergusd

1,247 posts

271 months

Thursday 26th December 2002
quotequote all
The 160 TB on a relatively standard engine on the Elise has been dyno tested on a number of cars, power gain of 1bhp or less over the entire rev range . . .

Search the archives on the British Cars BBS for the report from the dyno session.

The VVC engine may benefit a little, but may also start running lean, which is not ideal.

Throttle control at low speeds is compromised, but may give the feeling that the engine is more responsive, a personal choice thing perhaps.

As an uprade from a sticking plastic TB it's better than nothing, but a standard sized TB may well be cheaper for a standard engine.

Fd

Joe McCarthy

43 posts

264 months

Thursday 26th December 2002
quotequote all
Dyno numbers are completely meaningless where transient throttle response is concerned. Take the report of the driver, not the dyno chart.

kiwi le

Original Poster:

262 posts

268 months

Thursday 26th December 2002
quotequote all
Fergusd - I checked the old pots and got varying reports from other people as well, with gains from 1 - 6 hp and the problem of the engine running lean.

The set up I have at present - middle cams, modified intake and exhaust......the engine was running slightly rich so opted for the TB to see what difference it would make - and to my pleasant surprise it was a big improvement.

I have always found the throttle response a little slow when compared to other cars I have driven. I have read that some people find the K series in the Elise a little nervous or too sensitive on the throttle ???

With the new TB I find the inputs alot more positive with minimal delay and with little lag, car seems like it has more initial pick up but this maybe an illusion from be throttle response ? I have a fun run at the drags with the local club on the 5th and a dyno run later in the month, I'll let you know what I get back.

Either way the car drives better so IMO money well spent & Joe - back to work.....you've got more numbers to run and a show to go too & kits to build !!!

fergusd

1,247 posts

271 months

Friday 27th December 2002
quotequote all

Joe McCarthy said: Dyno numbers are completely meaningless where transient throttle response is concerned. Take the report of the driver, not the dyno chart.


Dyno/RR it prior to fitting.
Dyno/RR it post fitting.
Power/Torque curve is within 1bhp identical (probably within the accuracy of the dyno).
Regardless of the actual power figure (which is at best an estimate on any RR) the fact that it's more or less the same shows (to me anyway) that this mod makes little to no difference to actual power.
That's on a standardish engine, VVC engines and highly modified engines still running a plenum may benefit.

The transient aspect is not a dyno/RR issue at all, it's a drivability issue and a personal preference as I stated.

I'm not questioning whether it feels faster, only whether it actually is faster, and only by measuring things in a non emotive way can you determine that.

My car feels faster with a louder exhaust on it, but it isn't . . .

However . . . your money, not mine . . .

Fd