• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

optimized throttle body...kind of awesome

rollinstylee

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
1,007
Location
Dublin, OH
Since I'm home for a few days on fall break, I took the opportunity to do some stuff I haven't had time for before, like check ALL of my plugs and wires and PCV valve and hoses, wetsand my headlights, paint and install my fiberglass eyelids, and what the hell, optimize my throttle body. To anyone who says the improvement isn't that noticeable, you must be doing something wrong! It may only be a 2-3 hp gain (I beveled the leading edge of the plate as well) but the difference in part throttle response is otherworldly. I actually lurched the first couple times I took off from a start because I had to relearn how much to toe into the throttle when engaging the clutch. The slightest brush of my foot on the gas is now enough to blip the engine immediately. I highly recommend this mod...not hard if you're careful and take your time and costs literally $0.50 for two screws.

BTW to make this post not completely worthless, I'd like to point out the glaring omission in the How-to on the main page, namely that you need to completely cut out the front of the bar...seems like kind of an important step. Did I miss something?
 
I'm not bashing you in any way but was your TB very dirty/ nasty? when i just cleaned mine my throttle changed and did what your describing. I'm still wanting to opt mine.
 
Nope, I had just cleaned it at the end of summer, and I Seafoamed the intakes 2 weeks ago. This is on a whole different level :cool:. DO IT!

*edit* Oh yeah and while you're at it don't forget to grind down the stop just a little to get full 90 degree opening.
 
Last edited:
After cleaning my UIM and LIM and optimizing my throttle body, I got what's called the "moosing" noise. It only happened a few times but hasn't happened since the day I put it all back together. Did this happen to you? I don't really think I noticed an increase in performance even though everything was reaaallly dirty.
 
Didn't happen to me. I've only heard the moose once ever, and that was when the engine was cold, I started it and stabbed the gas once really quick because my dad wanted to hear the exhaust lol. I don't ever push the engine until it's warm, so it didn't go past 4 or 5K, but it immediately started honking and lasted for a few seconds. I told him that wasn't supposed to be part of the experience. :laugh:

Now that I think about it though, that WAS soon after I had Seafoamed the intake. I don't think they were related...
 
Did you have any trouble removing the screws for the TPS and the butterfly plate? I couldn't get mine off with a crappy bench vice and a screwdriver without starting to strip them, so I gave up.
 
I didnt notice a big difference at all when I installed my optimized tb. I am sure it helped but I couldnt tell a difference.
 
Did you have any trouble removing the screws for the TPS and the butterfly plate? I couldn't get mine off with a crappy bench vice and a screwdriver without starting to strip them, so I gave up.


the screws are pinched on the back side to help prevent them from coming out.
 
When I had one on my 99 SVT I def noticed a difference. My butt dyno felt a few hp's but then who really knows. But it cant hurt :shrug:
 
Did you have any trouble removing the screws for the TPS and the butterfly plate? I couldn't get mine off with a crappy bench vice and a screwdriver without starting to strip them, so I gave up.

From the looks of it they're originally secured in with red loctite, which is very strong. I couldn't get them out with a hand screwdriver either. Take a power drill w/ a phillips bit to them.
 
On the old forums, quoting bnoon:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]"We have dyno proof of 3+ HP at the wheels on a 2.5 SVT for this mod with no other changes. We will post those results soon on our website."

That's where I got the number.
[/FONT]
 
yeah I remember something of that sort in the old forums.
 
1-3 hp is entirely possible. sometimes its those little factory mistakes that when fixed make a big change.

ex: on push rod Chevy V8's just changing the cam to change the factory Chevy firing order makes for alot more hp. i don't remember what the change was though. it was kinda big.
 
1-3 hp is entirely possible.

That HP difference is within the margin of error for most dynos. I'll take it with a grain of salt. I could see 1 from the improved airflow, but 3 HP for a TB optimization is stretching it a bit IMHO. Not like you're getting a ton of extra air through there - especially considering the MAF still has a big vertical box beam running through the middle of it.

That said, if Bnoon measured 3 HP, I'm sure that is exactly what he saw.
 
Last edited:
That HP difference is within the margin of error for most dynos. I'll take it with a grain of salt. I could see 1 from the improved airflow, but 3 HP for a TB optimization is stretching it a bit IMHO. Not like you're getting a ton of extra air through there - especially considering the MAF still has a big vertical box beam running through the middle of it.

That said, if Bnoon measured 3 HP, I'm sure that is exactly what he saw.

my bad, i guess i should have said i could only see it making 1hp or so. but yes margin of error, i agree.

but throttle response is a different story. that doesn't mean you have more power just better response!
 
Back
Top