Over the weekend amidst removing the air intake from my SVT, I was bombarded by commercials for the Tornado fuel saver. For those who haven't seen it, it is a small metal device with air foils that you insert into your main air intake tube. The device supposedly creates a "tornado" effect on the incoming air which they claim makes for more efficient mixing of fuel and air and ultimately better combustion. Makes sense, in theory. As a result of their wonderful product they claim gas mileage will noticably increase and well as horsepower, which they "proved" using a dyno.
Sounds like a waste of $70 to me, but just thought I'd see if anyone here actually decided to blow the money and try it. And if so, what were your results?
I just realized that this post may have been more appropriate under the "Duratec performance" category, even though the Tornado does have to do with forcing the pattern air induction. Sorry about that, I wish you could transfer posts to different threads.
Yeah I got one, but it made my car so fast I had to remove it.
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Yeah I got one, but it made my car so fast I had to remove it.
HaHa, very funny. I am serious though, just want to get some feedback and see if the thing is as worthless as I think. I don't expect many responses, but my intuition tells me there is someone whose curiosity forced them to buy one.
think of it this way, if something that simple would make a car faster and get better mpg, dont you think the auto makers would be using it?
its crap, dont waste your money. spend the saved money cleaning your LIM, UIM, and TB, replace your plugs and maybe wires too, you will feel more (not gain, but get back what was lost) HP by doing these mods.
I've had 3 cars come into the dyno with these things. Hard to believe I know but it's true. The results were at least a 4hp loss on everyone.
Go to Wal-Mart, buy a $3 piece of posterboard, put pencil holes in it, then place that between your MAF and the intake pipe.
You've just got the equivalent of the Tornado and saved yourself a LOT of money.
It's just another air intake restriction that is trying to advertise itself as anything but. Don't buy into it...
Originally posted by Russell:
think of it this way, if something that simple would make a car faster and get better mpg, dont you think the auto makers would be using it?
its crap, dont waste your money. spend the saved money cleaning your LIM, UIM, and TB, replace your plugs and maybe wires too, you will feel more (not gain, but get back what was lost) HP by doing these mods.
Well, I was already 100% certain it was crap, so you're not telling me anything new. I had NO intention of buying the stupid thing, just curious if anyone else did. I know all the typical horsepower recovery items already, just wondered if anyone fell for the gimmick, that's all.
Originally posted by Keyser:
I've had 3 cars come into the dyno with these things. Hard to believe I know but it's true. The results were at least a 4hp loss on everyone.
Haha! No kidding? Thanks for the info, that's what I wanted to hear. I expected this thing to do absolutely nothing, but if it actually reduces h.p. that is too funny. It was hard enough to imagine someone buying one, but to install it and then dyno the car expecting gains is even harder to imagine, but it looks like you came across a few people who did just that.
Thanks for the post.
Originally posted by svtman21:
I just realized that this post may have been more appropriate under the "Duratec performance" category
Try more like the Stupid Snake Oil Forum...
Ooooooooooh! You sure told me! Gimme a break, I'm not peddling the stuff! Man you guys are vicious. Excuse me for living! :-(
there is no excuse for you....just dont do it again. LOL
later man
You mean a piece of metal shoved into my intake won't gain me 20hp like they show on TV? I was sure my car was faster, darn.
it will but only from 8500 to 10,000 rpm.......
So as soon as I get a custom chip, new valves and cams,etc. then it'll be worth it. Sweeeet. Will it fit on my quad turbo/supercharger setup?
well you will need to get the chrome plated tunnel ram setup with the dual 10mm tb's..........then you would be the man. LOL
Actually I think I mite order the dual Weber carbs from burton, can you say hood scoop?
that car they showed on tv anyway wasnt even stock if you look at it...it may have gained 20HP but 19 of that was from other mods done to the car.
If you look at it, I do see it somewhat increasing airflow but I don't think it'd make a big enough difference for you to even notice.
Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
If you look at it, I do see it somewhat increasing airflow but I don't think it'd make a big enough difference for you to even notice.
Really!
Please explain how an intake restriction increases airflow.
How does it magically make the engine pull in more air?
Air swirl before the TB has no effect on anything. For that matter air swirl in a dry manifold does nothing but slow the velocity down.
Matter of fact part of the reason a K&N works so well is it straightens the airflow out.
Also air swirl before the MAF (if it's mounted there?) causes erratic readings and drops performance and efficiency. Worst case scenario is it causes random lean spots 
There is a reason why it doesn't work and is constantly made fun of. 
Those things are just as freakin bad as those intake mod resistors that you get on ebay. What a freakin scam
.
Originally posted by DemonSVT:
Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
If you look at it, I do see it somewhat increasing airflow but I don't think it'd make a big enough difference for you to even notice.
Really!
Please explain how an intake restriction increases airflow.
How does it magically make the engine pull in more air?
Air swirl before the TB has no effect on anything. For that matter air swirl in a dry manifold does nothing but slow the velocity down.
Matter of fact part of the reason a K&N works so well is it straightens the airflow out.
Also air swirl before the MAF (if it's mounted there?) causes erratic readings and drops performance and efficiency. Worst case scenario is it causes random lean spots
There is a reason why it doesn't work and is constantly made fun of.
dude didn't you see the tornado effect, they showed it themsevles!! It does something, I know it does...I just don't know what 
Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
dude didn't you see the tornado effect, they showed it themsevles!! It does something, I know it does...I just don't know what
seriously, i dynoed a 25 HP gain and 30tq on my moped!!!
go buy it right now and you will break into the 14s!!!
from 17s/high 16s to 14s...oh man thats what I'm talkin about.
forget nitrous...
after i installed mine in my 98 svt, i went to the track. it launched so hard my back tires came off the ground, fire came out my exhaust like screamin banshees. it was a rush, my 60 ft time was a 1.65..........need i say more. oh yea when i grabbed second it tore my rear axle out.
After I put one in my SVT, I could do wheelies in reverse!!!
Originally posted by Bronco_II:
After I put one in my SVT, I could do wheelies in reverse!!!
Oh yeah, well I can do it starting in 2nd gear with FWD!!! Hey its just as likely as this tornado thing actually working.
mmmmmmm flames out of the exhaust...show me the way.
i like the pretty pink ones on 2F2F
You know, I initially regretted starting this thread because the product in question is a useless scam piece of junk, and some people got the impression that I was a sap who was actually planning to buy one. But after the many hilarious reponses I've seen I'm glad that I did. It turns out this little tin air-swirling piece of crap IS actually effective - effective at causing people to pee their pants with laughter.
Keep the far-fetched Tornado "success" stories comin!
*NEWSFLASH*
i just put 3 of them in the contour and ran a 9.26 @ 150
yup thats rugnt, even though there is no engine in the tour, it still ran those times!
Originally posted by Russell:
*NEWSFLASH*
i just put 3 of them in the contour and ran a 9.26 @ 150
yup thats rugnt, even though there is no engine in the tour, it still ran those times!
Nice! I never even considered using more than one, but think about it...........3 tornadoes = 3 times the horsepower-boosting airflow!
Well done! Better watch out for speeding tickets though........
Originally posted by svtman21:
Well done! Better watch out for speeding tickets though........
naw, cops cant catch me, i got nawwwwws too
dont forget the chrome muffler bearings, they help speed up the exhaust flow so the tornado can ram even more air in.
Originally posted by low10s:
dont forget the chrome muffler bearings, they help speed up the exhaust flow so the tornado can ram even more air in.
Oh hell yeah man, very good point. And one other thing..........well, I'm not even sure I should tell you guys about it, it's kind of a top secret idea of mine, but you seem nice so here goes....
I installed a tornado fuel-saver in my gas tank, yeah you heard me! Why? Because it swirls the gas before it hits the fuel lines and makes for better combustion, of course! Now I know what you're thinking........."won't that piece of crap dissolve in my gas tank, thereby leaving my engine to combust little shards of metal in the fuel?" The answer is NO. The tornado fuel saver is constructed using 10-layers of Reynolds patented aluminum foil, and we all know how tough that stuff is.
**Update** Just dynoed my car after the fuel-tank install! Bad news though, the dyno could not handle the power my car put down and caught fire, so I did not get an accurate reading. Last I saw, the HP needle was swinging close to 1000 though, but I guess we'll never know. The message I am trying to get across here is this: be careful, this thing is more powerful AND versatile than we all thought.
my tour may be fast, but the blazer is faster. it ran a 6.17 @ 215 last night on the local uphill track. whats the secret?
PLASMA !!!!
quad tornado injected plasma!
the extreme power it made broke the tranny, so a little bit of super glue and duct tape and the tranny is heavily beefed up now and can take excess of 5000 HP
man and i thought i ws the only one.........small world
I wonder what kind of HP and gas mileage gain I'd see with an eram and tornado gas saver...with all that air they're shootin through at tremendous speeds, there has gotta be gains somewhere.
Originally posted by low10s:
dont forget the chrome muffler bearings, they help speed up the exhaust flow so the tornado can ram even more air in.
No way man, I got the TEFLON muffler bearings! Reduces sliding friction of the exhaust gases. 
Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
I wonder what kind of HP and gas mileage gain I'd see with an eram and tornado gas saver...with all that air they're shootin through at tremendous speeds, there has gotta be gains somewhere.
Maybe on your lawn mower.