Jet throttle body or Hypertech max energy?

[Vegasmarc21]

All I have in my 2011 5.3 Tahoe is an AEM dry flow with a modified airbox (a hole cut facing the front and I insulated it to keep heat out). What would you suggest next a jet throttle body or a Hypertech Max 2.0 please no suggestions of a bb tune please....just between the jet throttle body and Hypertech max energy tune. Suggestions please....

 

[iamdub]

All I have in my 2011 5.3 Tahoe is an AEM dry flow with a modified airbox (a hole cut facing the front and I insulated it to keep heat out). What would you suggest next a jet throttle body or a Hypertech Max 2.0 please no suggestions of a bb tune please....just between the jet throttle body and Hypertech max energy tune. Suggestions please....

If you absolutely must have one of those two items you listed, the Hypertech is the only thing that can make any sort of useful difference. The TB is a lot of money just for the looks.

This hole you cut in the air box- is there a duct going to it so it gets air from outside the engine compartment or is it just the hole? If no duct, then my next suggestion would be to patch that hole. Otherwise, it's like having an ice chest with no lid. Yeah, it's an insulated box, but with no lid it's still exposed to the outside air and heat.

 

[Rocket Man]

The Jet throttle body won't net you anything but a hole in your wallet, if that helps.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

You know what you should really do if you want to wake it up a bit is.... Oh, wait... Nevermind.

 

[Vegasmarc21]

If you absolutely must have one of those two items you listed, the Hypertech is the only thing that can make any sort of useful difference. The TB is a lot of money just for the looks.

This hole you cut in the air box- is there a duct going to it so it gets air from outside the engine compartment or is it just the hole? If no duct, then my next suggestion would be to patch that hole. Otherwise, it's like having an ice chest with no lid. Yeah, it's an insulated box, but with no lid it's still exposed to the outside air and heat.

The rectangle cut out is facing the back of the passenger side lamp. It has to catch some outside air though any small gaps from fender and headlight and hood....anyway, I do feel a bit better throttle response...because I just don't get how the stock location could feed any air from the side and the air would have to take a right turn to go into the intake box....at least my mod, the cold air would come from the gaps....any thoughts...?

 

[PG01]

The rectangle cut out is facing the back of the passenger side lamp. It has to catch some outside air though any small gaps from fender and headlight and hood....anyway, I do feel a bit better throttle response...because I just don't get how the stock location could feed any air from the side and the air would have to take a right turn to go into the intake box....at least my mod, the cold air would come from the gaps....any thoughts...?

I understand what you are saying/trying to accomplish but you have to understand these airboxes are setup and designed by engineers who study where the coolest air/most air will come from... any small gap you think is there, at speed isnt really pushing anymore into the airbox then is coming from the inner fender... i think, i think...you are confusing forced air vs cold air intake. Patch the hole and i guarantee you will see same throttle without hole....agreed on throttle body, dont... get tuner

 

[iamdub]

The rectangle cut out is facing the back of the passenger side lamp. It has to catch some outside air though any small gaps from fender and headlight and hood....anyway, I do feel a bit better throttle response...because I just don't get how the stock location could feed any air from the side and the air would have to take a right turn to go into the intake box....at least my mod, the cold air would come from the gaps....any thoughts...?

Think about it: The air finding it's way in between those small gap(s) in the front can not flow more/better/more smoothly than that relatively large hole in the side that's decently isolated from the engine bay. That air coming in through the front gets stalled trying to squeeze through those gaps so it's surely not any sort of "ram air" effect. Aside from the volume and speed aspect, that area is a hot spot because you have a huge forced-air heater right there in the front- the radiator. Next time you go for a drive, pop the hood and feel all around the front of your air box. It's not gonna be cool. Also, there is no "cold air" to be had except during the winter months.

The air coming in through the lower side of the fender is fed into and fills up that area inside the fender. So, it's already "there" and immediately gets sucked into the inlet side of the air box. It's not really having to make a 90° turn as if the flow is directly and exclusively going from the slots in the fender liner, up, and then making a hard turn into the air box. Sure, it's not a ram-air effect, but at least it's more of fresh air than the heated stagnant air coming through the front. Compare it to the cowl induction hood. The air may not be forced into forward-facing nostrils, but there's an area of high pressure air that builds at the base of the windshield that's readily inhaled as it's fed into the rearward-facing duct. A side note to the ram air effect, if you didn't already know, is that it has been proven to be ineffective at any speed your Tahoe will ever be capable of. As far as you feeling better throttle response- that's purely subjective without having actual testing and official numbers. Most anyone that does something, especially something permanent, to their car in hopes for better performance is gonna "feel" more power. I can see where there MAY actually be better off-idle throttle response since there's a huge hole providing more volume. This would be great for all those times you wanna race someone to 20 MPH. But, once the engine bay gets good and heated, any gains you may have from the extra volume are negated by the timing being retarded due to the higher intake air temps. For the other 99% of your driving, feeding your engine air that is isolated from the engine bay is best.

 

[Vegasmarc21]

I understand what you are saying/trying to accomplish but you have to understand these airboxes are setup and designed by engineers who study where the coolest air/most air will come from... any small gap you think is there, at speed isnt really pushing anymore into the airbox then is coming from the inner fender... i think, i think...you are confusing forced air vs cold air intake. Patch the hole and i guarantee you will see same throttle without hole....agreed on throttle body, dont... get tuner

Ok, I'll enclose the box with the insulation-dense foam tape that is used to wrap my air ducts in my house, and see....btw, do you think that AEM dryflo filter is hurting performance or it doesn't make
a difference?

 

[justinesky]

Usually i try to stay out of these debates but I made a box with a lid and run a filter with twice the square inch as the stock and its a noticeable increase in power. i did make a piece of aluminum that blocks the radiator heat from getting in and directs air from my grill to my box. I also have a thermometer in my intake piping so i can monitor temps and believe it or not my stock air box with a AEM intake pipe runs about 15-25 deg higher then the one i made. The box i made runs about 5-10deg warmer then outside. I believe this to be because the fender still gets a lot of its air from the engine bay. if you think about it, all the open spots to the fender point to the motor and right behind the headlight. When GM engineered the intake, it wasn't for the most power or flow. it was also for noise reduction. also the placement and design of our intakes is also the happy medium between weather that has an average temp of 100+ deg and weather that has i temp of 0 deg and below.

 

[Rocket Man]

For any of you with naturally-aspirated engines that think you need more airflow than what the stock airbox or throttle body affords, or that it will net you any HP gains, I'd like to point out that Whipple utilizes the stock airbox and TB along with a high flow air filter and clean-flowing tube between the box and TB for their supercharger applications. If it's good enough for 600 HP or more, I guarantee it flows more than enough for 300-350. I'd love to see the dyno proof @justinesky that you see any increase in power. There are also dyno results here on the forum showing that the best CAI's result in, at the most, 2 HP gains. That's not a "noticeable increase in power" in my book. Here's mine. BTW I also have headers and a cam and it still flows good enough.

 

[Mechanic421]

Same air box on the 6.6 duramax!

 

[Vegasmarc21]

Well I did enclose the rectangle opening and It did feel a bit better acceleration wise with the rectangle cutout that I did when I start out in the cool mornings of Portland, Oregon compared to starting out with the box fully enclosed. My feeling is winter driving with a cutout like I did would be ok, but for hot summers enclosing it like factory would be better.....my question now is why do I see cold air intake kits like the K and N FIPK that have the opening like I did and also the top ten CIA ranked by auto anything for Tahoes have an opening facing frontwards like I did....? here is the link.... http://m.autoanything.com/air-intakes/top-10-cold-air-intakes

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Because they're selling you stuff.

 

[iamdub]

When GM engineered the intake, it wasn't for the most power or flow. it was also for noise reduction. also the placement and design of our intakes is also the happy medium between weather that has an average temp of 100+ deg and weather that has i temp of 0 deg and below.

This. There certainly is improvement to be had over the stock setup. Cutting a hole open to the engine bay is not one of them.

Also, insulating the box and duct isn't necessary as the air isn't in there long enough to be heated and there are no good ways for the heat to be conducted from the box and/or duct. It would need fins (heat sinks) or at least other obstructions in the path of air flow. The smooth inside surfaces are a very poor conductor of heat to the fast-moving air.

 

[iamdub]

For any of you with naturally-aspirated engines that think you need more airflow than what the stock airbox or throttle body affords, or that it will net you any HP gains, I'd like to point out that Whipple utilizes the stock airbox and TB along with a high flow air filter and clean-flowing tube between the box and TB for their supercharger applications. If it's good enough for 600 HP or more, I guarantee it flows more than enough for 300-350. I'd love to see the dyno proof @justinesky that you see any increase in power. There are also dyno results here on the forum showing that the best CAI's result in, at the most, 2 HP gains. That's not a "noticeable increase in power" in my book. Here's mine. BTW I also have headers and a cam and it still flows good enough.

Yes. The stock 12"x12"-ish filter is NOT a hindrance of volume to the ~3.5" mouth of the throttle body on a stock motor and, apparently, not on a supercharged one as well.

 

[iamdub]

Because they're selling you stuff.

This. Just like all the "rave reviews" for the Tornado and all those throttle body spacers that "create a vortex of air for more power".

 

[Rocket Man]

Because they're selling you stuff.

X2. I had one and it didn't do anything but make the intake sound better, and when I installed my supercharger Whipple wanted the stock airbox (unmodified) with a high-flow filter and their tube. That tells me something.

 

[992dr]

All I have in my 2011 5.3 Tahoe is an AEM dry flow with a modified airbox (a hole cut facing the front and I insulated it to keep heat out). What would you suggest next a jet throttle body or a Hypertech Max 2.0 please no suggestions of a bb tune please....just between the jet throttle body and Hypertech max energy tune. Suggestions please....

Neither

Save your money for a mod worth while.

 

[Chubbs]

I believe this to be because the fender still gets a lot of its air from the engine bay. if you think about it, all the open spots to the fender point to the motor and right behind the headlight. When GM engineered the intake, it wasn't for the most power or flow. it was also for noise reduction. also the placement and design of our intakes is also the happy medium between weather that has an average temp of 100+ deg and weather that has i temp of 0 deg and below.

I don't know about all that. Like homeboy said, his supercharger utilizes the factory inlet duct, per their specs. If there is a better place to draw fresh air, their research would have provided this, I'm certain. Mr Whipple has no shortage of R&D.

I'm sure your thermometer works well for what you are trying to do but most of your $75+ OBD readers have a live data mode that provides the IAT being picked up by the PCM itself. If you have access to 1, why not try all 3 different intakes (your mod, your aftermarket, & the bone stock setup) and record the vehicle IAT with each. This is the only temp reading that counts when discussing air-intake & heat. Unfortunately the temp has cooled a great deal since last month but it's an idea. Parts are easy enough to swap out and you can get data for all temp/season. Then you will possess the material to debate as your heart desires.