| The engine of the tundra is much like a large air pump. | | | | by the grooves carved on the device. |
| The more air circulating in the motor, the more fuel is | | | | Unfortunately, there are some flaws behind the |
| mixed and combusted to produce more horsepower. | | | | engineering in this device. From a common sense |
| There are a good number of ways to help the engine | | | | perspective, if it were really that easy to add significant |
| "breathe" and reach its maximum potential. Most truck | | | | amounts of horsepower or fuel mileage gains, then |
| owners do this by installing air filters or cold air intakes, | | | | these spacers would be stock equipment from the |
| and the bolder ones even use superchargers to get | | | | factory. Automakers need every competitive edge |
| the most airflow just to get that extra edge of more | | | | they can get in today's market (especially when it |
| horsepower. | | | | comes to fuel economy) and none of them are leaving |
| There are some products out there that claim to be | | | | anything on the table in that area. The idea that a |
| able to improve on the already significant engineering | | | | 'vortex' could help the air and fuel mix together is not a |
| that has gone into your motor. Some of these | | | | bad one, but in the modern fuel injected engine, air and |
| products, like performance air filters and cold air | | | | fuel are not mixed together until they both find |
| intakes, work as advertised. These accessories | | | | themselves in the cylinder just prior to combustion. |
| improve performance because they trade an increase | | | | A spacer like this might benefit the older throttle body |
| in performance for an increase in something else. In the | | | | injection and other forms of fuel injection in which fuel |
| case of air flow, it's usually a trade between increased | | | | goes directly to the throttle body where it mixes with |
| engine noise and an increase in power (not to mention | | | | air prior to combustion in the cylinders. It might also help |
| expense). | | | | on carbureted engines. However, this type of spacer |
| Unfortunately, these simple enhancements sometimes | | | | will absolutely have no effect on the more cutting-edge |
| state exaggerated increases in horsepower and fuel | | | | multi-point fuel injection system that Tundra uses. |
| mileage. We have tested a few of these cold air | | | | There is a very little chance that the vortex will even |
| intakes and, so far, none of them has matched the | | | | make it to the cylinder. |
| results that they claim on the packaging. With that said, | | | | My point is it's better to invest your money on |
| none of them were disappointing. There is a product | | | | something that can really improve your fuel economy |
| that I have hard time endorsing and this is the throttle | | | | and engine performance, instead of wasting it on a |
| body spacer. | | | | throttle body spacer that won't work on the more |
| One of these devices is called PowerAid, a product of | | | | modern fuel-injected engines. For instance, the |
| Airaid, designed to go between the truck's throttle and | | | | K&N performance air filter is only about half the |
| intake. It is meant to atomize fuel better by creating a | | | | price, but definitely works better. |
| strong vortex of air, which is supposedly accomplished | | | | |