Bulletproof Throttle Body Spacer?

"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro) 10/18/2016 at 20:30 • Filed to: murlequin, throttle body spacer, tb spacer, bulletproof, project, wrenching, blog

0

25

So I have some bulletproof “glass” that I salvaged from a bank demolition. I have several panels of it, just laying around. Today it hit me. Could I make a throttle body spacer out of this stuff?

On my port-injected Mustang, I wouldn’t bother. But since !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! has a TBI unit, it’s a candidate. I’m not sure just how much benefit it would grant on my otherwise stock engine, but the spacer itself doesn’t look like it would be very difficult to make (rather than spending anywhere from $30-$140 for a machined aluminum piece).

SO MANY OPTIONS

Fabricating a spacer is pretty straightforward, but there are several options for just how to cut the air passage. I could have two plain smooth holes, or cut grooves in them to supposedly “swirl” the air. I could also have one large “wide open” slot, maybe with a little ramp in the middle to direct it into the intake better. I have no idea which way to go here.

But before making any cuts, there’s still the question of material. These bulletproof sheets that I have aren’t actually glass, but probably polycarbonate and/or acrylic. I can cut it with a saw, but I don’t know what kind of heat it can tolerate.

Overall thickness is 1.25 inches, which according to my measurements is well within my truck’s air cleaner-to-hood clearance. This 1.25 inches is composed of multiple layers: two 1/2" pieces sandwiched between two 1/8" pieces.

I spent some time googling to try to identify it, and eventually happened upon something called “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ”, a polycarbonate sheeting that may or may not include acrylic (the description is a little vague). I’m pretty sure that’s what I have here. It’s apparently a “level 3” ballistic material, which means that it’s rated to take multiple shots from a .44 Magnum.

What do you think? Is there any reason that this material wouldn’t make a good TB spacer? I’ve got several sheets of this stuff to play around with (one 41.25"x15.5", one 40.5"x12", and twelve 18"x15.5" sheets. What would you use it for?

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 20:34

4

My question is, why haven’t you built a bullet proof car to fight crime with yet?

Urambo Tauro > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/18/2016 at 20:35

4

Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself.

I guess I don’t feel that  lucky.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/18/2016 at 20:35

2

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 20:44

0

how much heat is conducted up to it? So any holes have to be tapped? if so I’d use inserts.

Urambo Tauro > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 10/18/2016 at 20:48

0

I’ll have to get my thermometer out and see what kind of temperatures the top of the intake and the throttle body reach.

As for the holes, they are straight-through, and the spacer would be clamped down between the TB and the intake. No inserts needed. But that reminds me: I’ll have to pick up some longer bolts (or threaded rod), since these ones will be too short.

Speed > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 20:57

2

I’d sell that damn thing on ebay and blow the money on beer. A TB spacer gain on that truck will be miniscule at best. I’ve even personally seen next to no gains on a 496 Olds on an engine dyno.

Hell. Shoot at it!!!

Urambo Tauro > Speed 10/18/2016 at 21:03

0

Think it’s really worth anything? All of the panels have scratches in them (the one in the above picture is probably the worst of the bunch). I don’t think they’d be suitable for anything more than target practice.

Brickman > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:04

1

You could make a bullet proof bug deflector :D

Speed > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:08

0

Some gun nut might like that stuff to build some sort of shooting range or something. I don’t know. Worst case I’d drag it out in the yard (out in the sticks here) and go to town with the guns. I’m all about souping up Chevys, but I’m not sure the spacer will do much. It would be a fun learning experience though.

Urambo Tauro > Speed 10/18/2016 at 21:13

0

It’ll cost me next to nothing to make, so I wanna give it a shot (no pun intended). Unfortunately, I won’t be dynoing it before or after, so any claims I make afterward will of course be served with a grain of salt.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:17

1

If it includes acrylic it is a pain to work with due to the fact that it shatters on impact. Polycarbonate can be a pain to drill through is it will heat up and melt if you use normal woodworking/metal bits. While they do make plastic bits you can usually make due without by just going slow.

Speed > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:18

0

Git’r’dun! It’ll be a nice conversation piece regardless of what the numbers say.

Urambo Tauro > Phyrxes once again has a wagon! 10/18/2016 at 21:22

0

Hm. I’ll try to find out more about its composition. Might as well drill a test piece to see how it reacts. Thanks for the tips!

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:24

1

You just made my day with that reference.

It’s been too long since I watched Dirty Harry. I need to fix that post-haste.

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:25

1

I doubt there’s enough heat getting up to the throttle body to make that stuff melt.

Urambo Tauro > shop-teacher 10/18/2016 at 21:34

0

I was just looking at what Wikipedia has to say about polycarbonate. Looks like it’s good for engine operating temperature and beyond. (I don’t think the TB gets quite as hot as the thermostat anyway, so there should be plenty of wiggle room.)

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:35

0

I know you’re in the region, although not sure how close, but in case you’re free this Saturday, I’m going to leave this here.

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:37

1

I think if the TB got as hot as the thermostat, it would create vapor-lock issues, so you’re probably good to go.

Urambo Tauro > shop-teacher 10/18/2016 at 21:40

0

I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid that’s about a 4.5 hr trip one way (from Detroit area). Sounds like fun, though!

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 21:41

0

Totally understand. I knew you were regional, just didn’t know how close.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 22:48

0

Polycarbonate can absorb energy very well which makes it good in toughness. Heat wont affect it unless its heat soaked beyond 250 farenheit I think. It will get soft but remain elastic. Drilling is hard though it has to be at a certain temp or you’ll end up with strains or stresses.

Urambo Tauro > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 10/18/2016 at 22:57

0

So the material needs to be preheated before drilling? How much?

Tristan > Speed 10/18/2016 at 23:58

0

+1 for take it out and shoot at it.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Urambo Tauro 10/19/2016 at 00:14

0

I can’t find my materials book so off the top of my head I don’t know. I would use a step drill for the tbi holes. Less chances of cracking. I searched the temp should be around the drill temp and minimal with cooling. I’m confusing the preheat with plexiglass, which I used a solder gun to preheat the hole, if not I get cracking or the drill walks. I’ve only drilled thin sheets of lexan with a regular bit though.

Urambo Tauro > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 10/19/2016 at 00:27

0

Interesting. I found a chart that does call for the preheating of some plastics before drilling, but I guess polycarbonate is not one of them. Good to know!

None of my step drills are big enough for the big TB-to-intake holes (they’re about 1.5-2" diameter, IIRC). I was planning to use a hole saw, but maybe that’s not such a good idea after all...