Screen behind the throttle body(Intake)

Crankrod · 02-17-2005, 09:02 PM

I just put my Volant intake on. The install was easy and it sounds cool when you mash the gas. Anyways I looked carefully at the screen behinds the throttle body to see if I could figure out what its intended purpose was before I removed it like JetTech did on his spacer install. After careful examination I could see where the throttle plate had touched the bottom of my screen (only on one side) but it was apparent that it had touched it many times because of the matching shiny spots on the throttle blade and the screen. My screen was a bit sooty but only on the back side (makes sense) and it was EASY to tell where it had been hitting the throttle plate at WOT. Therefore, I think it is there to prevent the throttle plate from going past center and possibly damaging the drive by wire throttle system.

I could see where it would impede airflow, you can tell by blowing through it that it does, very evident. I could see where you would likely get more power from removing it or at least the center of it. I wont recommend you do this because of potential damage to your throttle system, but I wont recommend you dont either, if you want to go faster for cheap. Just be very, very careful HOW you modify it and dont let ANY little pieces dangle where they could fall into the intake tract. The big pieces on each side would likely be sufficient to prevent the throttle from "over rotating", time will tell.

Its your truck, dont ruin it. Any modification is potentially harmful if done by a bad mechanic.

scr38 · 02-17-2005, 09:50 PM

The screen does not act as a throttle plate stop. Not saying that your plate hasn't contacted the screen. No need to worry about the plate rotating too far - it won't. I have been running a series of tests with and without the screen and in conjunction with a couple of other things. I have not completed the tests, but I know from experience that there is no harm in removing the screen, and under certain combination of mods there is a benefit from removing it.
I am not suggesting to anyone that they make any mods to their engine. I know what has worked for me, and after I have completed my tests I will post results from my vehicle. You may or may not get the same results.

Crankrod · 02-18-2005, 07:17 AM

I will not accept that Nissans engineers put that part in there only for their entertainment value. It MUST have a reason to be there, if not a throttle stop then what?
Most of the airflow in any intake goes (is concentrated) on the short side radius which would be the bottom in our case since the intake runners turn down. This means that the screen would only have any effect on power at nearly WOT setting, at part throttle and cruise it wouldnt be of much effect.
SO, I cant think of any other reason for it to be there, it wouldnt seem that it could help the low end torque much so I dont think thats its purpose. I wish we coukld get one of Nissans engineers to tell us its true purpose so I wouldn't have to guess. Thats all I can do with the limited information I have now.

Mike

TYTAIN · 02-18-2005, 07:22 AM

here another link ,doesn't tell a hell of lot!

What does that sceen in the Thottle Body do?

mick3643 · 02-19-2005, 01:35 PM

maybe the screen is just there in case some feeble fingered mechanic drops a nut into the intake.

BiXLL · 02-19-2005, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crankrod

I will not accept that Nissans engineers put that part in there only for their entertainment value. It MUST have a reason to be there, if not a throttle stop then what?
Most of the airflow in any intake goes (is concentrated) on the short side radius which would be the bottom in our case since the intake runners turn down. This means that the screen would only have any effect on power at nearly WOT setting, at part throttle and cruise it wouldnt be of much effect.
SO, I cant think of any other reason for it to be there, it wouldnt seem that it could help the low end torque much so I dont think thats its purpose. I wish we coukld get one of Nissans engineers to tell us its true purpose so I wouldn't have to guess. Thats all I can do with the limited information I have now.

Mike

I have thought along the same lines! I mean say that screen costs Nissan what, 50 cents? Take 100,000 trucks, thats $50,000.00 they could have saved by not putting it in there. JetTech is the one that started this whole take the screen out in combination of the throttle body spacer, and I have all the respect in the world for him. I still am not comfortable doing this without knowing what engineering ideas were behind them providing this screen! There is a lot of R&D that goes into the development of these motors, and they are simulated on a main frame before production ever starts. I do not feel I have the adequit knowledge to just decide on my own that this part is not needed, especially when nobody knows what it is for!

TulsaTitan · 02-19-2005, 03:49 PM

Could it be a hydrocarbon trap( HC trap)? I ask this cause a few weeks ago a co-worker bought an 05 Mustang GT and had read at the forum to take it out for a little power gain, so ask me to take it out for him. It was just in front of the air box inside the hose. Not in the same place as this screen and also doesn't look the same. Again, just a shot in the dark.
Here's a pic of the HC trap.

BiXLL · 02-19-2005, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TulsaTitan

Could it be a hydrocarbon trap( HC trap)? I ask this cause a few weeks ago a co-worker bought an 05 Mustang GT and had read at the forum to take it out for a little power gain, so ask me to take it out for him. It was just in front of the air box inside the hose. Not in the same place as this screen and also doesn't look the same. Again, just a shot in the dark.
Here's a pic of the HC trap.

Where was the "hydrocarbon trap" you removed in relation to maf sensor? Was it beyond the sensor at the throttle body like what we are talking about?

GETSOMZ28 · 02-19-2005, 04:04 PM

Hmmm F-body LS1's had a screen on the in front of the MAF (interesting since the LS1/LS6 in the later C-5 didnt).

TulsaTitan · 02-19-2005, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BiXLL

Where was the "hydrocarbon trap" you removed in relation to maf sensor? Was it beyond the sensor at the throttle body like what we are talking about?

I wasn't at the throttle body like the screen in the Titan, just in front of the air box.

rb42 · 02-19-2005, 07:55 PM

The screen is a common TB tweak, and provides a laminar air flow (you can imagine that at anything less than WOT the air is only slipping past the plate in arcs, near the edge of the pipe.

If you don't smooth this airflow you end up with unbalanced power output from the cylinders. The way it smooths the airflow is to restrict enough flow to provide a minor pressure differential across the entire screen, if the pressure is even then the air flows through all parts of the screen the same (i.e. even airflow across the intake manifold).

I havent seen the screen on the titan. On Camaro's it actually 1/2 inch thick honeycomb more than a screen.

It does provide some flame arresting power as well in case of backfire, and I guess some protection against butter-fingered mechs.

But it's there to smooth the air. I would not remove it unless you have a way to verify you are not seeing your cylinder power balance degrade.. or you are replacing the entire intake with a custom unit that's been custom milled to even the air flow without needing a screen...

Course, I could be wrong. Maybe it's really there to keep the hamsters from getting out of the engine through the intake.

-=RB

rb42 · 02-19-2005, 07:59 PM

sorry - should have mentioned, if the screen is before the MAF, it also protects the MAF and makes it more accurate, as the weird air turbulence you get from running strange intake pipes (ever seen a v6 fbody from 96? the guy who built the intake mustve been the last one to get to work on the car, cause he had to cut it down to 3/4 inch in width to clear the accessories!)

-=RB

rholland · 02-20-2005, 10:34 AM

I removed my screen when I installed the Volant. I don't know of any effect it has had. It is part of the seal, so if I need to put it back, it shouldn't cost much.

37L1 · 02-20-2005, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rholland

I removed my screen when I installed the Volant. I don't know of any effect it has had. It is part of the seal, so if I need to put it back, it shouldn't cost much.

Cost about $6.00, not too bad.

BiXLL · 02-20-2005, 11:38 AM

What does Nissan call that piece?