diy: my throttle body heater bypass (pic!)
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
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diy: my throttle body heater bypass (pic!) I finally got around to doing this mod. Well it simply imvolves removing the flow of coolant through the throttle body so the air coming in stays cooler. I got a small (2 inch) plastic pipe seen in white below and connected the coolant hoses going to the throttle body.
Note the location and connection of the hoses and the tube. The one on the right came from the lower inlet on the TB, while the left one came from the top inlet on the TB. I used mini hose clamps to hold the hoses on.
Finally I put vacuum caps over the TB inlets to prevent dust from entering. A fairly easy mod, most of the time was spent gathering supplies and taking the air cleaner off.
Now for the differences. There is no idle fluctuation at all, and no engine functions were negatively affected. I went driving afterwards when it was 80 degrees out to make sure there were no leaks.
I felt a noticable difference driving tonight at 60 degrees. I started up the car and drove slowly until the temp gauge goes to normal. Now at this point the car would still feel peppy and have decent response. But after some more driving with the temp at normal, the car would feel slower and engine makes growling (bogging) noise and just runs sluggish. Well after the mod, performance stays the same as when the temp gauge first reaches normal. All I have to say is...I've been missing out! This is a great mod and feels like I added a cold air intake. Performance doesn't decrease after the engine gets up to temp. It stays the same, even after 20-30mins of driving at high rpm.
Note the location and connection of the hoses and the tube. The one on the right came from the lower inlet on the TB, while the left one came from the top inlet on the TB. I used mini hose clamps to hold the hoses on.
Finally I put vacuum caps over the TB inlets to prevent dust from entering. A fairly easy mod, most of the time was spent gathering supplies and taking the air cleaner off.
Now for the differences. There is no idle fluctuation at all, and no engine functions were negatively affected. I went driving afterwards when it was 80 degrees out to make sure there were no leaks.
I felt a noticable difference driving tonight at 60 degrees. I started up the car and drove slowly until the temp gauge goes to normal. Now at this point the car would still feel peppy and have decent response. But after some more driving with the temp at normal, the car would feel slower and engine makes growling (bogging) noise and just runs sluggish. Well after the mod, performance stays the same as when the temp gauge first reaches normal. All I have to say is...I've been missing out! This is a great mod and feels like I added a cold air intake. Performance doesn't decrease after the engine gets up to temp. It stays the same, even after 20-30mins of driving at high rpm.
Last edited by gearbox; Jun 4, 2005 at 12:14 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 Yup I got the stuff from ace hardware. Don't goto autozone or car places. They don't have anything. And I think the copper tube is 1/4 inch, not sure tho. It was slightly bigger than I would like, but still worked.
I think I'll put it back to stock in the winter, although older cars don't have TB heater and still do fine so idk.
I think I'll put it back to stock in the winter, although older cars don't have TB heater and still do fine so idk.
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 424 Suggestion for anyone wanting to do this.... I've only seen one guy ever do this, but it was genious. Put a ball valve in the coolant-in line. Then when you don't want it running, shut the valve, boom, no coolant flow. When you're done beating on the car or whatever reason you shut it off for, just open the valve, coolant flow resumes. There's no ill effects to it since once the inlet hose fills and can't go anywhere, the coolant just keeps running past it in the lines, and the exit line doesn't care.
formerly 2k1CivicRacer
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From: Hercules, Cali
Rep Power: 0 yeh ive done this way back took me around 30mins to do the diy not bad does keep the throttle body a few degrees cooler than with the coolent going threw it. besides all that you should do it if you live in places where in the morning the water dosnt freeze
7thgen Terminator Ninja
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From: Phoenix, Az
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Originally Posted by gearbox
Yup I got the stuff from ace hardware. Don't goto autozone or car places. They don't have anything. And I think the copper tube is 1/4 inch, not sure tho. It was slightly bigger than I would like, but still worked.
I think I'll put it back to stock in the winter, although older cars don't have TB heater and still do fine so idk.
I think I'll put it back to stock in the winter, although older cars don't have TB heater and still do fine so idk.
a few hp is cool with me !!! 
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From: Spokane, Washington
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Originally Posted by Boilermaker1
Suggestion for anyone wanting to do this.... I've only seen one guy ever do this, but it was genious. Put a ball valve in the coolant-in line. Then when you don't want it running, shut the valve, boom, no coolant flow. When you're done beating on the car or whatever reason you shut it off for, just open the valve, coolant flow resumes. There's no ill effects to it since once the inlet hose fills and can't go anywhere, the coolant just keeps running past it in the lines, and the exit line doesn't care.
AKA Mr. 60ft. Not to be confused with Civic_Redline
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From: Barksdale AF Base LA
Rep Power: 0 I did this while back. Throttle body use to get hot as hell before and radiate heat onto the intake itself. After doing this intake and throttle body stay pretty cool to the touch. I wanted to put some kinda T valve so I could turn it on and off but couldn't find anything small enough. So being in Louisiana I just bought a little brass barb fuel tube??(can't remember exactly what it was called or the size. Autozone $3.00) Stuck that on the ends of the fluid tubes and used the existing hose clamps. I put a couple vacuum caps over the holes on the throttle body to prevent dirt and stuff from getting in there.
The Declaration of Independence was written on marijuna paper
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From: Chino Hills, Ca
Rep Power: 283 I used a plastic elbow for the windsheld wiper lines to connect the hoses, no leaks. I also used white vaccum caps like Redline04 did.
Registered!!
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From: East Tennessee-Knoxville
Rep Power: 373 i had mine like that but left the throttle body extensions open(nothing over them, unlike yours)... but its back to stock now, i have a cai, wonder if i should switch back since its summer?
Injen
Injen
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 ya switch back. It made a huge difference driving around. Not sluggish at all during the hot days when before you could feel it bog down. I might even leave it during winter, cause I can't see how moisture would get past the filter to the tb anyway. Older cars don't have the heater and I don't see over half the cars here having any problems.
AKA Mr. 60ft. Not to be confused with Civic_Redline
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From: Barksdale AF Base LA
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Originally Posted by injencivic
^ mine was setup like that all winter and ran fine, hell it was like that for about 2 years.
injen
injen
Reading this I just can't understand how this mod makes hp. The air going through the throttle body is only there for a split second and I just doesn't seem like a hot throttle body would heat up the air in that amount of time to lose horsepower that you would have with this mod. Maybe someone can explain it to me better...
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 Well then think about what else is touching that burning hot throttle body? The intake manifold, and what about the actual intake? The air may be moving fast, but it still heats up going through all the pathways. Having one cooler path reduces air temp enough to feel a difference.
well i went to advance auto but couldnt find a 1/2 size hose. are there any other sizes that might work. cause i believe i saw 3/8 and some other sizes. also wat size pipe would work. cause i saw a 3/8th size copper pipe
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 I just said in the post NOT to goto an auto store. Look for it in a hardware store. I went to ace, but any other place should have some metal cylinder.
main condenser
Originally Posted by Boilermaker1
Suggestion for anyone wanting to do this.... I've only seen one guy ever do this, but it was genious. Put a ball valve in the coolant-in line. Then when you don't want it running, shut the valve, boom, no coolant flow. When you're done beating on the car or whatever reason you shut it off for, just open the valve, coolant flow resumes. There's no ill effects to it since once the inlet hose fills and can't go anywhere, the coolant just keeps running past it in the lines, and the exit line doesn't care.
<---- I am really this short in person!
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: illinois
Rep Power: 0 is this similar or the same to the one that's in the DIY section??
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=154959
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=154959
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Houma, Louisiana
Rep Power: 305 let me help you guys out a lil bit.
you dont even need to buy anything.. take the end of the output hose and connect it to the input connector. (see pics below for explanation)
also if you guys were wondering about how the throttle body heater works... check out the second pic.
edit. the coolant flowing through doesn't just heat the air. it heats the throttle body itself. As others will say the throttle body stays much cooler now with no coolant flowing to it.
you dont even need to buy anything.. take the end of the output hose and connect it to the input connector. (see pics below for explanation)
also if you guys were wondering about how the throttle body heater works... check out the second pic.
edit. the coolant flowing through doesn't just heat the air. it heats the throttle body itself. As others will say the throttle body stays much cooler now with no coolant flowing to it.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 That's the most retarded thing ever. Why did they want to heat the air? Good pics tho thanks. It was around 50F today and felt like below 30 wow.
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From: Houma, Louisiana
Rep Power: 305 well from what i heard heating the air enables a better start for the colder areas. have you had any strange starting since you did this?
Balut Eating Champ
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Rep Power: 0 ^^^if we don't buy the pipe to connect to the in and out hose, where do we connect the IN PIPE to so there's a continuous flow? 
Last edited by pnoyster2k1cvic; Apr 22, 2005 at 06:21 PM.
