Intake Spacer

What is an Intake Spacer?

An intake spacer is an aftermarket part that is installed between the upper and lower intakes. The best material to use is Phenolic G-10/FR4.

What is this G-10/FR4?

Well, this is the description from Professional Plastics: "G-10/FR-4 is a thermosetting industrial laminate consisting of a continuous filament glass cloth material with an epoxy resin binder. It has characteristics of high strength, excellent electrical properties and chemical resistance not only at room temperature but also under humid or moist conditions."

Ok, what does this stuff do?

The purpose of installing a spacer made of this material is to help cool down the upper intake in less time than it would without it. This is beneficial for those who want to take their car to the drag strip. After every pass, the driver just opens the hood to let the heat out and the upper intake will cool down faster. It has been proven that colder air is more dense and dense air produces more horsepower.

Well, now that I know that I should install one, where do I get it and how do I put it in?

Getting a spacer made of the G-10/FR4 phenolic is a bit difficult. First you need to know what type of intake you have. The best way is to either look up your cars specs in the owner's manual or use the web. Once you have that info, you can do a search for intake spacers on the internet to see if there are any places that sell them for your car. If you are unable to find a place that sells them, then you will have to make one. You can order a sheet from Professional Plastics, trace the pattern on to the sheet using an intake gasket that you will need to buy from an auto store (perferably, buy two so you can replace the used one). Then you will need to cut out the holes in the material.

***WARNING!!***

Dust produced from the cutting of phenolic had been linked to respirtory ailments and cancer. Do not breathe the dust. Use protective clothing and a respirator or mask!

***WARNING!!***

Ok, now that you have been warned, you will need to purchase the tools needed for cutting this material. The best to use is a jig saw with bi-metal blades. You will need to take your time and not force the blade to cut the material. You might be wise to purchase a half dozen blades just to keep yourself from running to the store every 15 minutes.

Now, for installing your intake spacer, someone has already written this up and I had no problems following the instructions. Here is the link:

Intake Spacer Install