I saw this Tornado device advertised on TV. Has anyone else? It is a small metal device that goes inside your air intake tube, and has vanes in it that increase air flow. One of the examples even used it with a cone style filter. It claims to increase horsepower and fuel economy. Anybody seen this, or have one?

 

Snakeoil... it isn't real... don't waste $$ on it.

 

The tornado intake has got to be real, while it does sound ridiculous, it has the numbers to prove, and a reputation of being around for a while, and has been on numerous TV shows, radio shows, etc...

I dunno, for $70 it does sound kind of pricey...

But I wouldnt doubt its effectiveness.. anyone had any experiences with this thing??

www.tornadoair.com

 

Please do not buy the product. SCC tested it and lost power. The maker's dyno testing was done on a Clayton type and their "claims" were well within the standard error for testing. This means that they could have done 10 tests. All but one could have shown a loss of power. But in one test the number could have gone in their favor and they decided to publish those numbers. Still want one??

I have yet to see an mod that REDUCES THE AREA of the intake and then makes the car produce more hp.

 

It would make sense that something that sits in your airflow could only restrict , even if it does spin around and make a tornado..

haha

I guess common sense prevails here
thanks

 

tornado

eletric supercharger

z max

do not waste your money

 

Hey,

I appreciate the time people have taken to comment here, but the bashing of the product on this thread has about as much substance as the infomerrcial itself. So please, somebody who has used this, or witnessed it being used on a max please respond. I get the idea that everybody thinks it suck, but I don't get why or how, because that has not been explained.

 

because of common sense (nothing against you) but a mod that restricts or block air flow is not going to help increanse hp.

 

Well is that absolutely true? Common sense should prevail here but, I have had a little bit of Thermodynamics study, (I am a mechanical engineer). Consider this:

The intake concept is based on the mass flow rate of air. The more the better right? It is true that the air path's cross sectional area (size of the hole) is a factor the the amount of air that flows through. But the velocity of the air is just as much of a factor.

There are 3 factors that determine the mass flow rate.

mass flow rate = density X area X velocity.

Okay so we first maximize area - bigger tubes, larger diameters, and so on.

Okay, next we maximize density - colder air is more dense, so cold air intakes are preferred to increase flow rates.

Next velocity, if the tornado does as it claims and increases velocity, then it increase flow rates, but it reduces area, so it may lower it as well.

The question I ask it not whether or not the Tornado reduces area, that is obvious. But does it increase velocity more than it reduces area?

Since area and velocity are equal factors, if it raises velocity more that it restricts area then it should be better.

This is not a commercial, It may or may not do this. But I am just trying to say that it should not be dismissed simply because it reduces area, because area is not the only factor in maximizing air flow rates.

 

There were several good posts about the negitive side to that device. Let me guess, you bought one....

The long and short of it is, it is your money. Waste it if you want. If that device worked it wouldn't need an infomercial and you would be able to find it at your local speed shop (like a K&N filter or a Flowmaster Muffler)

The only time you will see a device that restricts air flow on a performance type car is when a sanctioning body requires one to REDUCE power of the engine. WRC (world Rallye Chllenge) requires a restrictor on turbo cars, NASCAR requires a restrictor on SuperSpeedway Cars. The Tornado is nothing more than a restirctor that has a cool look and a slick marketing program to sucker people in. That is capitalism at its finest, create a demand for a product and charge them a preimum for it (Kinda like 93 Octane gas for cars that don't have a high Compression Ratio).

 

I do not have one. Am I just wondering, But on a separate note, it is good to know that I can assume that something really works just because somehow this same fine capitalistic slick marketing has managed to get it into my local speed shop...everything you buy there works too huh...yeah uh huh.

 

"Well is that absolutely true? Common sense should prevail here but, I have had a little bit of Thermodynamics study, (I am a mechanical engineer). Consider this:

The intake concept is based on the mass flow rate of air. The more the better right? It is true that the air path's cross sectional area (size of the hole) is a factor the the amount of air that flows through. But the velocity of the air is just as much of a factor.

There are 3 factors that determine the mass flow rate.

mass flow rate = density X area X velocity.

Okay so we first maximize area - bigger tubes, larger diameters, and so on.

Okay, next we maximize density - colder air is more dense, so cold air intakes are preferred to increase flow rates.

Next velocity, if the tornado does as it claims and increases velocity, then it increase flow rates, but it reduces area, so it may lower it as well.

The question I ask it not whether or not the Tornado reduces area, that is obvious. But does it increase velocity more than it reduces area?

Since area and velocity are equal factors, if it raises velocity more that it restricts area then it should be better.

This is not a commercial, It may or may not do this. But I am just trying to say that it should not be dismissed simply because it reduces area, because area is not the only factor in maximizing air flow rates."

i dont know what you just said but it sounded cool

 

Just to answer the man`s question, no the product does not work, both Super Street, and SCC have tested the product, on the dyno, it showed loss of hp, and did not increase fuel economy, The product then slap a huge book at both magazine's showing numbers that the product did work, but in reality, its just a piece of metal stuck in the way of your air flow, it does not spin, or anything, all it does is collect dirt and heat in your intake tract.

 

don't you get it yet?!?! the idea it creates a free flowing intake...ooooh oooohhh it sounds like what the cold air intake pipe & K&N cone filter does. yet it stands in the way of air coming into the motor; your "mechanical engineering" education should have taught you about resistance. that test it shows with that fan is a flea circus, a parlor trick.

 

I know what resistance is. Sometimes it's a restriction, , but other times (like with certain types of air flow venturi tube) A restriction can be used to increase velocity. (Water hose sprayer is an example of this concept.)

The concept of the Tornado is sound. But accordingly to Jeff and mykizism, there is real world proof that the application of it is not. There responses serve as good enough proof for me not to buy it.

 

Some Max members do own it and were claiming rather high MPG ratings. The Tornado is supposed to help promote better fuel/air mixing. someone should search for the old post.

 

On this board?...yeah right

 

We could debate for days the physics of it ( and I have to admit -- the theory of it seems sound )

but is there anyone out there who has this thing in their Max and would to share with us unenligthened ones how your car performed after u put it in??

The product claims some prety reputable people endorse it

So basically -- someone help us out!! Tell us whaddup