Let's put it that way, try to find a 200$ upgrade that will reduce temps by 30-40 degre and give you 10-12 HP/TQ ? The answer is obvious. Thermal spacer would be you best option and you would still end up with 300$ money left to take you GF/wife out on a week-end.

 

One last thing, exhaust are expensive and will give you 5 hp at the most, long runner headers like Cattman would give you good gain, but they are like 850$

 

How are spacers going reduce temps by 30-40 degrees and give him 10-12 hp/tq when he has a 2000 Max and the manifold is made of polymeric composite?

I think you're basing your statement off 3.5's with the aluminum cast, because adding spacers for the 2000-2001 has yet to be dyno proven, iirc.

 

+1

 

Even though the UIM on the 2k-2k1 is made of composite material, the heat that is produce below is transfer right up in the UIM. There is nothing in between the LIM & UIM that prevent the heat to get in the UIM, and this is where the phenolic spacer will act as a barrier. Aluminum is one of the best if not the best material to dissipate heat, the composite material probably absorb more heat than the aluminum. When the car is warm if you touch the UIM is still pretty hot and you can burn you hand if you touch it.

As for the statement of 30-40 degree, you are right it was on the 3.5 and the number are yet to be proven, but there is something that tell me that it will just work out.

 

used sea foam and have ur throttle body cleaned its cheap and will restore power or get a new clutch and flywheel it might not be 500 dollars but if you look around you might find a deal

 

No offense, but it sounds like you are just guessing here, no?

As for the UIM polymeric material being overly hot to the touch, im not so sure about that either...

(Im going to test it out right now, just to double check....be back later.)

Also, I've asked Aaron to chime into this thread, so hopefully he gets my pm soon.

 

Just for the record, this is not true, atleast in the short time I had to test it out.

My 01 has been running about 40 minutes now, and even drove it down to the parts store and back (7 miles), and left it idling when I got there.

Came home, popped the hood, and the UIM isnt hot at all...in fact, its quite cool to the touch. (air temp is 75 degrees out, btw)

Honestly, I still dont see how thermal spacers would be nearly as beneficial as they are on the 3.5's.

 

The best upgrade would be to put this money towards your car payment as an extra $500. Don't get bit by the mod bug, you'll be sorry.......blah, if I could turn back time.

 

Not to argue or anything, but driving 40 minutes under 75 is not hot at all, wait for those summer day when it's 100 and over, then try to touch your UIM. I can remember when I drove down to VA, SC and Florida on summer days you could basically cook a steak under the hood. Lol

Listen I dont want to start a fight here, I'm just shooting idea based on my own experience, like someone said to each is own. Anyway I'm down for thermal spacer kit and this summer when my 2k1 - SCe'd will be out and running, I will be measuring temp before and after so for now let's leave it there. In the mean time I still think this is a good mod for the price, but hey someone may prefer to spend money for an exhaust or intake and still think he will gain huge HP's.

Good luck and as a gentleman, I'll leave this thread with this last post.

 

If your statement were true, how many degrees drop in temperature would have to occur to get the numbers I posted? I gained almost 25 hp in some areas in the mid rpm range. IIRC that is a huge temperature drop. 30-40 F produced 10 hp, so along those lines I would need a temperature drop of 80-100F? Your statement may be true of a stock vq, but with headers I guarantee you my manifold is still hot as hell even with the spacers. The aluminum still soaks up the ambient heat in the engine bay. The spacers may reduce heat transfer but they don;t stop the aluminum soaking up the heat from the engine bay. Maybe if I had ceramic headers I would notice the drop in temperature

 

I see your point. Well put. It just doesn't seem like the spacers would add much volume or runner length, but I see your point.

 

Oh no you dont! We aint done here! lol

I mean... 100F is just HOT period. If the spacer can reduce the temperature by a significant amount in 100F then by all means it's worth the dough. But I doubt it. I think what SmokinMax is trying to say is no matter how much "cooler" the outside temperature is, the UIM just isn't going to produce much heat and its not going to cool itself down from the 75F temperature or even perhaps 40F after a 40min trip, thus making the spacer to be ineffective.


I think we should just wait for dynos before continuing the discussion

 

If you do the math the spacers add something like a half cubic foot of volume to the plenum. IIRC? Not outstanding, but every little bit helps. I see no reason why you shouldn't see comparable gains on the 3.0 even with the plastic plenum.

 

Not if you're income permits, you partition your spending appropriately and you pursue it as an interest rather than an obligation. I've been "infected" since I was 15 and am not showing any signs of regret.

There seems to be a lot of talk about the spacers. It was my 2nd modification. My first was the NWP block plate. The spacers were an ABSOLUTE must with me being in Arizona. Yesterday I came home from a 30 mile drive (mostly freeway) and I decided to see if it was true about the manifold temp. Sure enough, I was able to rest my hand on it and hold it for about 2-3 seconds before it started to hurt. Before, it could barely tap the manifold with my fingers.

It was around 107 outside that day.

 

I am in the UK with a 2001 Maxima built for the US. I need to purchase a throttle body. Does anyone know of reputable suppliers where I can purchase this part? I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Sorry man but noobies must post questions in the "Sticky: 5th Gen "I AM NEW HERE BUT HAVE A QUESTION" thread." Please delete your post above and post in the "I AM NEW..." thread.

Thanks and welcome to the ORG.

 

you can do

.spark plugs for +2,+3 or +4
.aftermarket fuel rail
.aftermarket fuel pump
.aftermarket fuel injectors
.fuel regulator

and after all this or before change you stock intake to the MEVI intake and you should bee doing at lease close to 350hp or a bit more

 

 

If I do +10, would I hit 400hp?

 

either headers, or exhaust.. I highly recommend the Megan Racing, that's exactly the same one i have and i couldn't be happier.. good luck

 

i sooo envy you lls

 

Or, wait a week and buy my Hotshot headers with relocated front o2 (no AC compressor contact) and a welded EGR

 

We recently released a hardware kit that will enable you to install the 4th gen Maxima Thermal Intake Spacers on your 00-01 Maxima VQ30DEK. We did not conduct any dyno testing on these spacers on the DEK engine though. So I will only be able to comment on the actual testing that was done.

These spacers were tested on a 2000 Maxima in South Florida by panda_1, a member here on the org. Here is what he had to say:

He did notice a power increase and a smoother power band up top, which is exactly what was noticed on the 4th gen dyno results.

I also feel the increased power that he felt did not come from just the reduction of intake manifold temperatures. That reduction in heat will be much less than what it would be on a cast aluminum manifold since the 00-01 Maxima is made of a composite resin. It still does get very warm, but it shouldn't get as hot as other aluminum Nissan manifolds.

The majority of the HP increase on the DEK will come from the slightly lengthened intake manifold runners with the addition of port matched spacers.

Thanks.

 

No offense but it's very subjective. Its just like people saying they feel gain with the a CAI. I'm sure there would be some beneficial gain, but by how much? I hope you see where I'm coming from.