Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

Manifold Spacer: is it worth it?

holdencallous

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
12
Points
8
Age
22
Location
Bendigo, Victoria
Members Ride
'01 VX II Ecojet S Pack
Hey guys, I just recently installed a 25MM Manifold spacer on my VX in hopes that I would get a bit more down low, to be able to have it breathe better and to get better fuel economy.
This is my experience.

Putting it on, a breeze, you could be blind deaf and have no hands and still be able to put this little number on. Just follow the MACE Instructions and you'll be fine. Don't do what everyone else does and wing it, you'll stuff it eventually as I have done many times with other things.
As this involves an open intake, it's much quicker to listen to the instructions as if you drop anything down your engine you'll have a very very long night ahead of you, don't **** around.

I stupidly used the entire tube of gasket goo and made the biggest mess next to dropping a plate of spaghetti onto my bonnet after having knocked back a couple and that's not a spicy meat-a-ball at all,
Listen to the mace instructions and just do a 1/8th bead and you'll be grouse, assemble as soon as you've put the goo on, some people let it firm up but that's stupid as it won't be forced into the nooks and crannies so it can make a seal.

Make sure your injectors have seated properly, smidge of Vaseline around the rubbers helps them slide into the hole and seal, that sounds dirty doesn't it?, well stop laughing at my bad joke and check your injectors because if your engine catches fire it won't be as funny anymore.

Let the goo harden for 24 HOURS, I don't trust the one hour cure time on the tube because if they make a squeeze tube that ruptures from squeezing it, why the **** would I listen to anything else they have to say.
That and you won't get intake leaks, which is always good.

Lengthen your hoses as mace says. I suggest replacing them with brand new ones as they're bound to split after you stuff with them and it'll make you feel more at ease.

Now onto my actual review and thoughts

Starts up and has a bit more growl, bit deeper, sounds better I guess.

Revs much easier now, from 1k to 5k it takes about a second and a half less, which means better acceleration and thus more speeding fines.

There's about, don't quote me on this, a 4-6kw increase, nothing noticeable really BUT.

The down low torque, I definitely notice it, it pulls now (for as much as a 3.8 can)

It climbs hills with no problem now, there used to be a bit of "do I have to?, really?, well I guess I can, but I don't want to." and now it's just "a hill?, what's that?".

It will spin the wheels so much easier now....at a pad on a private road of course, never from a red light or a sharp corner.
But if it was it would do it with ease

Fuel economy has increased maybe 15-25%? I see a noticeable difference but I haven't DONT the exact L/100KM.

I would recommend this for towing 100%

I recommend it as a driveability mod over a power mod, you'll never I REPEAT NEVER make power from a 3.8 with bolt ons alone. If you want power get forced induction.

5/5 as it was exactly what I expected

Cheers
 

Schwarz

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2018
Messages
122
Reaction score
18
Points
18
Age
52
Location
Auckland NZ
Members Ride
VT 2000
Hey guys, I just recently installed a 25MM Manifold spacer on my VX in hopes that I would get a bit more down low, to be able to have it breathe better and to get better fuel economy.
This is my experience.

Putting it on, a breeze, you could be blind deaf and have no hands and still be able to put this little number on. Just follow the MACE Instructions and you'll be fine. Don't do what everyone else does and wing it, you'll stuff it eventually as I have done many times with other things.
As this involves an open intake, it's much quicker to listen to the instructions as if you drop anything down your engine you'll have a very very long night ahead of you, don't **** around.

I stupidly used the entire tube of gasket goo and made the biggest mess next to dropping a plate of spaghetti onto my bonnet after having knocked back a couple and that's not a spicy meat-a-ball at all,
Listen to the mace instructions and just do a 1/8th bead and you'll be grouse, assemble as soon as you've put the goo on, some people let it firm up but that's stupid as it won't be forced into the nooks and crannies so it can make a seal.

Make sure your injectors have seated properly, smidge of Vaseline around the rubbers helps them slide into the hole and seal, that sounds dirty doesn't it?, well stop laughing at my bad joke and check your injectors because if your engine catches fire it won't be as funny anymore.

Let the goo harden for 24 HOURS, I don't trust the one hour cure time on the tube because if they make a squeeze tube that ruptures from squeezing it, why the **** would I listen to anything else they have to say.
That and you won't get intake leaks, which is always good.

Lengthen your hoses as mace says. I suggest replacing them with brand new ones as they're bound to split after you stuff with them and it'll make you feel more at ease.

Now onto my actual review and thoughts

Starts up and has a bit more growl, bit deeper, sounds better I guess.

Revs much easier now, from 1k to 5k it takes about a second and a half less, which means better acceleration and thus more speeding fines.

There's about, don't quote me on this, a 4-6kw increase, nothing noticeable really BUT.

The down low torque, I definitely notice it, it pulls now (for as much as a 3.8 can)

It climbs hills with no problem now, there used to be a bit of "do I have to?, really?, well I guess I can, but I don't want to." and now it's just "a hill?, what's that?".

It will spin the wheels so much easier now....at a pad on a private road of course, never from a red light or a sharp corner.
But if it was it would do it with ease

Fuel economy has increased maybe 15-25%? I see a noticeable difference but I haven't DONT the exact L/100KM.

I would recommend this for towing 100%

I recommend it as a driveability mod over a power mod, you'll never I REPEAT NEVER make power from a 3.8 with bolt ons alone. If you want power get forced induction.

5/5 as it was exactly what I expected

Cheers
Sounds good
How long have you had it on for to get your fuel readings or how many fill ups have you done
 

holdencallous

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
12
Points
8
Age
22
Location
Bendigo, Victoria
Members Ride
'01 VX II Ecojet S Pack
Sounds good
How long have you had it on for to get your fuel readings or how many fill ups have you done
About a week, I’ve been doing some rough estimations.
I managed about 230km on a quarter tank which is bloody outrageous seeing as how I was giving it the slipper 70% of the time. Next fill up I’m doing the actual measurements so I’ll post in this thread once I have it.
Cheers
 

holdencallous

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
12
Points
8
Age
22
Location
Bendigo, Victoria
Members Ride
'01 VX II Ecojet S Pack
About a week and I’ve been doing some rough estimations.
I managed about 230km on a quarter tank which is bloody outrageous seeing as how I was giving it the slipper 70% of the time. Next fill up I’m doing the actual measurements so I’ll post in this thread once I have it.
Cheers
 

losh1971

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
22,371
Reaction score
21,988
Points
113
Location
North Tas
Members Ride
VE Series I SS Ute
That is excellent, I wish Mace did a spacer for the L27 because I would definitely fit one, especially hearing your results. Definitely the go having the power where you need it on a DD. Fitting mods that don't make much difference until you hit 4k hardly seems worth it, unless you race, torque is the go IMHO.
 

Trevor loves holden.

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
3,508
Reaction score
750
Points
113
Location
Victoria
Members Ride
vs commodore
$_75.JPG
 

holdencallous

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
12
Points
8
Age
22
Location
Bendigo, Victoria
Members Ride
'01 VX II Ecojet S Pack
That is excellent, I wish Mace did a spacer for the L27 because I would definitely fit one, especially hearing your results. Definitely the go having the power where you need it on a DD. Fitting mods that don't make much difference until you hit 4k hardly seems worth it, unless you race, torque is the go IMHO.
That is excellent, I wish Mace did a spacer for the L27 because I would definitely fit one, especially hearing your results. Definitely the go having the power where you need it on a DD. Fitting mods that don't make much difference until you hit 4k hardly seems worth it, unless you race, torque is the go IMHO.

I agree 100% with the torque thing, you’ll never make large amounts of extra kW from a N/A 3.8, the highest you’ll make from simple bolt ons is probably 40kw extra and that’s the hamburger with the lot (1.98 rockers, full exhaust, cai, dual throttle bodies and all that jazz)
People end up spending more in the long run on that stuff than they would if they just put some forced induction on it to start with.
So you may aswell just get the torque up so you can have more fun down low, where it spends most of its time.

And I’m surprised no one makes a spacer for the 3800, it’s been around for bloody ages and it would surely benefit from it. But hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
 

holdencallous

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
12
Points
8
Age
22
Location
Bendigo, Victoria
Members Ride
'01 VX II Ecojet S Pack
Do those Plenum spaces help or are they a gimmick?
Plenum spacers dont really make a difference imo, atleast no noticible difference apart from slightly more throttle response.
The manifold spacer however definitely has a decent increase in torque and fuel economy. It’s worth the $150 or so.
 

Trevor loves holden.

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
3,508
Reaction score
750
Points
113
Location
Victoria
Members Ride
vs commodore
Plenum spacers dont really make a difference imo, atleast no noticible difference apart from slightly more throttle response.
The manifold spacer however definitely has a decent increase in torque and fuel economy. It’s worth the $150 or so.
Will that mean its running lean to get the extra kw of power? Will it fry the motor?
 
Top