[richmcc]

Please, do not laugh me off the site, but I was wondering if anyone has had any real life experience with the "tornado" devices or enough technical expertise to say whether these things work or not? These are the fan shaped things that you put in the airintake hose that is supposed to swirl the air around to get a better air/fuel mixture.

The only reason I am asking about this is the L series we bought for my step daughter was owned by one of the Service personnel at the dealership we bought it from. He told us (weeks after the sale) that he put one in the car and saw an improvement in mileage.

I always thought it was a gimmick before.

 

[TexSon]

:nono: Everything I have seen about them, including a pretty good analysis in Popular Mechanics says they are a rip off and do nothing to improve milage. Most folks who see improvements are driving as per instructions provided on how to drive the car once the device is installed. Had they just driven the car following the instructions they would have had the same milage improvements.:thumbs:

 

[SkyMan 08]

useless just like those old spark enhancer devices they had back in the 50's

 

[eldeeko]

useless just like those old spark enhancer devices they had back in the 50's

Yeah, same old ploy. They had a adapter that went between (saw one installed on a 1955 plymouth) the carb and the intake manifold 1955-57 that had a little propeller (5 or 6 blade). All it did (you hoped) was spin and it displaced air that was supposed to get to your cylinders. The newest one just (we hope) gets the air spinning right where it is installed, after that it just straightens out and goes on its merry way. It may even add some restriction to the air flow. It is money thrown down the toilet!

 

[SkyMan 08]

Yeah, same old ploy. They had a adapter that went between (saw one installed on a 1955 plymouth) the carb and the intake manifold 1955-57 that had a little propeller (5 or 6 blade). All it did (you hoped) was spin and it displaced air that was supposed to get to your cylinders. The newest one just (we hope) gets the air spinning right where it is installed, after that it just straightens out and goes on its merry way. It may even add some restriction to the air flow. It is money thrown down the toilet!

actually to do any good the swirling needs to take place as the air and gas mixture enters the cylinder(that is where the chevy vortec came from), not swirling the air before it enters the throttle body, in fact why do you think the cold air aftermarket intakes use a smooth pipe instead of a Accordian type the manufacturers use. because it is more efficent, the smoother the airflow entering the engine the faster the air moves giving you more air into the engine...

 

[bob guzzy]

gas milage

I remeber , I think it was around 1966,67 They were called Petrocells, They were aluminium canisters they fit through the filler neck, back then no unleaded flap in neck, they were suppose to increase mileage, and gas was less than 50 cents a gallon, and people still were ripped off, even at those gas prices, It's no different today, If somebody thinks they can rip someone off they will...

 

[MCW Sky]

Mythbusters

Mythbusters recently did a piece on devices aimed at improving gas mileage by doing things like attaching a magnet on the fuel line and adding acetone to the gaoline - the results were that nothing improved gas milage and some actually hurt.

They did not include device aimed at affecting the air flow. The Tornado devices has a good comercial but I too wonder not only if the effect they claim is real - or if it is close enough to the combustion chamber to actually make a difference.

I think a wider, straighter, smoother pipe for air into the eninge combined with a wider, straighter, smoother pipe for the exhuast to get air out of the engine are the way to go.

Keeping you tires properly inflated - and not driving like a maniac - will likely have a bigger impact.

 

[GMguy]

It's absolutely amazing how many people fall for the old gas mileage
improvement nonsense. Usually it's accompanied by a tale of how the
"Big Oil companies" have (somehow suppressed) this technology, although
what connection they would ever have with automotive devices is never
specified, nor how they suppressed it either, but then the device somehow reappears. Every time gas prices go up, these stories and devices come out of hibernation. The spinning fan gizmo was around during the last gas crunch in the 70's. Its only effect is to restrict the airflow. My favorite this time around was the suggesstion to put mothballs into the gas tank. Aside from the puzzling high cost, one can only guess as to what that's going to do to filters and fuel lines, and injectors.

 

[GMinTheDriveway]

haha, I just cut out a little ad from the local paper:
"FED UP WITH THE HIGH COST OF GAS??"
New Technology to the Rescue!!
Save up to 25% or more on gas
Reduce emissions by 50%
Increase horse power [sic]
Clean your engine
safe on all fuel systems and engines
It's here now!

(something about a seminar at a local hotel here)

Due to the high demand of limited FREE sample pills available these FREE GAS SAVINGS PILLS are offered on a first come, first serve basis.

then way down in tiny type at the bottom "Results May Vary"

Hmmm, gas saving pills... like Beano? Or like sleeping pills so you doze off instead of driving somewhere. Amazing...