Difficulty Level

Tools/Supplies Needed:

• socket set and ratchet
• throttle body cleaner
• lint free clothes
• new replacement throttle body gasket
• tape
• rotary grinding stones
• penetrating oil
• Dremel/rotary tool
• flap wheel drum sanders ranging from 40 grit to 320 grit
• 400 grit wet/dry sanding paper
• abrasive pad (finer than 400 grit)
• metal polish
• thread locker

Procedure:

• first remove the throttle body from the vehicle
• removal processes will vary between manufacturers, but normally it is bolted to the intake manifold, the throttle cable will need to be disconnected it a manual unit, and then unplugging the throttle position sensor
• clean any oily build-up inside of the throttle body
• remove the butterfly from the throttle body, most are held in with two screws that go into the shaft
• if you can, also remove the shaft and linkage
• tape around the shaft or the hole where the shaft was so no metal shavings get into that area and cause premature wear for the bushings or bearings
• depending on the finish of the throttle body's bore, there may be edges which you can to smooth out
• in order to smooth out those edges, you can use grinding stones for either a drill or rotary tool such as a Dremel
• when using a grinding stone, its best to use WD-40 penetrating oil with it so the aluminum material doesn't plug up the stone and it'll no longer cut away any material
• once you are satisfied with the sharper edges being ground down, you can down move onto sanding drums for the rotary tool
• you can also flare out the bore where the air enters slightly so it has a smoother air flow into the throttle body
• you can even port match the throttle body to the intake if the throttle body is smaller
• if you don't have access to a rotary tool and sanding drums, you can also use flap wheel drum sanders that can be used on a drill
• the flap wheel drum sanders are available in a variety of grits such as 40, 50, 60, 80, 120, 180, 240, and 320
• when using the flap wheel drum sander, you can add water to help with finer sanding as to keep the dust down
• if the surface isn't too porous such as what is shown in the video, start out with a finer grit like 120 and move your way up
• once you have reached the highest grit in a flap wheel drum sander, you can now do some sanding by hand with 400 grit and add some water for lubrication
• once satisfied with your product, you can now move up to an abrasive like Scotch Brite
• depending on the color, will depending on how course the abrasive pad material is
• I started out with green and then moved onto the red pad for the finest compound
• you can also use water with this too to help finer sanding and to keep the dust down
• again once you are satisfied, you can now move onto a metal polishing compound
• the metal polishing compound I would recommend is Eagle One
• apply the polishing compound paste and rub until highly mirrored finish
• multiple coats can be applied to achieve a higher polished surface
• once you are done with the bore, you can now move onto the throttle plate
• most throttle plates are smooth to begin with so you can skip directly to the Scotch Brite stage using the same procedure and finally move onto the metal polishing compound
• once done, you are ready to reassemble the throttle body
• make sure you peen the thread of the screws on the other side to ensure they don't come out or apply Lock Tight thread sealant
• install new throttle body gasket along with throttle body to your vehicle
• assembly in reverse of disassembly

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What are the benefits of porting and polishing a throttle body?

Depending on the design of your vehicle and how much work is required to modify the unit, you can see mild horsepower gains, increased throttle response, increased fuel economy, and a reduced build up of oily residue.