I was thinking of doing this modification since its free and stuff...What exactly happens if the temp drops below 0?
Will the extremly cold Throttle Body prevent the car from starting and stuff?

 

The car will start but, if the humidity of the air is high enough and the air temperature is low enough, you could get ice forming in the throttle body while running. That is why GM runs hot coolant through there, keeps it from getting iced up.

 

I live in NJ; we get pretty cold, and I've had my TB coolant bypass done since '97- no icing up problems. I'd imagine that as soon as the engine gets warmer than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, any ice would disappear.

Actually... does anyone have a newer car with a throttle body on it? Does it have coolant lines going to the TB?

 

You have to have high humidity. Not going to happen when it is already freezing out. I really don't think ice is a problem on fuel injected throttle bodies. I would think the heat transfer from the engine would keep them warm enough. Also the pressure drop, if any, across the buterfly isn't as large as a carb venturi, so wouldn't cause the temp to drop either.
I did have a carb'd car that would get ice in the venturi whenever it rained and the outside air temp was below 50*F. I'd have to pull over every 15-20 minutes and let the ice melt.

 

Maybe with some good upper plenum spacers that block heat, it could be a problem. but that intake gets heat soaked so quick. It would need to be in the - range to happen.

 

Did you ever find out why that happened?

 

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by bru333
I did have a carb'd car that would get ice in the venturi whenever it rained and the outside air temp was below 50*F. I'd have to pull over every 15-20 minutes and let the ice melt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Took me a while to figure out. The air diverted valve in the air filter housing inlet wasn't opening. The thermal switch in the filter box was bad, wasn't routing vacuum to the valve to let heated air in to the cleaner. It was supposed to keep the air in the air filter at 100*F. Good for keeping ice out, but not too good for performance. I just blocked the valve open during the cold season, left it closed during summer.

edit: The car was stock, except for a K&N air filter.

 

Were you using the stock type plastic, phenolic carb spacer???

I can see it more on a carb'ed car as you usually have a spacer of sorts plus two gaskets on either end for heat to try n travel through. Where on our cars there is only 1 thin gasket for heat to travel through.