Tornado Air System

Joseph · Post by **Joseph** » Wed Mar 05, 2003 11:43 pm

Whats up with this Tornado Air System? I've read from one source it's the greatest thing since sliced bread

and heard from another it's no big deal

. I think the $69 bucks is way to much+shipping of $12.95. I would be interested if someone can give a good reason to buy one

. JH68

seapahn · Post by **seapahn** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 12:50 am

My brother (who is a graduate aerospace/mechanical engineering student at UCLA) and I sit and laugh at their commercials sometimes!!! Especially when they say "it helps you make better horsepower"...

We are both convinced it's an absolute gimmick and a total crap. Worst of all, it will be a restriction when you need air most!!!! Don't you think engine manufacturers would have already thought of "spinning" the air for performance if it were so easy and would make their cars more economical and more powerful? Are we really supposed to believe engine designers and engineers are so dumb? hahahahahahaha

It's a lot like that ZMax crap. They REALLY get on my nerves with their lies. Even after all the truth came out about their product, I still see them running those misleading and horrible informercials.

Conman · Post by **Conman** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 8:21 am

seapahn wrote:My brother (who is a graduate aerospace/mechanical engineering student at UCLA) and I sit and laugh at their commercials sometimes!!! Especially when they say "it helps you make better horsepower"...

We are both convinced it's an absolute gimmick and a total c##p. Worst of all, it will be a restriction when you need air most!!!! Don't you think engine manufacturers would have already thought of "spinning" the air for performance if it were so easy and would make their cars more economical and more powerful? Are we really supposed to believe engine designers and engineers are so dumb? hahahahahahaha

It's a lot like that ZMax c##p. They REALLY get on my nerves with their lies. Even after all the truth came out about their product, I still see them running those misleading and horrible informercials.

Yeah if you see Zmax newer commercials, they had to bleep out some of the words cause it was mis-leading.......

As for the Tonado, a few mags did a test and no gains.

Con

Warnoffroad · Post by **Warnoffroad** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 2:13 pm

I didnt think that it would give you any HP. To me it looked more like something that would just block air from going in, and the all the wasted power it takes to spin it.

Brad · Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 8:20 pm

I got one and think it makes the truck feel more peppy. I might put it on a chassis dyno this summer to see if it helps. I makes a little noise, kind of a whirling sound. I bought it cause Hot Rod says it works.

Brad

Warnoffroad · Post by **Warnoffroad** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 8:59 pm

Humm... lets us know I want to try to get as much "easy" HP as I can.

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 9:00 pm

I'm a bit skeptical still.

There is a guy in town the bracket races a V-8 Vega. He swears that it gained .05 sec and 10 mph in the quarter when he added the tornado.

He is pretty sharp and the car has been raced for over three years now , so He should know what it did.

He is running it on his tow rig too.

I am using the Helix Power tower right now. Not for the "vortex" effect , but because I wanted to raise the throttle body.

It was also to see if there was anything to all the claims of performance gains.

So far, nothing noticeable, MPG same.

Joseph · Post by **Joseph** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 11:06 pm

I'll think the price could be lower. But, still interested in getting one. Thanks for the info. I'll try to make up my mine. JH68

Warnoffroad · Post by **Warnoffroad** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 9:18 am

Will the work with a T/B spacer

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 9:38 am

It fits inside the flexable air tube, so the spacer would not be affected.

Here is the install instructions: Installation instructions

It is basically a piece of tin shaped like a pinwheel that you put inside the intake air flow.

Mor information here:Tornadoair

(I don't like the fact that they are so proud of the product that you can't find a picture of it

)

mattfu · Post by **mattfu** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:55 am

not trying to overide anyones opinion here, but i am a power generation engineer for the canadian government, which means i am a fuel/air and combustion expert, the only scientific way of knowing if the tornado is doing anything is to do a proper flue gas analsis (measuring burned and unburned fuel coming out the exhaust) , the only thing i have to add is that where you install this piece is critical. some installers put it right after the airbox or near k&n filter. this now means that the air swirls up to the MAF sensor, then the screen distorts any frictional resistance that was lost. installing directly after the MAF will aid in combustion ,provided you have adaquate fuel atomization (clean injectors) . anyway i ordered one of these tornados aug 20/06 but i havnt recieved it yet. when it comes i will take it to work and do some REAL tests on fuel combustion equipment and let you all know what happens.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:29 am

Keep us informed. Carefully document fuel mileage before as well as after, costs, and any measurement of performance that is repeatable and documentable that you may have available. Give it time for the "new mod" to wear off so that you can form a less biased opinion.

Bear in mind that ours is a dry intake. The fuel atomization takes place in the last few inches from the injectors at the intake port into the combustion chamber. The swirl there is created by the "vortec" head design.

I think that the Tornado , could work...BUT on a wet system, and more specifically a carbureted vehicle where fuel atomization is poor.

Steve2003 · Post by **Steve2003** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:45 am

Brule, I have a tornado I just took out of my truck, I saw a program on tv that claimed they didn't work, infact there study showed they caused worse gas milage. If you want I can ship it it to you and you can test it.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:06 am

Steve2003 wrote:...If you want I can ship it it to you and you can test it.

Thanks, but no thanks. I have done my share of testing those mods that I feel have potential. I just haven't been convinced in this case. I even have a local racer here who runs them on his tow rig and race car. He runs the super pro bracket with his Vega. This is a sub 9 second 1/4 mile car. But carbureted. He swears by them and claims both mileage and performance gains.

I tested the Vararam since I could see some potential in the design. That didn't work out for my set-up.
All this testing may have led to the early demise of my precat. My truck is "in it's happy place". I would have to be convinced there are some pretty significant gains to try another mod right now.
If anything I am considering taking steps backward

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:21 am

HenryJ wrote:................If anything I am considering taking steps backward

Any hints, since I have pretty much echoed your set up?

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:33 am

f9k9 wrote:...Any hints...

Don't sell your stock airbox. The FIPK is on "strike two" in my book. One more problem and I'm back to the stock modded airbox.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:46 am

Thanks, I have kept checking it since Steve's and your failure of that bracket. I am one up or "down" on you two. I had the Airaid system before I went to the FIPK. I would have stayed with the Airaid but was never able to find suitable heat shield material readily available. I used several different plastic and aluminum sources.

My stock airbox is closeby.

mattfu · Post by **mattfu** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 1:52 pm

i agree henry , i think these tin wonders are going to prove effective for carborated engines and not so much for us, as for the guys who are hell bent that these gadgets reduce fuel economy ... absolutely possible , if you installed it at the airbox you would cause swirl up to the MAF then more turbulance from there to the throttle body then the "vortec" effect near the injectors would attempt to swirl the air again (maybe im wrong here, vortec principal=swirling air , right? ) , all these changes plus the fact that the vortec effect might just swirl the air in the opposite direction that the tornado is , could create a overall flow restriction, thus reducing fuel economy. now that ive used 100 words to say nothing, i have averages over 10 tanks of gas , each specific to city/hwy/ac on or off and so on, so soon i will post what i got for changes from stock to k&n cold air to addition of the tornado, allthough it will piss off a few of you as all my numbers will be in metric , but averages are averages.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:28 pm

We can handle conversions-

Kilometers to miles conversion

Liters to US Gallons conversion

RickZRX · Post by **RickZRX** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:54 pm

Just wait until it frags & throws a handful of scrap metal down the intake. EVERY test of these things has shown them to be complete snake oil.

crew cab sonoma · Post by **crew cab sonoma** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:23 am

when you think about it, there are simply too many bends and turns in the intake tract, for the air to maintain any "swirl" generated by such a device.

whats going to happen to the swirling air when it hits a partially open throttle blade, or even one
thats wide open??? clearly, either would tend to disrupt the effect...

not to mention making the turns and bends, plus making the transition from the TB to an open plenum. and how would this spiraling air divide itself amog the cylinders???

and last, but not least, what do you think is going to happen to spiraling air, as it attempts to enter, and travel down a rectangular shaped intake runner, like ours???

something to think about, before spending your money on such a device....

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:20 pm

The Tornado is just a gimmick like the spiral TB spacers.

Neither one actually works.

Steve

crew cab sonoma · Post by **crew cab sonoma** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:45 am

agreed. spend your money elsewhere....
like on those fuel line magnets....

RickZRX · Post by **RickZRX** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:14 pm

crew cab sonoma wrote:agreed. spend your money elsewhere....
like on those fuel line magnets....

Ya mean gasoline isn't magnetic???

No wonder I couldn't clean my main jets with my magnet on a stick!

Of course

that explains why the compass in my ZR5 doesn't constantly point at my gastank.....

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun May 11, 2008 5:21 am

roadrunner wrote:... I do have the tornado thingy's on 4 different vehicles. They do work. Not large but definitely measureable mpg increases on all 4. In the range of .5 to 1.5 mpg.

Looking For A Miracle: We Test Automotive 'Fuel Savers'

brandons4door · Post by **brandons4door** » Sun May 11, 2008 7:33 am

thanks for the link. its a good read.

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:41 am

Interesting read. I keep records of all my gas through all my vehicles and stand by my increase statements. CC=+.5mpg, 98 Buick=+1.5mpg, 90 Buick =+1.0mpg, and 92Caravan=+.75mpg. These averages are for over two years in all cases much more in some.
I also stand by my statement "increased HP=increased MPG (as long as fuel useage remains constant) unless driver wastes it in driving habits". On that line interesting notes are first I too have friends who race circle track and the tracks they race on have outlawed the tornado devices and this from the link Brule posted:
TornadoFuelSaver
Tornadofuelsaver.com, $70
THEY CLAIM: "... an increase in gas mileage--up to 28%!!!" "Dynometer [sic] testing demonstrates an increase of 4-13 horsepower."
BOTTOM LINE: Normally, we want less turbulence in the intake, not more.

Note the HP increase. Nuff said. I'll continue to use mine and smile all the way to the bank.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:47 am

roadrunner wrote:...from the link Brule posted:
TornadoFuelSaver
Tornadofuelsaver.com, $70
THEY CLAIM: "... an increase in gas mileage--up to 28%!!!" "Dynometer [sic] testing demonstrates an increase of 4-13 horsepower."
BOTTOM LINE: Normally, we want less turbulence in the intake, not more.

They claim does not mean they have to prove it.
Caveat Emptor.

I am sure much of the testing I did lead to the early demise of my precat. Many of these gimmicks produce increased emissions that can foul a converter.

Keep in mind that very small changes in mileage can be attributed to normal wear, tire pressure, weather conditions, fuel composition, etc.
Any price you pay for a gimmick is money probably better invested in fuel for the tank. It takes time to recover the initial purchase price, and the benefits may be learned out by then.
If it makes you happy, do it.

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:10 am

Yeah Brule. I noticed and disproved the 28% "claim" as well what I was hoping you'd notice there also was the dyno-testing actual gain of 4-13 hp. Increased hp=increased mpg given no increase in fuel consumption. Given the longevity of my personal testing (every tankful since purchase of each vehicle) I am satisfied with my results. As I've stated in other posts given the amount of fuel I use and miles I drive per year even a .5mpg increase adds up in a hurry to a not to be ignored $ figure. And I too can track the "seasonal" blend changes in fuels etc.