Everything you need to know about ITB Systems.
What is an ITB?
On your factory car, exists a single throttle body in which the air travels through before reaching the combustion chamber for its part in the bang. A throttle body, acting as a valve, regulates the mass of air entering the intake manifold, while the cars computer then matches the correct amount of fuel delivery and ignition timing for your engine to run.
An ITB kit also known as Individual Throttle Bodies or Independent Throttle Bodies is a system that does exactly as its name describes. It provides each cylinder with its own throttle body controlling its air intake.
An Individual Throttle Body system ensures that each cylinder is subject to the same volume of air as each other, as well as equalising the distance that the air has to travel before entering its combustion chamber.
By doing so, each cylinder can be tuned individually and at its performance maximum as opposed to restricting the engine to its worst performing cylinder.
Some of the best sounding cars ever produced have been the result of engines with Individual Throttle Bodies, some of these are none other than the BMW E46 M3, Ferrari F355, Mclaren F1, Nissan Skyline GTR R32 etc.
With improved production, we are providing products that were once only reserved for the most high-end of vehicles for a far more reasonable price, without the compromise of quality.
How do ITBs work?
Along with an increase in overall air, the distance the mass of air has to travel between the throttle body and the engine’s head is significantly reduced, thereby allowing giving the ITB kit its famed improved throttle response.
All our ITB runners utilise a tapered bore, thereby causing the air to accelerate as the diameter of the tubes er decrease via the venturi effect. As the air speed increases, the engine cycle’s scavenging effect is able to provide more air into the combustion chamber, increasing power and torque.
The velocity stacks or trumpets, are of a tuned length to maximise the engines top-end power without any loss of torque, something that cannot be achieved with single throttle bodies. These same velocity stacks can also be fine-tuned to complement an engines performance modifications and purpose where required.
Each velocity stack inlet is designed and engineered with a smooth parabolic shape to maximise the intake of air while at the same time reducing air turbulence.
Idle quality is improved with this ITBs, particularly with engines running larger duration cams. A standard car utilises an Intake Manifold situated after the single throttle body. The air density within this manifold is manipulated, thereby causing a vacuum pressure. As the valves of a car open and closes it creates pulses of additional vacuum within the manifold, thereby disrupting the intake of air as the valves continue to cycle. An ITB system eliminates this issue almost completely since the majority of the intake of air during a cycle is atmospheric and free-flowing. Even with the installation of a plenum over the ITBs, the plenum will still be under atmospheric pressure and not vacuum as an intake manifold due to the location of the throttle bodies.
What are the benefits of ITBs?
- Improvements in power across the entire rev-range.
- More refined power curve, with improved tuning capabilities.
- Lighting quick throttle response
- A glorious symphony of induction noise
- Smoother idle, especially with modified engines
- Progressive throttle control with our engineered throttle-linkages.
- Beautifully designed that will set apart any engine bay.
