Anderson Engineering Manifold Spacer install

I have a 2.7 with a LCE header and have been eyeing this up too i have a coupon code takes a few bucks off - Spring10. I agree header made a big difference i do not see this doing as much but its intriguing. When you drive a truck with no power anything is a noticeable difference, hell even when i turn the A/C off. I will most likely order it in the next few weeks i will post a review if i do.

 

He meant header but if you dont know about the 2TR-FE a LCE header is a worth while upgrade

 

Not sure what you are saying here.

They guys who have bought it have stated it improved low end

There are back to back dyno videos

You can't put headers on the 3.5 (the engine this spacer is for)

 

Anderson makes a spacer for the 2.7 as well as the 3.5. The 2.7 spacer was a thing way before the 3.5 was out, it was made by a member years ago and anderson took over when he stopped making them. I have seen mixed reviews but if it can improve the low end with the expense of top end its a worthy trade off

 

Well, after calling us "ridiculous" it sounds like you eventually figured it out. Yes, it "moves some 'power' [torque, actually] from the top to the bottom, not adding power overall." Not "Seems like" or "moreover" (whatever you meant by that), and basically, that's what this forum's for: If the world lacks direct evidence, the community can test and report, so you're welcome! Also, it's not a leap to find good data on the torque shift resulting from longer runners - pretty fascinating voodoo, actually, and if you liked your "headers" results, i'd suggest adding this one too.

 

Nyrob, i've got the 2.7 as well, and i think you're right on with "a little happier at 3500 and under", even in the automatic. As i said, the difference is subtle, but on long trips the reduced rpm fatigue is really nice. Still a lot of work for that tiny gain ("1 hour install" has been boasted by several on here. It's not a race, and i'm more careful than that, so just give yourself several.). Does your auto have an overdrive? I think that would make a perfect match for this mod.

 

Part 3 of 3
Towing the camper for several hours at 70mph was pleasant in 4th and 5th. Gone are the days of repeatedly winding-up 3rd just to keep-up. Sadly, the mpg isn't as impressive as i'd hoped (~1mpg better), but the thing just rolls better overall, and non-towing mpg bumped-up 10%, so the mani spacer is a win for me.

 

This is the part I am interested in. I towed a 21 foot 4000lb camper trailer last month and when there was wind, it was terrible.

 

Yikes, that's a big haul. My camper is under 2k lbs. I really can't say how much this mod will help with that big one. I mean, it will, but will you notice? Hard to say.

 

My biggest issue was if I couldnt get past 55 mph, I was forever stuck in 3rd gear. Once I got past 55 mph and was able to get into 3500 rpm in 4th the truck was happy again.

 

I bit the Bullet last week and ordered a spacer, no shipping tracking as of yet.

I have made the trip from Maine to Florida twice. Once after hurricane Ian with a fully loaded bed of plywood and materials. I had to add Helwig overloads just to get the load off the stops.

The second trip was with a 16ft double axle trailer with two golf carts, the first was lifted up close to 45 degrees over the tongue so I could fit them. I'm starting to get a real good feel for what the 3.5 feels like under load. Both trips were uneventful, but the lack of low end torque was very noticeable.

The next and hopefully last trip will be with a 5x13 cargo trailer that will be loaded to its max capicity i'm sure. Since I take the western route through Hartford and Scranton there are a few long grades. The truck hates them, constantly wanting to downshift and rev to the heavens.

This is where I'm hopeful the spacer will shine. Since I seriouly dont think My "But dyno" can discern 18ftlbs of torque, I wont need dyno numbers, consecutive pulls with endless data, or Gale Banks approval. Just simply, does the truck pull a little stronger and longer before going nuts downshifting. this deficiency is noticeable enough I was willing to gamble $325 bucks.

Wish me luck!

 

You'll find more benefits with a tune.

 

Okay, i think maybe your threshold of 55mph w/4000lbs to my 70mph w/1500lbs might be a little closer to apples-to-apples, so i think this spacer might be a good start for you, considering your issue sounds exactly like mine just with different variables. Still, not gonna make a BIG difference, but big is not what we're looking for - just enough is plenty. Although having said that, is there a tuned header available for your engine? I'm thinking, while you're in there, maybe do it all once...?

Another option if you're making a lot of these heavy-load long trips is to change-out your final drive - essentially, permanently fitting your truck's transmission to the speed range it's typically driving in. There's info here in TW on that, but i don't remember exactly where. My understanding is it's really hard to do, and therefore, really expensive to have done, but i've always found 5th a bit tall for 90% of the driving i do, so a re-gear has always been appealing.

 

The 3rd gen has basically 2 overdrive gears 5th and 6th, that is the issue with 3rd gens. When you have too much load in 5th it kicks to 4th which is about 1000rpms up, normally too high. That is why you see a lot of people regear especially with the 3.5 which has 3.90's vs the 2.7's 4.30's. I am planning on doing a regear to 5.29's, for example say at 60mph 6th is 1650 5th is 2000 both too low unless on completely flat ground and 4th is 2900 which is too high. My truck shifts less going 70-75 since its turning more rpms, the gearing sucks in these trucks. 5.29's would keep me 2400 in 6th and 2850 in 5th at 70 mph, my guess is 5th at 70mph for you is 2500ish with the 5 speed?. A regear is in my future, but i think this spacer can help, $300 bucks to actually feel a difference is worth it to me even if its small. Install was a bit of a pain? i looked though the instructions simple enough but a lot of crap to unplug/move.

 

Install isn’t bad at all. Have the E8 socket. It will make it 10x easier.

 

Agreed, it sounds like re-gearing is pretty wise for that generation, and combined with the mani spacer, you should be in great shape. I'm always cautious about simultaneous changes for similar issues, so i started with the spacer, then if that didn't help enough, consider a tuned header or a re-gear, but not any two at once, and since the spacer was cheapest...

The install's pretty painless, it just takes careful attention (=time) to keep track of the million disconnections/reconnections, plus, there are some on-the-fly tweaks needed (some they mention, some they don't). If you do any kind of engine work i don't think any of it will be too surprising.

 

This and a KDMaxx tune will wake your truck right up.

 

Your likely right overall, however there are a few reasons I have not pulled the trigger.

From the tuners I have spoken with so far none have said that the torque would shift lower in the RPM range. It was said that there may be (not assured) some increase in the lower third HP

First and foremost I'm distant from anyone doing providing that service. I'd have to spend a whole day in travel back and forth from where I live. (Maybe when I finish the move i'll find someone in Fla.)
I'm fairly content with how the truck drives, I don't need a more sensitive throttle. I'll be spending a lot of time in stop and go traffic. My biggest gripe is shifting in the adaptive cruise, and so far no tune has been able to address this.

lastly I planned on trying the spacer, so installing before a tune would seem the correct order. Has anyone reported back a before and after in combination with a tune?

 

Yeah i have a tune and header already and they helped, this is just the next on the list. I think a regear is inevitable for me but that might be a year down the line. I am a hotrodder at heart having muscle cars and motorcycles as a kid and now i drive a 5000lb 160 hp brick haha, but every little bit helps. I just ordered it so we will see what it does.

 

Fundamentally speaking longer intake runners shift power towards the lower RPM. This isn't so much a "spacer" as it is an "intake runner lengthening device". You can see this in the Chevrolet LS engines, the sports cars get a low (short runner) intake and the trucks get a tall (long runner) intake. Even back in the carburetor days this was the same and you could buy intakes with short or long runners depending on where you wanted to modify the power curve.

No free lunch, it won't "make" more power, but it can move it around.

I don't have one but fundamentally the principal is sound and it seems that the folks here are seeing those results.