Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

Hi all,

About 9 months ago I purchased a 3rd Gen SKUNK2 TB. For the most part, the part is gorgeous to look at. However, functionality is another thing.

Over the Summer from July to August, I was in communication with Nico Ronquillo at your Group-A Engineering, there in NORCO. I suggested modifications to the production of your TB to him, and tried to get you to listen. No Dice. You wasted my time for 2 months. Finally, I returned the original TB in person to your NORCO facility, and picked up a new one, since that was what was offered. I live 900 miles away...

Below are the list of things and remedies that I have found and performed on your paper weight. No refund opportunity, and not functional the way it sits, so even the new one became a paper weight. May as well machine the fixes and go for it. Since it was a $300 loss.

If you look at the 3rd gen, there are multiple blockages that don't allow for proper functionality and tuning.

The Idle Set Screw port is two small, and only allows approx. 500 RPM's of tuning. Not enough by a long shot for our cars. And utilizing the old remedy of opening the throttle plate is annoying, inconsistent, and rather pathetic for as nice a piece that your TB represents it is.

The ICSV/IACV port has a necked down blockage at the back side of the TB, limiting actual flow to 50% of what the bore is.

Installation of your product is also not a direct fit, if you are running other products of yours.

I run the Skunk2 Fuel Rail, and the clearance between the Feed Line side and the Throttle Body Butterfly Valve Wheel, tolerance is 2mm of clearance. Its a tight fit. I had to sand your Fuel Rail very lightly to get it to clear and not rub, and allow for full open/close functionality.

EDIT: I forgot, the Throttle Body Butterfly wheel shaft screw, was also to long and rubbed the stock fuel feed rail connection. Had to bend it 22 degrees to get it to clear, and even then it was sticky. I upgraded to -6AN Fuel Feed line and it was now definitely to long.

Also, your mounting Screws are very short, not long enough for any good torque on the bolts. In fact, with little to no torque, I stripped one of the mountings on my Map REV3 Manifold. Luckily, your screws don't bite so far as to render it non functional any more. I just had to by longer bolts, which is what you should include in your box.

So with the unit installed out of the box, tuning was inconsistent, and never worked properly. The car could not get enough air through the Idle Set Screw, even if it was fully open. Still could not get it set to 900 ~ 1000 RPM's. ISCV valve, you had to play with and it would never function right, to give you steps in the range of 15 ~20 at operating tempurature. You had to reset the ECU, and then leave the ISCV unplugged and log it. The ISCV in logs would drop all the way to 0 and then you could plug it in. As long as the car was on after initial setup, ISCV functionality was around 25 ~30. The minute you shut off the car, and re started, ISCV because of heat soak, and closed off passage, would always be in the 50 ~60 Range. Monkey with trying to get this unit to work for over 6 weeks, before finally reaching out to Skunk 2. If I removed the TB, and went back to stock unit, with NO CHANGE in tuning from a MAP/ROM perspective, car functioned correctly, ISCV Steps were in check at idle at operating temperature. Something the SKUNK2 Unit would never do. Very frustrating.

So to fix your product, I had to port the Idle Set Screw by 33% larger on front and back, to get the adjust ability of approx 1200 to 1500 RPM's. While still allowing for a full closed set screw.

I had to port your ISCV opening to clear the 45 degree neck down at the back side, and give it the same size opening through that port, so ISCV functions correctly.

Edit: So after first run with the ported TB, still ran into an issue. While it finally caught it's idle right at 1000 RPM's, with the Idle Set Screw turned all the way out, the Steps still hovered at 40. Now that's roughly 15~20 steps lower than the first time I ran it completely the way YOU manufactured it. This is still not good. So I took it off, and tore it down completely. Found another bottle neck I didn't think was an issue with the ISCV/IACV ports on the backside of the TB, behind the butterfly valve. They were tiny as hell, and do not flow well at all. So I had to port it roughly 33% larger, to get as much flow as I can. Pics are in the 5th post.

EDIT: I also had to go buy a half height nut and trim your Throttle Body Shaft bolt down almost 3/8th of an inch to clear Fuel Feed Line attachment to YOUR Fuel Rail.

EDIT: Had to do some Machine work again. Initial test run after first and second work, gave me an idle at 1000 RPM's steady, but steps at the IACV were at 22. They need to be within 7~15, to work like and have stock Idle. I bored the Idle set screw another 25% and then bored the IACV Ports another 25%. we will see where this puts it, and what adjust ability it will have. Post back after tests later today, or tomorrow.

EDIT: Updated testing results after last night's bore and hone stage 3 of the TB. I have full 1500 RPM's adjust ability now with the set screw. Steps register and were easy to set, averaging between 7 and 15. Steady at approx 12~15. Success. Now to tune all the other stuff...lol.

Below are the pictures. Unfortunately I did not snap any pics of the original unit prior to port job. But, You will see shiny areas and pics of the passage ways I had to clear. Here all the photos. Including the 4 longer install screws, which are readily available at Home Depot, for $4.00.

That is all.

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

Here is the Install pics with all modifications made.

Here is the Throttle Body Shaft Bolt and -6AN Fuel Feed line issue with YOUR Fuel Rail:






Here is your Shaft Bolt with Half Height Nut:



Here is the Final Installed Pic's, now to tune and adjust in ROM

IzzyRS

iTrader: (8)

Wow, it's hard to believe they put these products on the market with these defects (and apparently without mocking them up in the bay haha).

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

I agree. Especially when it won't even line up and clear THEIR fuel rail...lol.

You can see in the last pic where I had to sand the Fuel Rail as well. I also even had to file the TB Shaft Bolt with the half height nut to give clearance. PITA.

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

IACV/ISCV Port Job #2:

First three are stock or how it was manufactured, last two show what I modified.

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

Update at bottom of first post. More Machine work, almost another 25% larger holes machined in Idle Set Screw, and in ISCV ducts.

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

Success! Full range tunability achieved. SKUNK 2 READ FIRST POST WITH ALL UPDATES/EDITS. Anybody looking to run this piece, please read for details in first post. This throttle body is great once it's done right. You can do most work yourself with metal step bits, or pay approx 150.00 to do what I did. I would still suggest this over any of the other large bore TB's, except for Work's TB's, and Milspec TB's. I was never impressed with the Full Blown TB, or knock off's like it from EBay.

kaj

iTrader: (60)

They don't care about accuracy or functionality of their parts.
if you look up their VIII/IX lowering springs, they list them as fitting GSR/RS/MR, though the MR has different length rear springs.
I emailed them and all they said was "sorry". I was going to be charged a restocking fee, so ended up selling them privately.
What a mess. I will never touch another part with their name on it.
They couldn't have cared any less

Grimgrak

iTrader: (3)

I gave up on spending extra money to verify my skunk2 works right and just got a s90 70mm

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

More power to you, but the S90 started as a knockoff, and is just like the Full Blown... Both were a pain to tune. But I am glad it works for you.

This thread is to alert Skunk 2 once again that their parts have issues and that R & D is on the lacking. This thread is also to illustrate and show what must be done to have a useful TB from them and not a paperweight. Maybe others might find it valuable if they were to get a paperweight like me. Either way, problem solved, and if it useful to others in the Future, then great too.

ExViTermini

iTrader: (25)

Don't call em Junk2 for nothing, even the stuff that was supposed to be the rage for honda's 10 years ago was farking crap.

Good on you for sticking with it and making it functional!

Tommyfacekicker

I'm looking for a new tb. I want one that will not leak @ 33 psi on a 25g turbo. Any suggestions? I'm thinking milspec ported, but if I'm missing something better for my $$$ then can someone please lmk. I was also thinking skunk2, that's why I stumbled upon this post. I would like a more recent reference bec the other posts are from 2010-2015.

Raceghost

iTrader: (4)

Works is the original go too, if you can afford it, followed by Milspec IMHO. The skunk 2 from a build quality, is rather good, unfortunately, the breathing side of the Set Screw and the IACV are where the issue lays. However, the port job I did, gives it full functionality comparative to stock. It holds 30PSI with no problems yet.

211Ratsbud

iTrader: (1)

i had no problems with my fb70mm. Used it on my skunk 2 manifold. Tuned the iscv just fine, stock and on vipec. Also convenience of the set screw allowed acceptable tps <16% in idle circuit. Needed zero modification. I wouldn't overlook this piece fwiw..

I would also have no problem using through skunk tb. As those mods aren't something the bothers me when building a car.

Tommyfacekicker

Thanks for the replies. I will look for them now. I want to purchase it and not have to deal with leaking throttle bodies for a while.