Mustang Throttle Bodies: Frequently Asked Questions

The main goal of upgrading to a cold air intake and larger throttle body is to increase the airflow to the motor’s intake manifold. This increased airflow creates more efficient combustion, and, in turn, more power. For some applications, there is a plenum that is located between the throttle body and intake manifold. Without upgrading this component, you are restricting the amount of cool, dense air that your new cold air intake and throttle body are trying to send to your motor, and you will never realize the full potential of your upgrades. Picture a tunnel with four lanes going in and only one coming out…

1979-2004

In these years, the stock throttle body on a Mustang GT is 56mm.

• 70mm: Used for stock or mildly modified applications
• 75mm: Used for forced induction (Nitrous, Supercharger, etc.)

*Installing a throttle body that is larger than necessary may sound cool, but in the long run it can hurt the performance of your vehicle. It is highly recommended to go with a 70mm throttle body if you do not plan on forced induction.


2005+

The 2005 and newer GTs come with a twin 56mm throttle body

• Twin 62mm: Used as an upgrade over the stock throttle body on the 2005+ Mustang GT’s.
• Twin 65mm: Used as an upgrade over the factory GT500 Throttle Body.

• Throttle body spacers are a cost effective upgrade to a factory throttle body that transfers an increased amount of cooler air from the TB to the plenum. It is an inexpensive way to gain horsepower and fuel mileage.

*Throttle body spacers are designed for use on stock throttle bodies, and will not work with aftermarket TB’s. You will be able to install the spacer, but you will not see any performance gains.

Depending on the year of your vehicle, and the manufacturer of the throttle body, you may or may not need a tune. For Mustangs made between 1979 and 2004, most 70mm throttle bodies can be installed without a retune, but to realize the full potential of your TB, a tune is recommended. On the 2005+ Mustangs, there are manufacturers that offer TB’s that do not require a tune, but these vehicles are very sensitive and, again, a tune is recommended.