Tornado Fuel Saver- 2004 late night infomercial

[1444buicking]

Enjoyable blast from the past infomercial for the Tornado Fuel Saver.

You put this in your air intake tube to swirl fuel and air for more horsepower and efficiency, per the advertisement.

Our intake has a factory air straightener to reduce turbulence lol. In fairness, the auto makers wanted smooth air for the MAF sensor and maybe a Tornado inside the cylinders. Haven't tried the Tornado so can't vouch for it.

 

[Bighorn2500]

I remember those, I wonder how many actually sold?

 

[fantastic]

Remember the era as well. Always something being sold to you whether it actually works or not. As far as I know this business is not booming anymore so I'd say it was a failure.

 

[Jetronic]

I remember those, I wonder how many actually sold?

I know of at least one fitted

 

[1444buicking]

You can still find them for sale!

I haven't seen any recent infomercials, however.

There is an earlier infomercial maybe from the 80s but the production and music seemed lower budget. Unfortunately, the copy is very pixelated and basically unwatchable.

 

[Kira]

Or the "Atomizer".
A cylindrical chamber with wads of 3 different metals in it which looked like machine turnings swept up off a floor somewhere.
You spliced it into your fuel line by removing 4" of the hose. It came with hose clamps (ha-ha)
It was said to "molecularly fluff up" the fuel so it burned better.

 

[Dadillac]

When I had my 2002 Cadillac Seville (from 2004 to 2011) I bought a Tornado just to try it. Didn't cost much and I just felt like seeing for myself. The best it ever did for me, if I remember correctly, was like 1/2 MPG increase. But that might just have been me being easier on the throttle.

Don

 

[meep]

I mean in the 80s, behind a comparably crude carburetor, one could see the benefit to better atomize fuel, especially if it was cold or you worked the accelerator pump a lot. At worst, it was a mild throttle restriction which you wouldn’t notice unless you were WOT everyday. I never drank the kool-aid, but knew a guy that shrugged and said he didn’t get the advertised increase but saw a small amount and so he stuck with it. Idk. Next post - fuel line ionic molecule straighter magnet.

 

[zeroptzero]

There have been some dyno tests of those devices, they either caused zero gains or small losses.

I know on my Honda VTEC cars they had one smaller cam lobe that induced lower rpm swirl in the cylinders to gain some efficiency, but that effect was in cylinder, not just the intake tract ahead of the injectors.

 

[1444buicking]

There have been some dyno tests of those devices, they either caused zero gains or small losses.

At the 5:00 mark you can see the 1990s Chevy Impala SS testing on the dynamometer. The commercial is no so clear if horsepower increased 10 or 20 bhp.

But in the comparison picture of the "power meter", the off axis photos at 6:14 slightly understate the delta. So that image understates the "benefits".

I suppose it is subjective in the end lol

 

[benjamming]

It's not subjective. It objectively doesn't work.

 

[dubber09]

They did misspell "Fudget Power" on that page

 

[ARB1977]

I remember those, I wonder how many actually sold?

You’re looking at him, lol. A week later it was in the trash.

 

[Fitter30]

Draw arrows inside the air cleaner housing that way the air knows which way to go.

 

[1444buicking]

You’re looking at him, lol. A week later it was in the trash.

Did it have any positive or negative impact? Did it make any noise?

I think the pitch was more compelling pre-internet. But I'm not sure.

 

[zeroptzero]

You’re looking at him, lol. A week later it was in the trash.

Me too

 

[zeroptzero]

Draw arrows inside the air cleaner housing that way the air knows which way to go.

Just like deer-crossing signs direct the deer where to cross

 

[zeroptzero]

Did it have any positive or negative impact? Did it make any noise?

I think the pitch was more compelling pre-internet. But I'm not sure.

Every mom and pop auto performance shop was selling them back in the day, it was like other snake oil products being sold back then, no proof needed , just a clever marketing scheme. The guys running my local performance shop convinced me to buy one, I was gullible enough , more money than brains I guess. I suspect the mark-up on those products was huge, hence why everyone wanted to sell them.

 

[meep]

A dyno run wouldn’t have been the right test… if it was for efficiency (gas mileage). It had to be a restriction to create the swirl. Some sort of scientific mpg under repeatable circumstances would have been more accurate. ??

 

[D60]

{snip} Next post - fuel line ionic molecule straighter magnet.

Then mothballs sold under different names to improve MPG