Throttle body gasket?

[illumina]

Does anyone know what that little sceen-like gasket between the throttle body and the intake manifold is called? These are only present for the 4.1 liter engines and are about 1/3 inch in thickness...I know it's some sort of gasket, but it has an electrical connection that supplies power to two screen-like devices that the fuel from the TBI injectors reaches before it goes down into the manifold.

If anyone knows what they are, please let me know...If a picture is needed, I will glady supply it.

[chevelle]

The grids below the throttle bores are electrically heated Early Fuel Evaporation grids. EFE grids they were commonly called. The wires supply power to the grid. The grids themselves are ceramic heaters. The grids are controlled by the PCM and heat when the engine is cold started to help the fuel evaporate to improve driveability and emissions. The grids will also activate occasionally while driving to prevent any ice formation on them as ice can form driving in humid, cold conditions. Those were only used on the transverse 4.1 engines in 85/86/87.

[illumina]

Ahh...Okay...Thanks.

You see, I rebuilt my '87 with the 4.5 liter, but used all of the external 4.1 liter parts. I was going to try and use a larger throttle body from the 4.5 liter engine, but there are some alignment issues because of the grid heater and the fact that they're matched to the 4.1 liter throttle bores would make it so that the fuel coming out from the injectors would hit the gasket part of the grid and therefore not deliver all the fuel that is needed to power the engine if you understand what I mean.

If the grid is absolutely needed, then I'll have to make due with the 4.1 liter throttle body.

[illumina]

Also, do you know if the grids are used on a larger throttle body system such as the older Astro vans? Or did you mean that they were solely for the 4.1 liter engines? If there are other applications, I can always get one from an Astro van or whatever so that my experiment will work.

[Caddy-chris]

Several years ago when I converted my '86 to a 4.5, I used all of the 4.5 top end parts inc. throttle body and gasket. I had some serious driveability problems when the engine was cold. I ended up using the 4.1 throttle body and heater grid, which solved the problem.

I realize that you are going for some performance enhancement here, whearas I really just needed an engine and I had a line on an inexpensive 4.5 with known history. Figured that I'd just give you the heads up.

Regards,

Chris