TESTED: Crawford Performance FR-S/BRZ Power Blocks Intake Manifold Spacers

Last week we got a text message from Subaru tuner extraordinaire Quirt Crawford. Quirt was pretty excited about one of his company's, Crawford Performance's new products, a set of Power Blocks intake manifold spacers for the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ FA20 engine.

Quirt told us that in their testing these spacers made a remarkable power difference in the notoriously fickle and difficult to tune FA20 engine. The spacers would make a big difference in area under the curve said Quirt and he then arranged to ship us a set.

We were somewhat sceptical but were eagerly awaiting the parts' arrival at the palatial MotoIQ Megashop. In the meantime we located a bone stock Subaru BRZ in order to perform our testing.

The Crawford Performance Power Blocks intake manifold spacers are CNC machined from billet aluminum and raise the intake manifold up over an inch. This lengthens the intake manifold runners which increases the runner volume and lowers the rpm where they resonate. Lengthening runners typically helps low end power at the expense of top end power. The kit comes complete with all the stuff you need to perform the install including longer bolts and O-rings. The Crawford Performance Power Blocks intake manifold spacers are CNC machined from billet aluminum and raise the intake manifold up over an inch. This lengthens the intake manifold runners which increases the runner volume and lowers the rpm where they resonate. Lengthening runners typically helps low end power at the expense of top end power. The kit comes complete with all the stuff you need to perform the install including longer bolts and O-rings.

Howard Watanabe starts off the install by removing everything on the intake manifold, all the lines, intake tube and wire harness clips. He also removed the stamped steel noise covers from the injectors. Howard Watanabe starts off the install by removing everything on the intake manifold, all the lines, intake tube and wire harness clips. He also removed the stamped steel noise covers from the injectors.

Howard places the supplied O-rings into the machined grooves in the Crawford Power Blocks. The grooves are tight so the O-rings stay in place. The stock intake gasket has molded in rubber sealing rings and can be reused so we simply put that back in place between the spacer and the stock manifold. Howard places the supplied O-rings into the machined grooves in the Crawford Power Blocks. The grooves are tight so the O-rings stay in place. The stock intake gasket has molded in rubber sealing rings and can be reused so we simply put that back in place between the spacer and the stock manifold.

We unbolted the direct injector high voltage driver box from the intake manifold and the block. With that we were ready to install the spacers. We unbolted the direct injector high voltage driver box from the intake manifold and the block. With that we were ready to install the spacers.