anyone see any downside to running an aluminum downpipe on a turbo car?? I need a new down pipe and I have a buddy that can make me one out of aluminum for dirt cheap and the fullrace replacement is 365 boners. I know it will be a lot less weight but does anyone see any bad that could come from it?
i am considering het same thing too. the DP is usually 11ga aluminum then exhaust is 14ga(from what i have seen). it is extreemely light weight. but usually cost to build
in the long run i will prob just make one out of steel or stainless just for simplicity though
Heat would be the only issue that I see …
that is what i thought. that is the reason they were making it out of 11ga aluminum handles the heat. you will be surprised how many cars have been using them. pretty popular in imports but have been seeinng a number of domestics too.
another thing to keep in mind is the flanges are pricey though. typically have seen them using v bands.
i am good friends with Lutz Race Cars and on their twin turboed monte carlo they are using all aluminum 5" aftercooler piping and 5" aluminum down pipes. He was the one that recomended me to use it but he is making 6 second passes. My worry is when i have my car at an autocross event and im holding WOT for 20 minutes straight if its going to handle the heat. I was going to use the 4bolt flange for the turbo side and use a vband for the intermediate side that way i could run open DP at the track. Ill do some research some other places and let you know what i find out.
I understand that 11gauge is going to handle the heat a lot better than a thinner grade … but … Is this just for drag racing/dyno passes … Or can it withstand the heat for longer periods of time? …
I guess I never realized that aluminum was that popular … Never knew that many people used them!! … How do the “v” bands hold up?
I would be worried about cracking from vibration, not heat. You’d need some serious bracing and/or flex sections. I don’t see that lasting very long on a HOnda, high frequency vibrations + extreme heat cycling = aluminum getting brittle.
Ummm, unless you plan on driving Daytona you are not going to be WOT for 20 minutes anywhere, especially not at an autocross.
stainless and be done for life
more than likely that is prob what will happen.
3.5-4" ftw
If you could get it to that size you will be better off!
Ok sorry WOT 90% of the time, still way more heat than 12 seconds down the track…got it now?
ok now we eliminated aluminum for my application…anyone know someone with a mandrel bender capable of bending 3-4" stainless???
i usually stock 3 inch stainless bends here. i am low right now but can order some more
you interested in fabing one up for me with a 4bolt flange on turbo side and vband on other with a flex pipe in the middle? If so, estimated cost?
sure thing
let me know when you get closer or ready for DP
will do
any idea how much??
cheaper then 365 boners
thanks mayne