ptuomov

We're going stainless on the intake. It's heavier than aluminum, but it's so cramped there that we love the larger flow area allowed by the thinner walls!

Strosek Ultra

Cannot see a problem using the same fabrication method also for thin wall stainless tubing. The welding is a bit tricky not to burn a hole.
Åke

ptuomov

This shape is going to be made into a mold / mandrel to produce a custom steel-reinforced silicone boot to feed the compressor.

ptuomov

An additional requirement in all this is that the turbocharger speed sensors have to fit. This design accommodates that as well.

ptuomov

Those will attach to side plates, with the breather filter on one side and the breather hose on the other side.

ptuomov

This is how the breather elements look like and install in their final form.

ptuomov

The final mold for the compressor inlet duct:

ptuomov

ptuomov

Slow but steady progress on fabrication of the inlets:







Those hand fabricated plugs in pictures of earlier posts are the actual shape of the airflow path, that is, the inside of the silicone duct to be fabricated. A special plaster mold is cast around these hand fabricated plugs and dried to be very dry. The plaster mold is then used to cast a ceramic form. The ceramic material is poured into that mold and it sits for 20 mins to cure on the surface only. The dried plaster pulls the water out of the ceramic slip and a wall then forms at the interface. You then pour the rest of the plaster out of the mold and are left with the shape equal to the hand fabricated gray plugs but not solid, instead hollow with maybe .375" wall. These forms then get the silicone wrapped around them, thus one is building the hose from the inside out. Steel reinforce my springs go in with the silicone. Once the silicone is cured, the form inside is destroyed, which is easier to do with the form being hollow. One needs to cast a new form for each hose.

If the casting plaster mold gets damaged, you still have the hand fabricated plugs from which you can make a new plaster mold.

John has a stupid number of hours in designing and fabricating these compressor inlets. But there will not be much restriction with this design.

Imo000

I was wondering how the hose will be removed from the mold and now it makes sense.

ptuomov

Yes, that shape makes fabrication challenging. It's worth it though, since low restriction at the compressor inlet path will pay dividends at hung power levels. Mainly it allows the turbines and intercoolers to work less hard which in turn pushes out the knock constraint.

ptuomov

Or should I say apart?

ptuomov

Off to Swain:

ptuomov

The silicone and steel wire will be wrapped around this hollow ceramic plug.

Vilhuer

In case you need to cast something in future here's interesting way to make moulds.

http://hetitec.com/services