nine-44

I was wondering if mild steele could be used for the intercooler lines? the reason is that I can fabricate my own set up. I do realize that they would hold more heat but I can't TIG weld. I have one but I need more practice than it's worth, so I could use my fiend's MIG welder and do what I want.

Rich Sandor

hehehe, one idea would be to weld heat sink fins unto the pipes.

Perry 951

Is your buddies welder just a wire feed welder, or is it a true mig? (ie: can use argon as a shield) If it is a true mig, I would track down some 2.5" stainless pipe, stainless adapters, and a spool of stainless wire.

If you can weld pretty decent with mild steel and flux core wire, you can do really nice with stainless and argon.

nine-44

True MIG, My dad has a huge Miller TIG welder but I can't use it worth a sheeot. I went to school for it but didn't get it too well. I just need to practice.

Alan C.

If you plan to use low carbon steel tube be sure that it has been ID scarfed. Otherwise those little iron dingle berries hanging on the inside of the weld may find their way into the 100,000 rpm Popeal Vegimatic.
Alan

dmoffitt

alan that was totally greek - i'm actually thinking of fabing some of these up (i don't care about bling-bling polished tubes, i'd probably paint 'em back, it's more that i can't stand the "made by a pissed german guy with a hammer" bends of the current pipes, even if they DO flow fine. also, i'd prefer to get a turbonetics or pursoil, etc style short adaptor/boot to go from the turbo to the pipes, pipes to the throttle body, rather than the long crack-prone rubber ones the car uses from the factory....

so anyway what's with these dreaded dingles etc?? and what kind of pipes should i buy to match the OD of the intercooler, turbo, throtle body, etc etc... ?

edit: in case it's not clear i've got a friend who's good at welding and we're hoping to crank some pipes out this afternoon most likely <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Alan C.

dmoffitt,
Sorry for the terms.
In low carbon welded tube they frequently use a high frequency tube mill as opposed to laser or TIG with stainless. The HF mills make a weld via what is a forging process. The edges are heated as they enter the squeeze rolls and then pressed/forged together. This causes displacement of the metal on both the inside and outside of the weld. It is routine to eliminate the excess metal, scarf, from the OD. However, it is not always done on the ID. The scarf can be large and can break off after forming operations. You don't want that in your intake or turbo which is down stream, the vegematic!
A possibility for welding might be to tack weld the pipes and get them to someone with TIG capabilities. Should cut the cost way down.
Alan

nine-44

I can clean, prep, weld(MIG), and finish them with little or no problem. I'm just wondering if mild steele wold be OK to use?

Rich Sandor

"Dingle Berries"

<img src="http://www.stormpages.com/solidsoul/puzfa/24.gif" alt=" - " />

Alan C.

Mild steel should be fine. I'd paint the outside as it will rust. Doubt you'd have much trouble on the inside.

Have you considered Aluminized Steel tubing? It's coated on both sides and as a rule they metalize the weld on the OD so there's no rust on the seam. Same base metal as the low carbon just coated so there isn't much of a corrosion issue. It will weld about the same as the low carbon. The weld pool will be a little sluggish compared to a bare steel.

Alan

TonyG

I always thought of using PVC.

PVC can be easily heated up and bent into what ever shape you need, and is certainly stong enough.

Furthermore, you could bend nice long gradual radiuses :-)

Then you could paint it. Nobody would know it's PVC :-)

nine-44

I was also plannig on trying PVC but it would be hard to get all the other tubes mated into the lines. Actually I helped my friend with a turbo Supra run his in PVC. It did pretty well, I take that back, it did scary well. He had a manual boost controller set at 11.5 PSI, his fuel cut is set at 13PSI. We did the line upgrade and nothing else, went on a test drive and it surged to 20PSI before the fuel cut caught it. That was only in first gear with a stock turbo!!

dmoffitt

i thought PVC offgassed bad stuff?

so, if i use mild steel and sandblasted / painted the ouside after welding (MIG) and grinding it, i should be ok? (i assume the inside is exposed to cleaner air, plus perhaps a little oil vapor? cuz i'd hate to suck in rust particles / flakes

nine-44, are you sure he didn't forget to reconnect the wastegate line after the pipe install? i somehow don't see how a pipe upgrade can cause you to go up 7-9psi... :/

Alan C.

Tony G
If you go the PVC route you might try an old electricians trick for large conduit. They filled the tube with sand and capped both ends prior to bending. That kept the inside radius from wrinkling. If you can heat it uniformly it might make a nice part. Only thing I'm not sure of is the thinning on the OD radius of the bend.

In a steel part the OD radius lengthens and therefore thins while the ID radius thickens. A typical number for an 0.050 wall tube might be 0.047 on the OD rad. and 0.053 on the ID rad.

Depends on the radius of the bend, OD of the pipe, mechanical properties of the steel and gauge.

BTW, looking forward to your dyno results. Nice package !

Alan

TonyG

Hmmmm I've never heard of that trick. I was an IBEW journeyman inside wireman years ago. Sheesh... you still learn something everyday and I don't work in the trades anymore!

We always managed heat up with a torch, a heating blanket, or one of those pipe headers that heat and turn the pipe.

We used to produce bends w/o the sand, that would look as good as anything I've seen sole made out of metal.