what are most of you shop using for intercooler piping? you guys using Steel or aluminum. you make it or do you just order "pre bent kits"

 

I build all charge piping out of aluminum. I buy u bends, straight, 90's and 45's. Hope this helps

 

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Aluminum. Buy the bends and weld them together. Custom IC piping is the only way to go on a lot of cars unless you're buying a complete manifold/turbo/IC piping kit.

I'd personally never run steel for IC piping either. Considerably heavier and doesn't get rid of heat anywhere near as well as aluminum.

 

www.globaltecheng.com

cheap mandrel bends.

 

http://cxracing.com/

Just bought my stuff there, great quality, and fully polished.

 

i find the aluminum is kind of dinky at times and bends when t-bolt clamped too tightly.

i like stainless steel for charge piping. only downside is that its heavier than aluminum.

 

Had stainless 2.5" until recently. Changed over to 3" aluminum. Bought mandrel bends and a buddy who welds real well tig'd it up.

I also got my piping from them and agree completely. Price is right and quality material. Welded good and was a good wall thickness.

 

That's right that steel does not dissipate heat as well, but that can be a good thing. Aluminum absorbs and releases the heat in the air going into the motor. So if there is a lot pipe next to heat sources the motor will get a cooler air charge with the steel. But if say you have a lot of pipe next to cool air (like those V8s with the turbos in the back of the car) then aluminum might be the better choice.

 

Stainless is brute, if its rubbing on the frame somewhere it wont get a hole in it, and it doesnt smash with tbolt clamps... just get a thin gauge of 304 stainless and rock that out.. also better for bungs and such, easy to weld to and find bungs that wont strip out.

 

How are you smashing the aluminum piping with Tbolt clamps? Never heard or seen such a thing

 

^ Yeah, I have never done it or heard of anyone doing this unless your using like gutter thin material for charge pipes. haha

 

Yeah seriously....AL all the way. If you are smashing the piping from clamping too hard, buy a bead roller and a properly sized coupler/clamps.

 

bead rolled ends and worm clamps are more than most anybody needs.

 

if you need to clamp them that tight with tbolt clamps that you are smashing the al pipe and they are still coming loose, more than likely there is an alignment problem.

 

he maybe refering to ebay IC piping. the super thin material..

 

did you pick up a tig machine yet? Mine is still up for sale if you're interested. It's a great machine to learn on/with.

 

we sure did

 

Aluminum.

Also, if you do buy eBay material be aware that there seems to be two different main makers. There's some that don't have bead rolled ends but have extremely thin material. Then there's another that has 1/16" thick tubing which is plenty strong for clamping on. That said def make sure there's no alignment issues. I often use my tig to run a bead around the pipe that doesn't have a bead on it or just weld the pipes together. Much less likely to leak but if its in an area of very high vibration or has poor fitment, silicone all the way.

 

nice. Which machine did you end up buying?