i have acsess to a plasma cutter at school. and was wondering how hard it is to make my own head flange, i was thiinking of ordering a gasket to trace and then cut it with the plasma and then clean it up with a die grinder and some nice burrs, anyone else done this? can you give me some tips

 

Don't bother unless the plasma cutter is rated for 3/4" or more...


If you use a 1/2" machine on a piece of 1/2" you will end up with a hideous piece of metal that kind of resembles a flange.

 

i think the peice i wanted to use is 1/4" is that too thin

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Optiks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i think the peice i wanted to use is 1/4" is that too thin</TD></TR></TABLE>

For a turbo manifold yes. For a header no.

 

look at http://www.alphatuning.com, their head flange is 1/2" thick, i think 1/4" would be too thin for a head flange

 

just wondering why its too thin for a turbo mani

 

I use 1/2" steel to make my flanges, and good luck with a plasma cutter, you're gonna be all over the place and have a pretty shitty looking rough cut flange when you're all done, which means grinding the snot out of it....... my way works better....... CNC.... nuff said, you're school should have one of them if they got a plasma torch...... so learn how to use it

 

will it warp terribly?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Optiks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just wondering why its too thin for a turbo mani</TD></TR></TABLE>


It will warp really really bad when you weld it... And it isn't strong enough to pull back down when you try to bolt it to the head...

Also, it is so thin that if you try to surface it there will be no more flange.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by matt_sb2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


And it isn't strong enough to pull back down when you try to bolt it to the head...

</TD></TR></TABLE> what you mean by this

 

1/4" is not thick enough for NA.

3/8" for NA, 1/2" for turbo. The metal is simply too thin to support it's own weight when hot + warps if you go smaller.

And $50 for a flange is a bit much... at those prices I'd whip out a drill and holesaw and make one - I have before. But, thankfully, you don't have to pay $50... http://www.overblownmotorsports.com has them for a good deal.

FYI, Todd's spending Thanksgiving at my house, he won't be able to reply to emails until next monday or tues.

 

Hey thanks for the link J. Thoes are cheap cheap cheap!

 

He buys them in bulk, and doesn't try to Import Auto Salvage you.

 

yeah guys buying in bulk helps me out so I sell them for near cost.. I litterally only make a buck or two off each one.. Right now I am out though.. I hope to order some more soon. If anyone wanted to put together a group buy for about 5-10 it would help me out a ton and I can keep the same prices.. I need to order 20 for that pricing, more and its probably a little less..

 

i used a manual mill to do mine although cnc is much nicer. And yes 1/4" is to thin

 

just to toss this in for the sake of arguement doesnt this flange look really close to 1/4 inch

 

looks like 3/8's to me.

 

lol ill try tomorow on my fre 1/4" peice if it doesnt work out then ill buy one

 

don't waste your time with 1/4". My very first diy turbo kit used a 1/4" flange and it warped/leaked etc...

You can cut your own flange with a torch or a small plasma cutter, but your going to need to get it machined flat after you finish your manifold. (it will cost more than buying a flange!) I have the smallest hypertherm plasma, rated only for 3/8" rough cut and i did 1/2" head flange. Took a long time tho, and lots of cleanup after.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by J. Davis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">1/4" is not thick enough for NA.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I disagree.... I have seen alot of headers for v8's that use 1/4" flanges.

I suppose that it all depends on what gauge tubing you are using, and how long the primaries are. Long with thin wall tubing = fairly flexible ****. So 1/4" flanges will work. You do have to cut them between the ports though.

 

try bolting your flange to your head or spare chunk of steel when you weld them...it will save you money on machining

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by matt_sb2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I disagree.... I have seen alot of headers for v8's that use 1/4" flanges. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I've seen a lot of cheap pieces of **** that leak, too.

If you have to make it once, make it correctly.

I've made headers before, I sand bend my own pipe, and less than 3/8" flange is substandard for a 75 hp Spitfire much less anything that puts out any real power/heat.

 

high powered CNC Laser cutter..........



3/8", $24.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mista Bone &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">high powered CNC Laser cutter..........



3/8", $24.</TD></TR></TABLE>

NUF SAID...so go ******* buy one!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by J. Davis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I've seen a lot of cheap pieces of **** that leak, too.

If you have to make it once, make it correctly.

I've made headers before, I sand bend my own pipe, and less than 3/8" flange is substandard for a 75 hp Spitfire much less anything that puts out any real power/heat.</TD></TR></TABLE>


At least you admit having seen a 1/4" header flange.