Fabricating sheetmetal Intake??
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
From: Ancaster, ON - Where F-bodies are rare!
Fabricating sheetmetal Intake?? Hey guys,
I tried this in the external engine section but actually think it would be better here.
To start, you can go ahead and tell me this is a dumb idea but I was wondering about this and I searched but couldn't find an answer.
Is it sensible or even feasible to fabricate a sheetmetal intake out of steel/tin rather than alluminum?
I can weld steel but can't weld alluminum. I have never seen or heard of this being done. Is their a good reason why? I can't and probably will never be able to afford a beck, hogan or any other sheetmetal intake and thought this might be a somewhat affordable alternative.
Thanks in advance.
I tried this in the external engine section but actually think it would be better here.
To start, you can go ahead and tell me this is a dumb idea but I was wondering about this and I searched but couldn't find an answer.
Is it sensible or even feasible to fabricate a sheetmetal intake out of steel/tin rather than alluminum?
I can weld steel but can't weld alluminum. I have never seen or heard of this being done. Is their a good reason why? I can't and probably will never be able to afford a beck, hogan or any other sheetmetal intake and thought this might be a somewhat affordable alternative.
Thanks in advance.
Even though you may be able to fab something up, I seriously doubt it would be worth it. The guys who build these things for living put SERIOUS time and money into R&D to make sure the runner lenght/plentum volume (and probably many other variables that I am missing) is correct for a given application. Also, most of these guys have been at this art for years. Making a "homemade" sheetmetal intake, for 99.9% of us, even the guys that have been hotrodding for years, is simply not a good idea.
I can imagine all sorts of fitment/performance issues that would not be readily apparent when you start the project that are, most likely, going to make it more worthwile to just break down and buy something.
I can imagine all sorts of fitment/performance issues that would not be readily apparent when you start the project that are, most likely, going to make it more worthwile to just break down and buy something.
Dont take this in a negative way, but even If you knew how to size , and shape the runners, and calculate the optimum plenum volume for your car, if you have to try to make one out of "steel" because You cant weld aluminum, you dont have anywhere near enough tools to build one. You need a mill, most likely a cnc, unless you are skilled (to make the flanges), let alone knowing how to make one, so you can clean up the welds internally. Also the tubes are usually a single piece of aluminum, formed into a runner, and tapered.
Just buy one, or get a single plane/fast/whatever.....
Just buy one, or get a single plane/fast/whatever.....
