How much boost will silicone couplers and clamps hold?
07-22-2014, 04:56 PM
#1
How much boost will silicone couplers and clamps hold? Well i have a 102mm tb and going to a fmic with 3" inlet. Going to have to kneck it down from 4" to 3". Just dont want the coupler popping off at higher boost levels. 20+. What are you guys using?
07-23-2014, 12:11 AM
#7
I've done the hair spray thing and used good t-bolts. And while it worked sometimes......I couldn't get it to work 100% of the time once I passed about 24 psi.
In my experience, save yourself the trouble of having to modify/remake your cold side and do it right the first time if your gonna be pushing that much air.
In my experience, save yourself the trouble of having to modify/remake your cold side and do it right the first time if your gonna be pushing that much air.
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07-23-2014, 10:39 AM
#10
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I normally run a cold weld pass on the end of the pipe. Really cold so it builds up. And that Realy helps the hose and clamp from slipping off. I have run mine up to 32 psi with no problems.
Kerry
Kerry
07-23-2014, 11:55 AM
#11
The key to getting a T clamp and silicone boot to stay on is as simple as as KJM stated you need to give the clamp something to back up against or prevent from slipping off. My DD diesel sees 55-60psi regularly. The diesel guys start using other methods like bar and plate around 80-100psi. Anyone who is having trouble around 30psi is probably doing something wrong. I've seen a lot of guys using cheap ebay pipe with a small taper angle on the ends which obviously makes things worse.
Last edited by oscs; 07-23-2014 at 12:10 PM.
07-23-2014, 12:28 PM
#12
The silicone we have is 3 ply made in the USA...we have diesels testing over 80psi and holding. Have not heard anything higher being tested but..usually people will only tell you when something is wrong so, so far,..so good.
Bead roll, QUALITY T-BOLT clamp, and QUALITY SILICONE(doesn't need to be 90million ply) and you should be good to go. Friend recently bought a "ebay turbo kit"....all pipes looked pretty good....unfortunately all the clamps sucked. I can't believe how flimsy some of these knock off clamps are.
As mentioned above, hair spray works well to help install and clamping traction.
Bead roll, QUALITY T-BOLT clamp, and QUALITY SILICONE(doesn't need to be 90million ply) and you should be good to go. Friend recently bought a "ebay turbo kit"....all pipes looked pretty good....unfortunately all the clamps sucked. I can't believe how flimsy some of these knock off clamps are.
As mentioned above, hair spray works well to help install and clamping traction.
07-23-2014, 08:50 PM
#16
Restricted User
When I was running 4-cylinders we were routinely pushing them to 24 PSI and I never had one pop off. Don't go cheap on the silicone. Single ply, or un-reinforced couplers stretch and will slide ride over a bead rolled cold side pipe. Get beaded pipes, triple ply couplers, and T-bolt clamps. The diesel guys push them to 60 PSI all of the time. DO NOT USE WORM CLAMPS.
The people that weld their cold side do so because they can. They don't need to remove the cold side section by section, or buy ebay DIY kits because they can weld it themselves. There is also less movement and flex this way, which can be a bad thing if your intercooler is mounted very solid and you're using some pretty flexible motor mounts without silicone couplers.
The people that weld their cold side do so because they can. They don't need to remove the cold side section by section, or buy ebay DIY kits because they can weld it themselves. There is also less movement and flex this way, which can be a bad thing if your intercooler is mounted very solid and you're using some pretty flexible motor mounts without silicone couplers.
07-23-2014, 10:07 PM
#17
When I was running 4-cylinders we were routinely pushing them to 24 PSI and I never had one pop off. Don't go cheap on the silicone. Single ply, or un-reinforced couplers stretch and will slide ride over a bead rolled cold side pipe. Get beaded pipes, triple ply couplers, and T-bolt clamps. The diesel guys push them to 60 PSI all of the time. DO NOT USE WORM CLAMPS.
The people that weld their cold side do so because they can. They don't need to remove the cold side section by section, or buy ebay DIY kits because they can weld it themselves. There is also less movement and flex this way, which can be a bad thing if your intercooler is mounted very solid and you're using some pretty flexible motor mounts without silicone couplers.
The people that weld their cold side do so because they can. They don't need to remove the cold side section by section, or buy ebay DIY kits because they can weld it themselves. There is also less movement and flex this way, which can be a bad thing if your intercooler is mounted very solid and you're using some pretty flexible motor mounts without silicone couplers.
It almost sounds like a no brainier for me then. Aluminum welding around here is ridiculously priced. Any companies that sell quality kits?
07-24-2014, 12:26 AM
#18
9 Second Club
Many issues are down to poor installation.
Mating surfaces not clean, people using a lube to slip the silicone coupler on, far too many silicone couplers....which gives many more possibilities to blow off etc.
Poor pipe prep in not having a sufficient bead, silicone coupler maybe wrong size, etc etc
Always ensure both metal and silicone are spotlessly clean and dry, or as some have said spray a little hairspray on. It almost acts like a little bit of glue..but can also be removed.
Worm drive clamps can work very well, but do use good quality stainless. The likes of Murray or Breeze constant torque are also worm drive, but better than a regular Jubilee style clamp.
A good quality thin banded T-bolt will obviously allow more clamping ability...assuming the base metal pipe underneath can actually cope with this.
If using thin alloy tubing, it's very easy to crush the tubing with these clamps. So dont go nuts tightening them up either. Common sense.
And the larger diameter the tube, the more force trying to blow them apart, so may require additional help to keep them together.
Diesels and turbos are probably slightly easier than say a centrifugal supercharger, which has the potential to have a boost spike inside the plumbing when you close the throttle unless there is sufficient discharge.
Mating surfaces not clean, people using a lube to slip the silicone coupler on, far too many silicone couplers....which gives many more possibilities to blow off etc.
Poor pipe prep in not having a sufficient bead, silicone coupler maybe wrong size, etc etc
Always ensure both metal and silicone are spotlessly clean and dry, or as some have said spray a little hairspray on. It almost acts like a little bit of glue..but can also be removed.
Worm drive clamps can work very well, but do use good quality stainless. The likes of Murray or Breeze constant torque are also worm drive, but better than a regular Jubilee style clamp.
A good quality thin banded T-bolt will obviously allow more clamping ability...assuming the base metal pipe underneath can actually cope with this.
If using thin alloy tubing, it's very easy to crush the tubing with these clamps. So dont go nuts tightening them up either. Common sense.
And the larger diameter the tube, the more force trying to blow them apart, so may require additional help to keep them together.
Diesels and turbos are probably slightly easier than say a centrifugal supercharger, which has the potential to have a boost spike inside the plumbing when you close the throttle unless there is sufficient discharge.
07-24-2014, 12:43 AM
#19
You guys that say there is no issue with silicon and t-bolts up to xxxx boost numbers. If it was that easy there would be zero market for v-band clamps or the likes thereof. I mean come on......the guys at the track aren't doing it just for looks are they?
Find me a class raced car that only has silicon on the cold side at every connection.
Find me a class raced car that only has silicon on the cold side at every connection.
