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Im fixing my CX racing crossover as its huge (3") and making it 2.25" with 18 gauge SS. Ive already started cutting and mocking up the new crossover. I have a vibrant bellow/flexpipe (internal interlocking sleeve) with the braid on the outside. Im mocking everything up and noticed that this flexpipe is over 3" in DIA and killing my room. I wanted to reduce the heat and the size of the crossover for spooling and to help with radiator flow as the crossover was basically resting against my fan motors and blocking the airflow path.
The engine is attached with solid motor mounts, trans uses poly, the turbo is supported on the frame as well (Didn't really need it). The Pass header is tubular and its attached to the turbo, the driver header is on its own with a 2ft ish long crossover with vbands. The original 3" crossover has a flexpipe and I know about expansion. But its is really needed on a setup like this? Since the engine is solid mounted and the turbo is braced enough. Wont the remflex header gaskets allow enough movement for expansion? Ive read of people doing no flexjoint at all and as long as the engine is solid mounted, and the turbo is supported then there are no issues, the flexpipe at that point is more for lining up and install/dissasembly.
The pic is of the CX kit, Im literally just using 3 to 2.25" vband reducers and running 2.25" just like the CX routing, except this tubing is 304SS and thin wall 18 gauge.
I never put a flex in mine unless the turbo is mounted to the frame or something. If its weight is being supported by hotside alone, no flex for me.
thanks! Im honestly considering it. it would really clean it up, plus no worries about it blowing out over time. The only thing is getting everything lined up after welding and assembly/disassembly.
If you do, use a flex bellow, its actually made for pre turbo applications. The braided stuff isn't. VIbrant sells 2.25 bellows pretty cheap. I prefer to have some flex in my piping. It helps fitment on the v-bands if nothing else. Things tend to move a bit when I weld them. Also after a ton of heat cycles...
If you do, use a flex bellow, its actually made for pre turbo applications. The braided stuff isn't. VIbrant sells 2.25 bellows pretty cheap. I prefer to have some flex in my piping. It helps fitment on the v-bands if nothing else. Things tend to move a bit when I weld them. Also after a ton of heat cycles...
Right, that is better. But again not designed to be pressurized.
ugh **** really... that one you posted has a 1.875" inlet/outlet. I just found the 2.25" version. I guess I will have to get that. Or not run one lol. Ive heard of these failing tho... any insight on that?
i like those braided flex dudes. never had a problem with the one you posted. I bough a shitty china one once and the interior was like segments pressed together....still used it on a non turbo car tho lol
When i built my setup here recently i was decided on not using a flex. Mocked everything up. tacked it together. welded it up. then it didnt fit. Yea I was able to force it with a prybar but i decided to put a flex bellows in from ace race parts. they are pretty compact also. I'm glad i did too, goes together much easier. If your welding everything on the car, then it'll probably be good. But in my situation, a flex made life much easier.
I won't be able to go this on the car unfortunately. I just mock it up, mark some align lines on the tubing. Walk 3 houses up to where my welder is and throw a couple of TIG tacks and walk back down to test lol. So if it warps I won't know till its too late lol. I don't have the welder or argon tank by the car and honestly I don't have enough room to even get a good tack on it with a TIG, I won't MIG it as its all 304SS which i'm shocked at bc a magnet still sticks to this 304SS tubing. Got my eBay 2.25" SS V bands today so I started going to town. Figures the ID of the V bands won't allow my tubing to slip through for a slip fit leak free seal and I'm gona have a PITA time trying to redo that area by the tensioner now that I have a 1.5" adapter and then the Vband flange pushing the tubing right into the tensioner.
I got the driver side done all the way to the water pump. Tried to figure out the tensioner area and it isn't gona be fun. I ordered the vibrant bellow that Force fed linked to and hopefully its here Friday from Summit. I'm still debating on not using the flex pipe but I can't see this being easy to install or remove if need be without one.
I'm more worried about the 18 gauge tubing cracking (thinking of creakote ceramic coating it) but since it only has to support its own weight its really only enemy is the heat and turbo pressure.
I won't be able to go this on the car unfortunately. I just mock it up, mark some align lines on the tubing. Walk 3 houses up to where my welder is and throw a couple of TIG tacks and walk back down to test lol. So if it warps I won't know till its too late lol. I don't have the welder or argon tank by the car and honestly I don't have enough room to even get a good tack on it with a TIG, I won't MIG it as its all 304SS which i'm shocked at bc a magnet still sticks to this 304SS tubing. Got my eBay 2.25" SS V bands today so I started going to town. Figures the ID of the V bands won't allow my tubing to slip through for a slip fit leak free seal and I'm gona have a PITA time trying to redo that area by the tensioner now that I have a 1.5" adapter and then the Vband flange pushing the tubing right into the tensioner.
I got the driver side done all the way to the water pump. Tried to figure out the tensioner area and it isn't gona be fun. I ordered the vibrant bellow that Force fed linked to and hopefully its here Friday from Summit. I'm still debating on not using the flex pipe but I can't see this being easy to install or remove if need be without one.
I'm more worried about the 18 gauge tubing cracking (thinking of creakote ceramic coating it) but since it only has to support its own weight its really only enemy is the heat and turbo pressure.
i tacked mine with my tig, on the car. Trying to be careful not to warp it, it still did.
On your v bands, here’s a couple tips that will help you.
1) slide the pipe through the v band half. To where it make a lip. I do this on the flow side (direction the flow is going). So when it’s asembled the pipe sticking out lines it together and then put the clamp on.
2) put both v band halves together and put the clamp around it when you weld. That will help with warping. At least if it warps they will warp together and strive to keep them lined up that way when welding the other side.
In your setup you may not need to run a flex. You can do as I did, assemble it and try it. If it don’t line up good enough after welding, cut it and put the flex in. Flex does make life easier tho. Especially if your ever going to service it. It may go together now and may come apart later but may not go back together. That part I don’t know for sure. Wish you luck in whichever route you choose!
i tacked mine with my tig, on the car. Trying to be careful not to warp it, it still did.
On your v bands, here’s a couple tips that will help you.
1) slide the pipe through the v band half. To where it make a lip. I do this on the flow side (direction the flow is going). So when it’s asembled the pipe sticking out lines it together and then put the clamp on.
2) put both v band halves together and put the clamp around it when you weld. That will help with warping. At least if it warps they will warp together and strive to keep them lined up that way when welding the other side.
In your setup you may not need to run a flex. You can do as I did, assemble it and try it. If it don’t line up good enough after welding, cut it and put the flex in. Flex does make life easier tho. Especially if your ever going to service it. It may go together now and may come apart later but may not go back together. That part I don’t know for sure. Wish you luck in whichever route you choose!
normally that’s how I would do it, slide the tubing through the half way point to create a lip so it aligns the pipe and creates a leak free seal but of course the new V bands have a smaller ID than the tubing so I can’t slide them through, ugh.
Recently i I have been cutting small slices of tubing and tacking them on the inside to create the same kinda thing and it helps a lot with assembling, aligning the v bands and helping with leaks. I will also clamp the other side as to help with warping.
Luckly if if I do this I will only have 2 half’s of a vband to weld. The rest will be butt welds and the flex pipe welds if I need to.
Not great. Pretty sure I have to pull the headers to get to the plugs. But I can get the wires off if I jack up the car and go from underneith. I don't plan on yanking the plugs often. I might put 1000 miles on this thing a year if that.
The only place I used a Chinese braided flex pipe was between the wastegate and downpipe for ease of alignment/assembly.
I find that if I loosen one of the manifolds slightly and tighten it all together systematically everything draws up nice and tight.
Note that my turbo is cantilevered and braced to the block - strong but not rigid to allow for some thermal expansion.
Thats a serious Mount!!! lol looks cool tho. I'm gona see if I can work my magic on the hotside to see if it will fit together and play nice. Worst case is I have the bellow coming so I can always put it in and maybe allow some slight tweeking of tubing inside the bellow.
Got my new bellow today, the inner sleeve is not centered which bugs me lol. Think I’m gona run it. Only reason is I’m having a hell of a time getting this all to fit in an area so tight by the tensioner. Thinking about removing and installing would be a PItA. I’ve had my crossover off more times than I can count in the last year bc I keep changing things lol.
Anyways I’m 90% of the way done. I have to fill a big *** gap with a cut peice of tubing but other than that and tacking the bellow on it’s about done. Thoughts? The header collectors are 3” vbands and I got these nifty 3-2.25” vband reducers. The crossover is 2.25” OD and goes into the pass side 3” vband that is 3” all the way to the VS 78/75 cast turbo and then 3” vband dump to the back of the car. You guys think this will help with spool? It’s not the goal but it would be nice lol. I got a ton of room behind the rad fans now where with the 3” crossover it was 1/16” away from the Spal fan motor.
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Flexpipe in crossover or na!? 
