Who do I contact to become a sponsor? To be honest a few of the members here started buying from me and told me about this site. After they started spreading the word I just added a discount for all of the members on the site.

The problem with trying to convince a company to start using silicone instead of rubber is the cost. Silicone out performs organic elastomers in all regards except for cost. I used to make rubber elbows out of EPDM, Nitrile and Neoprene. We used to charge around $4-$8 for a 4.00" elbow on high quantities. Reinforced silicone elbows are a much different manufacturing process. It takes around 3-4 hours to make 1 part per tool whereas the rubber elbows we could make around 20 parts per hour. Plus EPDM is around $.80/lb compared to silicone at $4-$6 pound, add the fabric and it starts getting expensive very quickly.

 

TTi Has switched over to Silicone from EPDM recently

Dave

 

I bet you could sell alot of 3.5" to 4" by 4" long bellows to most anyone one on this site. That is the size we need from MAF to TB for naturally aspirated cars.

Hightempsilicone pm me with a price for this

 

i am in need of a 3.5 to 4'' elbow, i am using the rubber one now, a silicone one would be cool, then it would match with the rest of my h.t.s. stuff,
jim let me know if you ever make one.
Armend

 

Ya, you havent done anything wrong, but i think adding you would be a great resourse to our site, as are turbo section is really starting to expand. Im sure you can tell by now how much the ls1 world needs silicon connectors.

PM Nine Ball or Pro Stock John for sponsership info

also that reducing elbow 3-4" is a very needed peice for us, i was one of the lucky ones who got that silicon elbow from QMP before they went out of business, but not so lucky on how much i paid for it. I have since then sold it with my old turbokit.

does tubotech include that elbow with their street kit, last i knew they still used a rubber elbow, with silicon connectors for the rest of the kit.

 

Ok, I just called to get quotes on the 3.50"/4.00" and 3.00"/4.00" transitioning 90º elbow tooling. Depending on the cost I will get these going. The piece price on the above is going to be around $70-$80 each though. I need everybody to tell me if this is acceptable because I dont want to spend $4000 on tooling and then everybody tell me they are way over priced and not sell. I know that EPDM is going to be much cheaper, but remember that those are mass produced in an injection mold compared to 3-4 hours of hand wrapping and curing in an autoclave.

The tools need to be sand casted and then machined. This is why the tools get so expensive.

If I were to make a 1up prototype 3.50"/4.00" x 4.00" long reducer the tooling is going to cost $800 to make the first part. But the piece price would be almost double of what the 3.00" long reducer would be. The additional cost comes from the fact that we make the 3.00" long reducers on production style 44cavity CNC turned mandrels that are over 16Ft in length. I can make 44of them every 2-3 hours where I can only make 1ea on the prototype tool. There is an alternative however. We do have a 3.50"/4.00" x 6" CAC mandrel. CAC is a Charge Air Cooler hose. It will have 3 stainless stell retaining rings on the outside for high boost applications. If looks similar to this http://hightempsilicone.zoovy.com/product/HTS3004TCACBL but will make the transition from 3.50" to 4.00" on the other side. The tool is 6.00" long but these hoses can be trimmed to length upon installation. We currently do not stock this item but can do so in a matter of a few weeks.

Jim

 

The 3.5"/4" x 4 reducer I was suggesting does not have to be for boosted applications. People with naturally aspirated cars want to replace their stock accordian bellows with a smooth transition reducer. SLP sells one for $45 so if you can sell them for half that I think you'd sell a lot. $70-80, I wouldn't bother
Just my opinion of course
I can't speak for the FI guys

 

I was referring ot the transitioning 90º when I said $70-$80. If I were to build a production tool on a straight 3.50"/4.00" x 4" long the cost would be under $28.00/ea.

 

or a 3"/4" x 4" straight reducer would be awesome-0!

I'll buy one right now!!!

 

Sign me up !!!!!!!!

 

I'd just like to add HTS has always supplied me with great products and fast shipping. I order $100 give or take a month from Jim and he always gets it on time and the order right. One of the few suppliers I use that I can always rely on. I see many HTS shirts and stickers in my future.

Thanks Jim,

Brett/METAL MAN

 

FYI that is what QMP sold theres at before they went out of business. Id talk to turbotech to see if they would regurly purchase them for use of their kit before making a sizable investment. I cant say how many will purchase them, but id suspect payback would take a long time.

 

I ordered the tooling on the above mentioned transitioning 90º's. In this business if you dont have it you will never sell it. I take a few gambles here and there in regard to making tooling. I am sure they will pay for themselves but it is just a matter of when. So look for these items in the near future!

 

You got a PM

 

Jim - when you make them please make sure they fit tight on the throttle body.

The rubber elbows alot of us use are slightly too big. At least they are for me. I had to trim mine back a bit to get it to fit tight.

On another car I stretched a piece of a thin silicon hose over the TB first before installing the elbow to make up the difference.

So bottom line is an exact 4" might be a bit loose so I would recommend test fitting onto a TB to ensure happy leak free customers.

 

I would have to make these at exactly 4.00" ID. We do this because they are a universal part and can be used on any vehicle. We also have all of our T-bolts custom made for a specific size. Is it possible that the rubber elbow you used was actually oversized?

 

could be but I have gotten 3 of these elbows and they all did the same thing, but thats not to say they just make them all a bit too big.

 

Just got my order from them and I must say Jim is among the best in customer service and provides a great product. I would have put this in the sponser section but I don't think he is one yet.

 

Whatever happened here? I see HTS still doesn't have the elbow on the market.

 

in another thread they said it wouldnt be cost effective, if i rememberr right