LS1 Intake Manifold, what is it actually made of?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12
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From: Australia
LS1 Intake Manifold, what is it actually made of? I'm not sure if thins question has been covered before or not, if it has I'm sorry for wasting peoples time. I have two questions that I need answers to A.S.A.P. They are the following;
1.) What exactly is the LS1 intake manifold made from? Is it plastic or some special nylon heat resistant polymer?
2.) Does the intake manifold expand, contract at all when it gets hot, cools down?
The reason I am asking is that I wish to use a special plastic chroming technique that works on normal plastic and fibreglass, however they normally can't do it on plastic used in engines due to the expansion/contraction rates which would just split the chrome.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks and safe motoring
1.) What exactly is the LS1 intake manifold made from? Is it plastic or some special nylon heat resistant polymer?
2.) Does the intake manifold expand, contract at all when it gets hot, cools down?
The reason I am asking is that I wish to use a special plastic chroming technique that works on normal plastic and fibreglass, however they normally can't do it on plastic used in engines due to the expansion/contraction rates which would just split the chrome.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks and safe motoring
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,979
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From: Upstate NY
Originally Posted by Cheatin' Chad
Nylon 66 I believe.
Almost every material will expand and contract due to temperature variances. I cannot say offhand what the expansion rates of Nylon 66 are.
Almost every material will expand and contract due to temperature variances. I cannot say offhand what the expansion rates of Nylon 66 are.
For example, on a 10 inch length, 150 *F change (-20*F overnite cold soak to 130 *F operating temp) would be 45/1000000 x 10 x 150 or about .068 inches by my calculations. Aluminum woud be about .025, and Glass-filled Nylon 6,6 about .018.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12
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From: Australia
Thanks kindly for all the information provided, it has been greatly appreciated.
I have seen a company in the U.S. sell on an exchange basis chrome LS1 intake manifolds. These are still the standard factory intake manifolds but I am presuming they are plastic chromed. I have tried obtaining an answer from them into how they do it but they will not reply to my e-mails
This is the company involved http://www.hotrodlane.cc/ . If you go to new products I think it is it will show you the chromed intake manifold. I was wondering if anyone could advise me if they have used this product, or know about it etc etc? It looks great and I would love to get one.
Thanks for everyones help
I have seen a company in the U.S. sell on an exchange basis chrome LS1 intake manifolds. These are still the standard factory intake manifolds but I am presuming they are plastic chromed. I have tried obtaining an answer from them into how they do it but they will not reply to my e-mails
This is the company involved http://www.hotrodlane.cc/ . If you go to new products I think it is it will show you the chromed intake manifold. I was wondering if anyone could advise me if they have used this product, or know about it etc etc? It looks great and I would love to get one.
Thanks for everyones help
To chrome plate any plastic (this is how they make costume jewelry btw) you apply electroless copper to the nylon by catalyzing it with platinum and tin, then you electroplate copper on to the thin electroless, then you nickel plate the copper for a barrier metal, then you chrome plate. If you control the plating thickness and do high temp plating then it should expand ok and never crack. But if you plate it too thick or too thin, or at the wrong temp then you could have issues down the road.
Dale
Dale
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Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2004
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The intakes that are chrome from Street and Performance (www.hotrod lane.cc) are aluminum intakes (Weiand intake manifolds) that are polished and then chromed. They are NOT the factory plastic intake that has been chrome plated. If you check their price, you would notice that the monies needed is around $900.00 American. The factory plastic, even if it was chrome plated, would never even come close to this. Take a look at www.holley.com, at their polished intakes, their price is comparitive to the chromed one on the internet.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12
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From: Australia
Originally Posted by piecesparts
The intakes that are chrome from Street and Performance (www.hotrod lane.cc) are aluminum intakes (Weiand intake manifolds) that are polished and then chromed. They are NOT the factory plastic intake that has been chrome plated. If you check their price, you would notice that the monies needed is around $900.00 American. The factory plastic, even if it was chrome plated, would never even come close to this. Take a look at www.holley.com, at their polished intakes, their price is comparitive to the chromed one on the internet.
I'm resonably sure it's not a Weiand intake as the Weiand ones have their name made into a plate that is on top of the manifold, the ones on the hotrod site don't, and there wouldn't be any point doing it on an exchange basis either. A stock LS1 manifold for a Weiand one just doesn't seem right. I have been told the process for plastic chroming parts is prohibitively expensive, hence the reason I think they are the price.
As I said earlier I have sent them numerous e-mails but they won't reply
, I'm guessing because I'm from Australia. Thanks for the replies and help. 