Turbo kit fabrication
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 65
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Turbo kit fabrication I started doing my research on turbo charging and just by looking at multiple builds on here and other forums it don't look to complicated. But my question is this how many of you guys didn't have any experience welding before you started your turbo build
TECH Addict
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,103
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Not really complicated, but time/patience/money.
Unless you are good at mocking up piping and able to hold it together with tape or some other fashion (then bring it to a welder), it will be hard to fab up a kit without a welder.
If this is on a Fbody, I believe you will need a tubular K member to be able to route the piping. The rest is buying tubing material and components then start piecing it together.
Even if you can't weld, buying a decent MIG welder and practicing even tacking scrap metal together you should be able to get it done.
Unless you are good at mocking up piping and able to hold it together with tape or some other fashion (then bring it to a welder), it will be hard to fab up a kit without a welder.
If this is on a Fbody, I believe you will need a tubular K member to be able to route the piping. The rest is buying tubing material and components then start piecing it together.
Even if you can't weld, buying a decent MIG welder and practicing even tacking scrap metal together you should be able to get it done.
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
I had done a bit of mig welding before I started on my build,very first turbo fabrication. I decided on stainless exhaust tube and aluminium for the intake side, only choice AC/DC tig. Bought some stainless handrail cheap and a chop saw and off I went, didn't buy bends just cut tube at 15 degree angles at either ends and held in place with tape while I tacked together, you can make some really tight complex bends this way but it is time consuming. My whole exhaust and intake shows my welding story, better and better with practice
Stainless tig welding is a joy now, Aluminium I found a lot harder to achieve good welds but getting there, You can do it, take your time and plan what you want/need to do before hand
Stainless tig welding is a joy now, Aluminium I found a lot harder to achieve good welds but getting there, You can do it, take your time and plan what you want/need to do before hand
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 423
Likes: 21
I had done a bit of mig welding before I started on my build,very first turbo fabrication. I decided on stainless exhaust tube and aluminium for the intake side, only choice AC/DC tig. Bought some stainless handrail cheap and a chop saw and off I went, didn't buy bends just cut tube at 15 degree angles at either ends and held in place with tape while I tacked together, you can make some really tight complex bends this way but it is time consuming. My whole exhaust and intake shows my welding story, better and better with practice
Stainless tig welding is a joy now, Aluminium I found a lot harder to achieve good welds but getting there, You can do it, take your time and plan what you want/need to do before hand
Stainless tig welding is a joy now, Aluminium I found a lot harder to achieve good welds but getting there, You can do it, take your time and plan what you want/need to do before hand
Welds are all overheated and with the pipe design it will definitely crack at some of those intersections
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 32
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Teching In
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
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Joined: Sep 2017
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It’s in an Ultima Evolution (kit car) that I’m building, probably 1/2 way through the build. Gone way of track with engine so everything has had to be made to fit in places it was never meant to be,so lots of fabrication and welding. Next to no room left and still need to fit methanol injection and charge cooling system
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2017
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stainless being made, picture is feed pipe just needs cutting to length and screw cap fitting then on to returns
