Who here made their own manifolds?

[coolasacuc]

was wondering 1st where you got your pipe from?
2nd what pipe did you use
3rd what welding method
4th any intercooler pipes aswell?

Thanks

[Aptyp]

i'd sell my proturbo one for the right amount ;)

[White325is]

I made a full tube mani for my buddy kyle. Got the pipe from a member online but you can get it from McMastercarr. I just used a regular mig welder and all was well.
I sell the M20 flanges if thats what your making the manifold for. I need two more people to make a batch.

[coolasacuc]

4 m30

[coolasacuc]

hey thanks for that mastercarr reference.

[blueapplesoda]

bought u-bends from local tubing shops.

liek http://ptbtubebending.com/

tig welded everything

[So Live]

Stainless Steel schedule 10 "weld el's" from: http://www.verociousmotorsports.com/...le-10-Fittings

Mig welder with Tri-mix gas and stainless wire.
(before WG plumbing)

And i built the charge pipes too. Newest ones are stainless steel 16 gauge piping.

[Good & Tight]

4 m30

Here's one I made from schedule 40 pipe, for sale BTW, made just for an M30 E30 with a/c.
Lifetime warranty also. for $850 shipped.
Steel bends bought from-- http://www.murrayequipment.com/dynca...0Weld%20Elbows

Mig welder

I buy SS bends and pipe from--- http://www.acestainless.com/index.php







Intercooler pipes used 16 guage mild steel, down pipe, aluminized steel from--- http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog/

[DTRguy]

Made mine... but well that is what I do. IMHO stay away from stainless... it will eventually crack. Sched 40 mild steel is what all of my headers are made from. IC piping I use .065 wall stainless and all of it is Tig welded. The stainless I back purge the steel I don't.

[mops]

i built mine out of sch40 also.
there's a thread of build on e30tech forums in turbo intake and exhaust somewhere.

SS is lighter.... i think if welded correctly it will be as durable.
I recommend other supports as custom mani and turbo is much more heavier than stock exhaust mani.... think about those vibrations and forces on those 12 studs that are threaded into alloy cylinder head....

[DTRguy]

SS is lighter.... i think if welded correctly it will be as durable.
I recommend other supports as custom mani and turbo is much more heavier than stock exhaust mani.... think about those vibrations and forces on those 12 studs that are threaded into alloy cylinder head....

Stainless is not lighter if you compare sched 40 -sched 40. And in my opinion as a 20 year vet of welding exotic materials and normal (Ex naval nuclear welder) it has little to do with welding as far as durability. I mean don't get me wrong if it is welded poorly of course it will fail. But welded perfectly, I still feel as though a stainless header will fail before a mild steel one will. Stainless heat hardens and will become brittle. Also it never really stops expansion and contraction. This combined with the it becoming brittle over heat cycles causes stress cracks to form. Right or wrong, this is what I have seen. The most durable manifolds that I know of are cast iron. Since I can't build in that I use the closest thing to it... Mild steel.

[Good & Tight]

Stainless is not lighter if you compare sched 40 -sched 40. And in my opinion as a 20 year vet of welding exotic materials and normal (Ex naval nuclear welder) it has little to do with welding as far as durability. I mean don't get me wrong if it is welded poorly of course it will fail. But welded perfectly, I still feel as though a stainless header will fail before a mild steel one will. Stainless heat hardens and will become brittle. Also it never really stops expansion and contraction. This combined with the it becoming brittle over heat cycles causes stress cracks to form. Right or wrong, this is what I have seen. The most durable manifolds that I know of are cast iron. Since I can't build in that I use the closest thing to it... Mild steel.

Finally someone who has actual long term experience with mild steel being fine if not better than SS. I made my first manifold from 16 gauge mild steel everyone said it would crack and fall apart. After 3 years of abuse it never cracked or failed at all, plus had no bracing.

[Wiglaf]

i made one using black pipe and fittings. it's a heavy pig but works just fine.

[brody]

Stainless is not lighter if you compare sched 40 -sched 40. And in my opinion as a 20 year vet of welding exotic materials and normal (Ex naval nuclear welder) it has little to do with welding as far as durability. I mean don't get me wrong if it is welded poorly of course it will fail. But welded perfectly, I still feel as though a stainless header will fail before a mild steel one will. Stainless heat hardens and will become brittle. Also it never really stops expansion and contraction. This combined with the it becoming brittle over heat cycles causes stress cracks to form. Right or wrong, this is what I have seen. The most durable manifolds that I know of are cast iron. Since I can't build in that I use the closest thing to it... Mild steel.

+1, stainless expands contracts too much and will fail over time if used for a mani. Sched 40 gas piping is what we use and its the only material we will guarantee for life with our mani's (after we ceramic coat it).

[DTRguy]

+1, stainless expands contracts too much and will fail over time if used for a mani. Sched 40 gas piping is what we use and its the only material we will guarantee for life with our mani's (after we ceramic coat it).

Me too. It helps to have some understanding of metallurgy when making things such as these... Not just following the herd mentality in thinking "oooh I have to have a stainless header". Bah... hogwash. I guarantee my headers for life as well.