Guest ON3GO Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Hey guys. I was wondering if anybody on here has welded any of there pipes like they do in japan? im not sure if ppl understand what i mean but its like a pipe cut up, and they make a pipe that isnt curved, but they make it curved by welding all these little cut ups into a pipe. im sorry if that sounds just stupid and wrong, but i cant find a pic that shows what i mean. if i find one ill post it, but im just wondering if ppl on have done that to there Z, and if anybody knows why they do that? i think it looks kinda cool. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrmc Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 pie cut "bends" weighs alot because of the weld.. you do what you gotta do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ON3GO Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 and like that on those pipes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAD D Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Looks cool?? = bad flow I dont know why they do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Its usually done for cost reasons. If the inside of the bend is cleaned up flow isn't as bad as you might think. Of course, using number of the correct size and radius U-bends and tubing donuts will make a better part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAD D Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Also if you purge weld it, it will not be as bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest iamjackal Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Not sure if we are talking about the same thing but most of the japanese cars Ive seen doing their pipes were on cars meant for time attack. One lap all or nothing best time wins. These guys go for absolute weight savings and it appears what they use is titanium piping. So the weight is negligible. the reason for the many pie cuts is because titanium piping is so hard to bend so this is how they do it. I may be incorrect but that is how the import mags tell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stony Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 i actually read something somewhere that if done right it will flow more when you pipe cut it and weld it back..... reason being even with the best mandrel bender the pipe will stil shrink a bit inthe bend. with the cut and weld method it dosnt. again it has to be done right... maybe i heard wrong. i dont know but it does look cool ;> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 I have a hard time believing that the TINY amount of cross section reduction that MIGHT occur from Mandrel bending would be measurable as far as power production. As far as the pie-cut thing goes, I think mandrel bends look better. But if you're talking about performance, if you keep the angle between the adjacent pie cut pieces to less than 15 degrees, the air will never know the difference between the angles. But as you pie cut, the cross section changes at the cut. Again, not enough to matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayAreaZT Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 I agree 100% with Pete. If the mandrel bend does change cross sectional area it will be negligable. I can see using pie cuts for smaller angles but I think the less welds the better. A more continuous pipe looks better to me and there is less chance for flow to be disrupted at a transition. If you want to do the pie cuts though, I would say go for it. You probably won't notice any difference on the seat of the pants dyno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIE T Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 I think the guy that said it was becuase of the Ti tubing was to hard to bend is probably correct. I guess the street guys thought it looked cool on a race car, so It must be cool for the street guys. I don't like it. It looks cheap and pieced together. I have seen some JDM race cars that had it done. It looked very cool. The welds were small and very consistant and the tubing was either Ti or SS. Otherwise I say it looks dumb. I have seen some amature ones made like that and it looked SOOOO BAD. Use pre-bent mandrel tubing. Weld the sections to gether to make the bends you need. If you want to see the welds, then leave them. I like to grind them smooth and powdercoat them. They look like one continues peice of tubing when I'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody 82 ZXT Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Use pre-bent mandrel tubing. Weld the sections to gether to make the bends you need. If you want to see the welds' date=' then leave them. I like to grind them smooth and powdercoat them. They look like one continues peice of tubing when I'm done.[/quote'] I agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mck2 Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 I agree with Use pre-bent mandrel tubing. My piping books indicate that mandrel is better than mitered (pie shaped) bends. And if the welds get inside we are a lot worse off. JC Whitney has good steel mandrel in many sizes cheap. I ordered it online. Tack welded it and filled in the gaps with JB Weld from Autozone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 MCK2 do you have any problems with cracking on the seams with the JB weld? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIE T Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 For my '73. I think I'm gonna have my IC pipes chrome plated. I've noticed that all the powdercoated stuff on my Z28 has gotten dull and just doesn't look nice anymore. It is still high maintenance. I thought about using alum. but I would STILL have to coat it with something to keep it nice looking. Or, Stainless would be ok to, But it is a huge pain in the arse to polish. I have done it though. That's what I'm doing with my exhuast. The 3" Stainless straight tubing I got is polished already, but the bends are not. I'm gonna grind the welds down and polish the whole thing. BIG BLINGEN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 For my '73. I think I'm gonna have my IC pipes chrome plated. I've noticed that all the powdercoated stuff on my Z28 has gotten dull and just doesn't look nice anymore. It is still high maintenance. I thought about using alum. but I would STILL have to coat it with something to keep it nice looking. Or, Stainless would be ok to, But it is a huge pain in the arse to polish. I have done it though. That's what I'm doing with my exhuast. The 3" Stainless straight tubing I got is polished already, but the bends are not. I'm gonna grind the welds down and polish the whole thing. BIG BLINGEN! Jamie, if it is Cermacrome, it should be able to be polished out with some good polish and lots of elbow grease. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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