Lunar240z Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 What type of aluminum [alloy & thickness] is best for fabrcating a sheet metal intake? I'll be welding it to the stock cast runners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 why not make it all new? 3003-h14 aluminium is fairly easy to weld and is cheap. I would think you would want 1/8" at least which would be .125 inches. A 4'X8' sheet of .125 should be around $110-$130. I bought a sheet of .063 aluminium (1/16") with that same alloy to build my dash and it was $65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinOlson Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 I use 0.125" thickness sheet 6061 to keep the manifold from ballooning under boost. I've had trouble with thinner material distorting under boost. You can order it from Online metals: http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=1246&step=4&showunits=inches Regards, Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 It is just a little to hard to weld 6061 as I have heard. That is the only downside to using 6061. Good luck on your project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted June 17, 2006 Author Share Posted June 17, 2006 thanks a bunch. i'm going to just weld a sheet metal plenum to the runners to keep it simple, and cheaper. i don't want to go throught the trouble of having a flange made etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PUSHER Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Trust me, I know I'm stupid... But is the stock manifold aluminum? Because I thought it was kind of hard/bad to weld the new aluminum your getting to the stock metal runners. Just seems like different metals=different expansion rates= cracking, boost wouldn't be helping this process. The only fabricating experience I have is Lego's, just wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted June 17, 2006 Author Share Posted June 17, 2006 its aluminum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-TARD Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Welding to the cast intake runners is going to be fun..... Just make sure that everything is super clean, and then preheat the cast stuff before welding. Cast aluminum loves to crack during welding, and once it starts to crack you can spend all day chasing them out with a grinder. I'd suggest getting a junk manifold and practicing on that before doing the actual parts. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlderThanMe Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 plus there is the factor of the sheet metal part of the intake not heating up as fast of the sheet metal part and wanting to blow away the sheet metal. I have welded cast aluminium before...even when I cleaned the poo(aluminium oxide) off it was apain to weld and did not want to wet out. I had to move my puddle with the filler rod. I would suggest that if you are going to design a new plenum just make 6 seperate small flanges and have each runner welded to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostmonkey Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 the stock manifolds weld fine as long as its been cleaned well. Not just with a solvent, you need to remove the outer skin with a grinder/sanding disc.I would use a 5052 h 32 material, Its stronger than 3003 and easyer to form than 6061.I would use a 1/4" thick plate for the connection to the stock runners and 1/8 for the plenum. The thicker stock allows you to open up the hole on the inside and get a decent taper to the runners.Once thats all welded and polished, the plenum can be welded on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted July 12, 2006 Author Share Posted July 12, 2006 ... THE FIRST STEP. cut it with a band saw...pretty straight too.. i was suprised, i've got to file it down just a little to make it completely level. i cut off the flange for the idle air control valve in case i need that also i've still got a little clean up to do, and i'm gonna polish the runners on the inside. and i had an idea too... its not really neccessary, but i thought it'd be cool to grind away the flange and weld the two sections of the runners together... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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