Custom making/Fab. of Exhaust Manifold/ Header?

[BacknBlack92ESi]

Im really thinking of custom fabricating me a exhuast manifold/header. Im not going to cheap out on a PaceCraper. Im a expert in metal working. I already had to custom fabricate a header on a CBR 600 Motor that was custom mounted on a go-cart frame that me and some friends built. I can get the metal from Metals class at school. I can make my self a jig to weld it together. I just want to know what type of metal tubing is the best? Any info is appreciated. If this isn't "tech" enough then lock it.

 

[justa4cyl]

i would use 304L stainless if i were you, i am also a metal fabricator and all we use at our shop on headers is 304 stainless with a .065 wall thickness, and it will never rust and can be polished to a mirror shine although it will become a goldish color when its heated by your exhaust,
321 stainless is better for high heat applications but we use 304 and have no problems with cracking on our turbo cars, plus 304 is about 1/2 the price of 321.

 

[BacknBlack92ESi]

Thanks. Ill ask my metals teacher to see if I can get it. The thing is that our Mandral Pipe Bender at school is broken. So Im going have to find out another way of bending it if we dont get it fixed.

 

[KGB Pilot125]

you could always buy the pre bent stuff. also check out sdsefi.com

here is the article http://sdsefi.com/techheader.htm

 

[QuickerDSM]

Originally posted by BacknBlack92ESi
Thanks. Ill ask my metals teacher to see if I can get it. The thing is that our Mandral Pipe Bender at school is broken. So Im going have to find out another way of bending it if we dont get it fixed.

You have a mandrel pipe bender at your school......!!!!

Mike

 

[Defiant]

It likely broke when someone tried to bend stainless tubing with it.

 

[BacknBlack92ESi]

Yeah we have a mandrel pipe bender at our school. Recently our Vo-Tech classes got a huge ass grant. Im talking $50,000 grant money. The Building Trades class got 35K worth of all Dewalt tools, I mean everything you can think of we have it. Metals got the pipe bender and 4 brand new Mig and Tig welders. Woods class got a new planner, and 2 new table saws.

 

[powells85]

As a "project" you should make some exhausts.

 

[dsmturboawd]

go make 1000 bends and sell them to assholes on ebay.

 

[Rogue_Ant]

Originally posted by Defiant
It likely broke when someone tried to bend stainless tubing with it.

I can bend stainless without much problem.... not mandrel, but don't see why a mandrel bender would have trouble doing it either.

Rogue

 

[C. Black]

Mandrel bender shouldn't break bending stainless, unless....
The pipe slips during the bending process, then wrinkles, then the mandrel starts to withdraw, and it can't because the pipe is wrinkled, so the mandrel balls snap and you are left hating life. Get serrated grip dies (not carbide), watch the pipe for slippage, and save yourself a $3000 die fix (unless its 3", then it'll be $6000).
Are you sure its a mandrel bender at school?? I'm just saying for the grant money you guys received you couldn't really buy tools, a mandrel bender and dies (just the mandrel dies range from $1500 to $6000 and UP PER SET, a good machine is about $40000-$75000). You need a special die for every OD tube, as well as the ID since the mandrel rides inside the tube. You more than likely have a hydraulic bender (which is a crush bender). But, if you do have a mandrel bender and its broken let me know (snapped mandrel, wiper die, etc), I may have the parts you need to fix it.
Or, I'd be more than happy to sell the school my DB2060K with 2.5" and 3" dies for the bargain basement price of $32000