100% Recycled 3" modular down pipe from scraps

[turboglenn]

Well, as i often speak about i'm a broke ass , fortunately for me I've got to do quite a few 3" SS down pipes this summer which has blessed me with many little scraps of 3" SS that had various angles cut on to one or both ends. as well as a bunch of spare flanges and even a SS o2 bung

Several days back in another episode of extreme boredome and the need to play with the heli-arc, I started piecing together the first bend of a down pipe starting with my imagination and a good idea of the size and shape it needed to be to bolt up to the flat plate of a ford 5 bolt T3 flange.

To help keep this both budget and quality every weld was backed up with solar-flux-b to keep oxygen out of the back sides of the molten SS beads.. for being all scrap this is gonna be a really quality piece that should last a long time, i'm stoked to finally have a 3" SS one to help make the underhood that much nicer (old heated, and rusted mild 2.5 looks crappy IMO )

Then as pieces became more scarce or were damaged on the sidewall, as well as having the need to be able to incorporate it into my current thermal R&D cat back (which still needs its 2.5 bottle nect removed) I started gathering matching flanges and putting them in places that i knew they would either clear and fix a bad spot in the pipe, or where i knew it would make piecing the system together 100% free stay the #1 priority of the build The first flange from the turbo actually ends up sitting right in front of the oil pan with the flex being under it and the O2 bung positioned directly behind the engine in that nice big gapped area the 2G FWD's have (hide the wires grasshopper)

The flange on the back was used to fix a bad spot in the piece of pipe on the flex that contained the SS o2 bung and although nothing will bolt into the 3 holes on it, the customer who left it here said I could come get the other half of the SS V-band flange as well as the clamp (which will connect this to the test pipe and if ever need be a high flow cat) I only need the one o2 bung because my closed loop system is operating off the 5volt signal from the wideband.

If this keeps turning out as nice i may make a jig and duplicate it using some real bends for those who are also running the T-netics cast T3 manifold and would like a 3" DP (sorry didn't try and mention selling anything, i'm just so proud of this i wanna make another that's not from scrap )

Well, here ya go... finally after 13.5 years the old gs-t might step up in the world from an old rusty 2.5" mild steel and rusted ass down pipe
. I've been wondering lately that with me being now in the 500HP mark and surpassing it if this would also help me out with either power or spool at all. The sound right now is raspy at one point and i'm hoping that goes away with the mild steel 2.5" pieces (or i'm gonna have to make a 3" aluminum cat back and sell the thermal )
let me know what ya think

Anyone who's ever put a 3" down pipe onto a ford 5 bolt T3 flange will know how much of a pain in the ass it is because of all the bolts that hold the plate/o2 housing to the turbine housing. THat's why i'm thinking about taking some steel and capping the internal wastegate hole and instead of using the traditinal flat plate I may try and weld a 2.5" V-band onto the turbine housing, and a 3" v-band onto the down pipe and then machine them to work together (the ford 5 bolt outlet is usually only 2.5 inch but 'im not able to recal the current one since it's machined for a P-trim turbine wheel

 

[brian9397gsx]

glad to see your going green

 

[LiquidX]

Make a plate and weld it on that has this symbol on it.

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"Recyclable Steel – this recycle logo mean the packaging or material is made from recyclable steel."

 

[bastarddsm]

Pretty kick ass. Lots of my exhaust system is made from stock exhausts off of other vehicles.

 

[turboglenn]

glad to see your going green

that's the nicest way i've ever heard some one put what i call "ballin on a budget"

Make a plate and weld it on that has this symbol on it.

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"Recyclable Steel – this recycle logo mean the packaging or material is made from recyclable steel."

Liquid, I wish i could find a thin SS plate with that laser/waterjet cut into it like the BBK and other exhaust logo's are sometimes done, i'd totally put that right in plain view.

Although born out of boredome, desire for a better part and working with what i had i think this modular setup might actually be something i can do some parts with that will interchange making swaps for turbo changes and replacement of damaged flex section super cheap for my customers (as well as easy to mass produce from smaller easier and cheaper to build jigs )


Bastard DSM... This summer a guy i ride bikes with pulled a factory 3" SS exhaust (wqith factory v-bands ) off his ford truck to go 4" and i told him i was coming to get the old stuff cause he said he was gonna trash it.. not even 2 weeks went by and the guy paid to take it to the dump when i woulda gave him at least 25 bucks to bring it half as far to my house.. I'm not above using pre-made parts a second time for a new life

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here's some pics of how the DP will roughly attach and to help illistrate why i want to do a v-band instaed of the regular 5 bolt plate in order to make removal a lot easier for me.

I used the turbo i built today and a mountain dew bottle to sorta illistrate how it will look

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I'm hoping that saturday morning (tomorrow) I can get all my needed things done in enough time to still score the rest of the V-band from the guy who has it as well as hoping there's enough scraps left around the shop to finish the complete 3" DP and install it in time for tomorrow evening so i can go pull some logs and see if spool has gotten any earlier and if the airflow has picked up and needs more fuel now or not! I"m already perfectly at 100% IDC @ 8000 RPM and 31psi with the 2.5 inch DP

I'm also going to machine out a couple of regular BOV's i have been examining tonight.. I may not have the money for a tial 50mm but by damn i have an apex i can make into a 38mm and a no-name unit that's performed really well that can be taken to 44mm at the valve (not sure the exact opening size of the HKS SSQV but the one i'm running just doesn't sound like the one on my friends WRX so i could care less what BOV i'm running i just want to make my system as efficient as possible.. Also gonne see if i can find some tubing in SS or 4130 that's got an ID of 38mm for the wastegate to be operating as best it can as well (i have 1" DOM on there now and that's only like 21mm ID )

I've been thinking about routing my wastegate back into the DP but, I'm always hearing how people pick up HP by dumping external.. the sound is cool but after 10 + years of it i might be interested in hearing what else is going on while i'm WOT for a change, i just don't want it to cost me no 14hp (lower figure i've seen dyno gained on a similar setup when we externally dumped a re-routed gate on a friends ride)

 

[bastarddsm]

reroute it. Even if it costs your 14hp, who cares? Turn the boost up 1 psi.

 

[turboglenn]

Well, i just found a thread with back-to-back-toback to the original 38WHP at the 500hp level to the wheels on an SRT 4 forum..sheets are posted, owner didn't even believe it, went back, unhooked it to dump open and got all 38hp back.. gonna make this reversiable like an e-cutout just in case but i do want quiet

also gonna order a bulk on some SS and aluminum v-band clamps tomorrow from one of y ditributors, (gotta order like 10 of each to get them cheap) but then i'll be able to do a couple DP's to sell in one of the local shops (consignment sells some of my stuff for me) and i can get rid of the silicone elbow directly out ofthe turbo, weld an aluminum 90* on htere and hook it to the ICP with a v-band instead of silicone and t-bolts (just that one clamp is a PITA to unhook and re-hook) I got another complete manifold withturbo and wastegate and i'm gonna try and make it "hot-swapable" like.. basically unhook oil and water and pull unit as the entire manifold..this way i can see if i really want this big ass turbo, or if i want to go back to t3/t4 hybrid sized (or hx35) but either way i have the spare stuff cause i'm "the collector:

 

[bastarddsm]

Hey glenn,

Are you fusing those pie cuts togehter or are you using filler? I ask because if I can just fuse part togther t looks beautiful, even without back gas or flux. but the instant I have to use filler rod, they look all burnt up and nasty. My dad thinks its because our tig (old school miller Econotig) won't go to a low enough amperage. I kind of agree, but I think its also technique as well. Also, usally try and use .023" wire as filler, and 1/16" if it needs more, either way it still looks burned up. Somtimes a wire brush will clean it up good though.

 

[turboglenn]

To be honest it's both on every weld..., most of it i autogenous weld (fuse base metals only) but where there's gaps or where pipe meets flanges i'm using filler.. When you use filler on two thin pie sections meeting you MUST use flux or back gas SS, you push through with molten steel into the backside of the weld where oxygen is introduced. a good rule of thumb for SS is the normal 1 amp per .001, then back off 15% or so (like this pipe is .090 wall, i was running 80 amps because of all the flange work, but when i'm only doing pie sections together with base metal only i'll back down to about 60 amps and i'm still only using about 40 of that with my pedal... the trick is SHARP tungsten, thoriated 2% 1/16th (and 1/16th filler when needed)

I keep filler in hand for when i need it and it's always in the gas flow, but i only add about one drop per 1.5 - 2 inches of weld on this material

I can do this all day long with a synchrowave 250 older than i am (the econotig is a great machine, many people under estimate it), keep that tungsten about 1/16th or less from the material, use a GAS lense, and keep the tngsten ground nice and as clean as you can (polshing with a sand disk after grinding will help stabilize the arc)

if your tungsten isn't needle sharp if it's filler or no filler you're gonna get a wide/burnt contaminated weld.. sharp, sharp sharp!!!!!

burned up is either too long an arc, dull tungsten, oxygen contamination or the main mistake people make is too many amps or not moving fast enough and cold enough..stainless is VERY VERY picky.. i could do cast iron and aluminnum perfectly before i got remotely good at stainless

EDIT: what helped me was practicing an arc length of 1/32nd of an inch, sure i stuck tungsten a million times in one month but i got good at short arc cirlces after that And you want to talk difficult, because of my spinal damage i shake like i have parkinsons disease and rarely ever take the meds that are for just that shaking.. it's a zen like state for me, it's my meditation time when i TIG

 

[SrKegler]

Wow Glen. Great work. I'm in awe of some of the things you can do like that small engine piston rod. I know it's just practice and years of experience but still amazing. Keep em coming.

 

[turboglenn]

Thanks man, if i hadn't bought this equipment back when i was still able to work construction and making good money i dont' know what i'd be doing to make any money these days. Like i say to everyone tools are always a wise investment

 

[turboglenn]

Well, it's been a long work in progress, messing with it here and there, cutting, welding and staring at it in the corner most days But now i THINK it's finally finished.

When i first started on this i didn't even intend to make a down pipe but after cutting a few pie slices and welding them up, i just decided to make a go at it. Mind you I did this all off the top of my head, I didn't measure a thing or check fit untill it was in the state of the first post on this thread.

and i'm damn proud of myself, I had to add 1.25 inches to the drop down from the turbo, as well as rotating the plate that bolts to the turbo about 15*, and after that the only thing i didn't account for in the first build session was the "jog" in the pipe where it goes to the center of the car for the FWD.

Now with those 3 things addresses i think it's finally ready to be bolted to the car I also made a flange on a 6" piece of 3" pipe that will be used to chop the small 2.5" reducer segment out of the thremal's stock setup (to make this a true 3" turbo back system)

Here's some camera phone pics, I got pretty lucky from building this off thought alone and not measuring (or maybe i've been around DSM's too long ) the o2 sensor bung is perfectly position behind the engine and in front of the firewall where mine is on my dcurrent DP and with the new kick over everything should work out just fine. There's only ONE flange in the whole assembly that isn't SS and it's on the back of the "test pipe" region since it won't be hard to change or update in the future (just was woring with what i had, i didn't buy a sungle thing for this build except TIG gas and TIG rod

By the way, there's JUST enough room to unthread the oil filter and remove it with the down pipe bolted in place, it would be on the car but when i bolted it up yesterday that's when i realized i needed the jg-over section to compelte it ` And even if there wasn't room, having the "modular" front section would allow for quick removal to accomodate an oil change, but i'm realizing this has many benefits for working on the car, best of all if I change turbo setups completeluy I only have to make a "long o2 housing" and not a whole new DP

here da pics

 

[Lofty]

It's... beautiful...





Now make me one, I like that it has a fvcktonne of welds on it.

I like welds.

Clean welds..

Mmmmmmmmmm.

 

[turboglenn]

It's... beautiful...





Now make me one, I like that it has a fvcktonne of welds on it.

I like welds.

Clean welds..

Mmmmmmmmmm.

Thanks you Sir! I think that's one of the same reasons i'm so parial to it as well. The other thing that i think makes it BAD_ASS is that it's made from all .090 steamfitters t304 pipe, no flimsy "tinky" thin SS like comes on ebay DP's this thing will outlast the rest of the car easily

It will be an eye catcher for sure (i can already hear myself saying "look at the underside if you wanna see a lot of beautifull welds" and then providing a jack and cardboard to allow inspection

thanks again, i'm super proud and can't wait to get it on the car, but of course tonight's a friends B-day so it gets to sit another day

 

[Lofty]

Make me one, I want a nice ass freshy fresh recycled one for my GVR4.

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Don't go to the birthday....

 

[turboglenn]

Make me one, I want a nice ass freshy fresh recycled one for my GVR4.

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Don't go to the birthday....

If you're seriouse i have a GVR4 i can use for mock up and build you a sure fitting one. I cna even make it out ofthe same t304 steam fitters pipe (although i'm out of scraps - had 4 inches left when done ) but for the quality it would still be cheaper than any down pipe in comparison while whooping the socks off any comparisons as far as durability and number of fly colored bad a$$ welds

I would skip the party but i'd hear about it in pain management on friday (we both are cripples , he my brother in the medicated life )

plus he owes me 100 bucks so i'd liek to see if ican get some of it from him i'll do it tomorrow i PROMISE, and i'll post video and sound clips by the end of the night (the only worries i have are getting my WBo2 out of the old DP and getting the thermal off to modify it after 11-12 years in place )

PM me if you want to talk about a gvr4 DP

 

[red92tsi]

Looks nice, i wish i could weld like that.

 

[fallenauthority]

I wish you could make me a nice SS catback for my 1g fwd
That is a wonderful piece of functional art. I love it

 

[Lofty]

PM sent bud.

 

[turboglenn]

Back from the party and reply has been sent!

I wish you could make me a nice SS catback for my 1g fwd
That is a wonderful piece of functional art. I love it

haha..laplata huh? I lived in leonardtown fora while when my parents house in VA (across 301 bridge in KG county) was being built. them amish are weird on wednesday night aren't they

I could build you one that's not out of the question, all i jhave is time these days

If you want to seriousely talk about it though just PM me. trying to abide by the rules and just showe my work in the threads

 

[fallenauthority]

Haha yea, those Amish folks are a strange bunch, but they probably think that about us with out "weird cars" .
I have a buddy who lives in King George, its nice over there, im only about 20 minutes from KG.
I will shoot you a PM.

 

[Imback]

Your pie cut o2 housing looks rough.

 

[arrowhead]

That is what I would call a real piece of beauty and functionality, great work when I am ready for one we will definetly talk.

Maybe you could also make those round pieces of pheno and will have extra income, since you have the machinery to do it.


arrowhead

 

[Fehrion_sit]

That is probally the coolest thing ive ever seen, major props, and thats a great use for a mountain dew bottle! enjoy it, and then use it to hold your turbo up !!

 

[RipperXX]

I duno that thats the coolest thing I have ever seen. But it is VERY cool, and looks well built, welds look good... all to geather it looks great actualy! Nice work!