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PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 5:46 pm 
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CSM Junkie

Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 5:22 pm
Posts: 456
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Hey all,

I'm looking for some help running intercooler piping on my next project car. I don't really feel like blowing $15-20 per silicone coupling this time around, but at the same time, I don't wanna get too cheap and run Home Depot PVC/ABS equipment that will degrade over time/heat/pressure. That's just unsafe for high boost applications. I plan to recycle the OEM piping from the car to make some couplings, but I think I will probably need more to finish running the front mount.

As such, I've concluded that my best bet is to find some bendable 2.0" universal coolant hose, rubber tubing, or something that can handle boost and intake air temperature pipe heat.

One option I considered was finding some big turbo diesel trucks and stealing their intercooler/radiator hoses. Only problem is that there aren't any locally to me, and without seeing them before purchasing the hoses, I won't know if they're the right size and shape that I need. That could also end up being pricey. I suppose Rock Auto clearance rad hose might work if I can find some in the right size.

I've also exhausted capable options locally for new hose. I tried a few local auto shops, an industrial supply store or two, and even the local hose/pipe experts. All they had for me was either too small in diameter or too firm to bend safely - further, it wasn't equipment that could handle the heat of an engine bay unfortunately.

Straight piping is easy... I can get 6061 aluminum or some cheap hot-rolled steel piping from the local metal mart and cut and file it myself. For clamps, they sell bulk packs of t-bolt or worm gear clamps both locally and on Ebay as well so that's no problem either. It's just the hose itself that is proving to be an issue. If my local yards weren't such criminals in their pricing and swift to shred/crush anything I could use, I'd consider looking there instead.

Anybody with any leads or recommendations?

Cheers,

A


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PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:37 pm 
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CSM Junkie
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Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2002 3:21 pm
Posts: 860
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I usually use exhaust piping for the hard portions, and junkyard rad hose/intake hose for couplers. My local yard has great prices for that stuff. Any local big rig shop will have 2"+ reinforced rad hose for sale by the foot too, and it's usually not that $$.

I've also bought bulk silicone piping from siliconeintakes.com for decent prices.

_________________
Early 2000's: 1992 Summit sedan - 14.1 @ 100.9mph w/ 155/80 13s
2012: 1989 Dodge Colt GT Turbo - 14.9 @ 100mph, 10psi/s16G


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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 12:00 am 
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CSM Junkie

Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 5:22 pm
Posts: 456
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Quote:
I usually use exhaust piping for the hard portions, and junkyard rad hose/intake hose for couplers. My local yard has great prices for that stuff. Any local big rig shop will have 2"+ reinforced rad hose for sale by the foot too, and it's usually not that $$.

I've also bought bulk silicone piping from siliconeintakes.com for decent prices.
Never thought about a big rig shop... I'll have to see if we even have something like that around these parts! Thanks mate. Gonna try another couple yards as well for good measure and see what they've got for me.


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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 2:56 am 
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The happy administrator
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Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 3:20 pm
Posts: 5583
Location: Wisconsin
Honestly, the cheapest/easiest way is ebay universal kits. You're gonna go nuts chasing leaks, trying to make connectors stay on because the pipes/etc aren't fully secured, etc. If you REALLY want to put a lot of effort into it, find a local dairy farm and find out when they're changing out their milk pipes, they're usually stainless or food grade aluminum and they dump their old stuff for cheap.

_________________
Had a:
1991 Eagle Summit ES Hatchback - 4g15 12v 5spd
1991 Dodge Colt -4g15 12v 4spd
Have a:
1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass - 468BBO TH350
Round 3:
1990 Dodge Colt-4G63T 5spd


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PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 1:52 pm 
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CSM Junkie

Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 5:22 pm
Posts: 456
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
If I needed bent aluminum piping, Ebay would definitely be the way to go. But I'm going to source my straight piping either from a steel supplier locally or an exhaust shop. I went looking far and wide across the web for the standard pricing cost of a 2.0" silicone elbow, and came up with $15-43 a pop. That's not quite good enough and I think I can do better.

I made some drawings of my intercooler piping plan using photos from other cars, and have determined that I will need about 7-8 90* bends and 4-5 straight couplers. I'm opting for 2.0" diameter piping because it matches my intercooler and I'm running a small engine. I'm of course assuming that my TB, turbo inlet, turbo outlet, and VAF are all that size because I haven't been able to pick up the car yet.

Using factory supply sites (basically China-link), I found the following deals:

On DHGate.com, I can get a ten pack of elbows and one straight meter for $128.85 shipped.
On AliExpress.com, I can get the same deal for $126.66 shipped.

Either way, my unit cost (divide both by 12-13) isn't much more than $10 a piece shipped. That's pretty good if you ask me!


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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 5:46 pm 
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Some call me a god
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Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:19 am
Posts: 1629
Location: Tonawanda, NY
Here's the way to go:
http://stores.ebay.com/Just-Intercooler ... ml?_fsub=4

Ebay store with pipe kits starting at aroud $90 for everything shipped.

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"A good day racing is better than a great day fishing!"


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PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2013 12:28 pm 
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Some call me a god
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Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:20 am
Posts: 1154
Location: Anderson, IN
I like to use siliconeintakes.com

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92 Colt GL 4g63t + AWD swap
00 Mirage LS


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:36 pm 
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CSM Junkie

Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:27 pm
Posts: 526
Location: Lake in the hills, IL
What about getting all your pieces, mock it all up how you want it.... and have it all welded.... would save on some couplers...then just worry about 3 couplers... one on each end of intercooler and tb elbow. Or weld the piping with the elbow and you only need two couplers.. That's what I plan on doing.

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Speed kills!! Drive a Honda & live forever!


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:50 am 
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Some call me a god
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Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 8:53 pm
Posts: 1494
Location: Seattle, WA
I second the Ebay universal intercooler piping kits.

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89 Mirage Billet 20g 63t 12.4@120 417whp 400wtq @ English Racing.
89 Colt GT E316g
06 Silverado SS
07 ZX6R


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:03 am 
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CSM Junkie

Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 9:52 am
Posts: 552
Location: Astoria OR
Has anyone who welds tried welding on any ebay kits.
The kits do look like a great option i just wonder if they are paper thin
Or a junk alloy. Be great if i could weld some of them together to make a real nice custom install

_________________
Black 1989 Colt GT with 4g61t. 200k miles and climbing. Rebuilt 2.0 in the works.....
14b, 450cc's, 3" exhaust, small fmic, all running on megasquirt version: DIYPNP
White 1992 colt-vista wagon 2.4, awd, auto (daily)
Keane


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:37 pm 
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CSM Junkie

Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:27 pm
Posts: 526
Location: Lake in the hills, IL
Iv had no problem welding ebay aluminum pieces as long as its aluminum & not mixed. Just make sure its all cleaned both pieces before welding. Have to clean off the oxide over the aluminum which melts around 3700 degrees and the aluminum melts around 1200 degrees.

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Speed kills!! Drive a Honda & live forever!


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:02 am 
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The happy administrator
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Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 3:20 pm
Posts: 5583
Location: Wisconsin
Quote:
I will need about 7-8 90* bends and 4-5 straight couplers. I'm opting for 2.0" diameter piping because it matches my intercooler and I'm running a small engine. I'm of course assuming that my TB, turbo inlet, turbo outlet, and VAF are all that size because I haven't been able to pick up the car yet.

Whaaaaat. :-? There is no reason you should need that many bends and couplers. Keep is simple. It'll be a huge pain in the ass to try and get all that welded and fitted. Do the ebay kit and go from there. Don't make it harder on yourself and do NOT go with 2", do the 2.5" because doing it once is enough. I stupidly tried going the cheaper route and buying straight sections and a ton of couplers figuring I'd fab something up, they're shoved into a box in my basement now collecting dust, money well wasted.

Read this post:

http://www.4g61t.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27325

_________________
Had a:
1991 Eagle Summit ES Hatchback - 4g15 12v 5spd
1991 Dodge Colt -4g15 12v 4spd
Have a:
1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass - 468BBO TH350
Round 3:
1990 Dodge Colt-4G63T 5spd


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 12:51 pm 
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Some call me a god
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Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:19 am
Posts: 1629
Location: Tonawanda, NY
I wouldn't go too nuts welding it all together either, because you need it to have a certain amount of flex. You can weld the stuff to eliminate a few couplers here and there.
I've had good results with this piece I made:
Image

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"A good day racing is better than a great day fishing!"


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