ques. for welders/metal experts

joenintiesc

Registered User
What is the best metal to use for an intake tube (replacing the stock rubber one)? Aluminum, SS, mild steel? Is there much of a difference in heat absorption? What would be best for powdercoating?

Any info or comments would be appreciated!

Thanks
 
WHAT TO USE

I WOULD GO FOR S,S, OR ALUM.......MAKE AN AIR CLOSE OUT OR DIVIDER.......KEEP OUT HEAT FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT.......FAST FREDDIE:rolleyes: :cool: :D
 
Mild to Wild?

I'd use Mild steel. It's the easiest to use. Aluminum it too ecspencive as well as SS. I would just have it thermal coated on the inside as well as the out.
 
For my own intake tube I used 316 SS mainly because it was FREE,
but it looks good and like carbon steel it does'nt transfer engine compartment heat to the tube as much like Aluminum will.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Let me just ask a few more...

Mike, if you hadn't gotten a free ss tube, would you have instead used mild steel? Is carbon steel the same as mild steel?

I'd like the heat resistant aspects, but would also like to retain the stock black look- I'd have the tube powdercoated in a shiny black- so would it be a waste to pay extra for ss when the finish will be covered up?

Drnaline: how do you thermal coat it? Is it a diy thing, or would I have to send it out somewhere?

Thanks guys.
 
Yes if the SS was'nt free I would have used carbon or mild steel, yes they are the same. I would'nt use SS and powdercoat it, it would be expensive and a waste.
Thermal coatings can be applied yourself, you just have to prepare the surface properly and apply the coating properly then bake it. I coated the inside of my intake tube with a thermal barrier coating so the outside has bling but I get the extra benafit of the thermal protection without it being obvious.
 
If I could afford it I would use a seamless 304 Stainless Steel. Probably cost a bit and hard to bend but not as hard to bend as the 400 series stainless.
My fall back would be an Aluminum tube. These two would be easiest to keep clean inside and out. (also hard to bend depending on alloy and heat treatment).

You might want to give these guys a call, I wouldn't tell them what it is for but ask them about getting a 3 or 3 1/2 inch OD tube, 2 feet long bent the way you want and see what they say.

Coltwell Industries Inc.
55 Winans Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016
Tel: 908-276-7600 • Fax: 908-276-2679
Email: info@coltwell.com
BTW I don't work for them, I have no affiliation with them that I know of. They are the first ones I came across doing a google search.

All the materials you mentioned powdercoat well.
A polished stainless will reflect a lot of heat. The Al will transfer heat a little faster than the SS or Mild. But if you powedercoating there shouldn't be much of a difference.

hope this helps.

I would jokingly refer you to Carbon Fiber if your looking for all out insulation.
 
Hey thanks! Funny, I used to live in Cranford, NJ! So if I'm wrong correct me, but what I think it comes down to is this:

Unprotected, aluminum will transfer heat faster. SS will look the best and transfer the least heat.

Powdercoated, heat transfer will be the same in either alum., ss, or mild/carbon steel.

I guess powdercoating will eliminate the possibility of applying a thermal coating, but will itself act as a sort of thermal resistance... Though I guess black would actually absorb the most heat of all colors...

Thanks for the learning experience!

:D
 
I needed the big 3.5" tube for my application. I called Dr. Gas and got a piece of mandrel bent exhaust pipe with 18" legs and cut it to fit. About a 20 degree bend works for most applications. I then had that piece chromed.

I'm not thoroughly convinced there would be a noticeable performance difference among any of the materials you mentioned. The most important thing would be for the filter to be pulling in the coldest air possible. This is usually accomplished by shielding it from the engine compartment, sticking it down in the fender or running ducting to it.

swbengine3.jpg


I have the IRCM moved out of the way so the filter can get cool air from the headlight area. The filter cover and intake tube never feel hot even after long drives in the summer.
 
Thanks for the pic of your engine (again) George! It never fails to inspire every time I see it! :cool:

I'm more interested in looks and economy than performance as far as the intake tube goes. I already have a K&N cone in the fender. I just don't want to inadvertantly lose performance over the stock intake tube by choosing something that will allow too much heat transfer. I rather go the "custom" route than spend over $100 for a ready made tube...
 
thermal

Instead of powder coating it for pretty. Same process, just a different mixture I guess. The same stuff they use for the inside of engines. They have coatings that do different stuff, attract heat, dispell heat, oil sheeting, heat barriers. I think Swain Tech sells for the doit your selfers.
 
My ZR intake (mild steel, chromed) gets damn hot after a long drive. But I'm not sure how much of that heat is actually transfered to the air column moving through the tube. The air is moving awfully fast.

Maybe I can do an experiment, I have a small thermocouple lead that I could stick in the intake tube and measure the temperature. I'll put this idea right on top of my procrastination list...
 
The best Insulated Intake

ABS Plastic is what I use it does not hold the hot underhood heat. Any metal intake will get really hot like your IC tubes do. Easiest way to install a really good intake tube is to get the K&N PFIK from a F250. The entire intake is 80mm ID. A metal divider is a good idea too. Blocks the fan wash and under hood air from the filter.

intake-pic2.JPG


80mm Intake Kit
 
Thanks for the info, Rich. Do you have a part#, though? I went to the K&N website, and this was the only listing for the F-250, but it doesn't look like the one in your pic...

57-2546.jpg


The listing says this: 57-2546 Ford F250, F350, & Excursion

How did you attach the tube that goes to the valve cover? Any other modifications needed to make it fit?

Thanks!
Joe
 
I found the p/n and instructions on your website, Rich.

New question: you state this is for use with an 80mm maf- it should work with a 76mm, though, right? 4mm isn't that much of a diffeence...
 
It's not that you cannot use a round MAF like the stock one. You would need to get an adapter like the one below. The K&N filter that comes with the FIPK kit bolts to the square flange MAF only. If you already have a filter you would not use the one in the kit anyway. The filter that comes in the kit just fits inside the are where the stock air box use to sit. It flows like 900cfm. A K&N filter that could replace it for use with a round flange MAf would be part number RE-0950. My choice if I wanted to stay with the stock MAF is the RE-0950 filter. The filter base is 6" and the length is 6" the top is 4.75" a longer filter would be the RE-0920 which is 9" long. Over filter length should not be more than 12" to clear the CCRM up front. The RE0920 filter is like 14" overall length.

Adapter Rings

maf%20no%20flash%20copy.jpg


RE0950 filter

CIP-1gK.JPG
 
Thanks Rich! Actually, I'm just looking to replace the stock intake tube. I have a K&N cone in the fender well, using a densecharger (economy) cai... I just want to replace the intake tube between my 76 C&L maf, and 75mm tb. I e-mailed K&N to see if they sell just the intake tube that's part of that kit, since $250 is more than I want to spend for the whole kit...

But I guess your saying that one end of the K&N tube is actually square? So I would still need an adapter as you pictured?

Thanks...
 
But I guess your saying that one end of the K&N tube is actually square? So I would still need an adapter as you pictured?

Thanks... [/B][/QUOTE]

The tube is round. The Air filter mount is only for the square mount MAF.
 
Back
Top