Intercooler pipes: Aluminum, SS, or Aluminized Steel?, Pros and Cons please.... Options

[99GT]

Price, durability, whats good or bad?

[elvasoshexai]

when i was looking this up b4...

aluminum seems to be the best... it's what ic piping should be made of.
cause it dissipates heat. basically rite after a hard run you can touch it and you won't get burned.

aluminizedsteel/ss keeps heat in.. which you don't really want.

aluminized steel will rust (inside of pipe) so rust stuff that flakes off might go through ur engine... but when i talked to a few people they said they didn't have problems even driving rain/salt/snow for a couple yrs

al also will not rust.

al is a lot softer you hv to be careful when using clamps. t-bolts can easily crush if it u overtighten... when u get bov flange welded requires someone that knows how to weld AL... and if u decide to weld the pipe together instead of clamp... u require someone that knows how to weld AL and to bead the ends

SS is most expensive...
then AL
then aluminized steel...

i think AL seems best... then SS then aluminized steel... but i guess it's really arguable

i kinda did a rough pricing it out... aluminized steel is so much cheaper than al or ss that i can rebuy all my pipes 3-4 times for the cost of buying al/ss once... so assuming aluminized steel lasts 2-3yrs no prob... if i replace every 3yrs... it basically lasts me 10yrs...

my thinking is prolly flawed in some way.. hah... but that's what i came out with... altho u mite want more expert advice lol

This post has been edited by elvasoshexai: Apr 13, 2007 - 7:31 PM

[99GT]

Aluminum is what I'm planning. Light and dissipates like you mentioned.

SS is expensive and heavy.

Aluiminized steel is cheap and good enough,

I got Manny's setup quoted for $300 all pipes and bends in aluminized steel.

[elvasoshexai]

where did you get that quote? this is all the pipes u ordered right?

This post has been edited by elvasoshexai: Apr 13, 2007 - 8:46 PM

[jcaron9gt4]

Aluminum is what I'm planning. Light and dissipates like you mentioned.

SS is expensive and heavy.

Aluiminized steel is cheap and good enough,

I got Manny's setup quoted for $300 all pipes and bends in aluminized steel.

I got the same minus 2 90's for 100 shipped...aluminized steel

[elvasoshexai]

ya... 300 is like... almost the price of SS

i used these places to get online quotes:
Aluminized Steel
AL/SS

This post has been edited by elvasoshexai: Apr 13, 2007 - 8:58 PM

[lagos]

you dont even want to know how much good 304 stainless costs.

[x_itchy_b_x]

im a fan of http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...s_promot_widget
bead rolled edges. tbolt clamps. reinforced silicon couplers.

[99GT]

Post up your wisdom lagos haha....

so $300 is too much? I thought it was pretty cheap. My local performance shop.

Boost Factory in Bloomington, MN

[elvasoshexai]

im a fan of http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...s_promot_widget
bead rolled edges. tbolt clamps. reinforced silicon couplers.

wow.. that is incredibly cheap... i wonder how good are those since the prices he has are about 1/4-1/5 of what i normally see

[presure2]

good quality 304 stainless will cost you 4-500 for pipes alone.

aluminum is the way to go if you know someone who can weld it, and bead the ends for you.

alumizied steel does the job, but youve GOT to keep an eye on the insides of the pipe.

[playr158]

aluminum or bust

[rjbibeau]

boost factotydoes good work, he made my 2.5" ss down pipe and hooked me up with perfect power smt6 piggy back.

[angrymike]

stainless is stainless. you pay more for the better bender. as long as you get your stuff from a reputable source, your getting the same thing that everyone else is getting.

companies don't have to charge fair market price. in fact, the best bends that i've ever gotten are from the cheapest place that i've found.

aluminum is the best option due to the heat dispating properties. you want somthing that will heat soak fast and disipate fast.

while your sitting at a light your pipes will heat soak. so as you take off the pipes will start to cool. you want your piping to cool instantly so you get the benifits from that awsome fmic you have. stainless or aluminized steel retain a ton of heat. soon as you heat them after that first pass, they usually stay hot.

aluminum is lighter too. when your engine is moving around and you have big heavy piping, chances of a coupler blowing off or pipes hitting things increases.

its usually more expensive, however the benfits usually outwiegh the cost. you can usually get aluminum for the same price as stainless. problem is finding somone to weld it.

the other thing that most people don't think about is what if you using stainless intercooler pipes and your welder doesn't backpurge, your going to get some sugaring in the piping.

this is bad for two reasons:

1. you might end up sucking slag into the engine
2. there is a rough serface at each weld causing turbulence.

a good welder can not back purge and get minimal sugaring, however most welders doing automotive stuff arn't good welders.

[playr158]

well also this is IC pipe, you can do it without welding as well, with probably less than 8 couplers

[elvasoshexai]

stupid question... can u install a bov flange w/o welding?

cuz after seeing this thread and some of those prices... i'm kinda considering alum... except a lot of the welders that i find that do alum.. only do it for bigger stuff/bigger orders

This post has been edited by elvasoshexai: Apr 20, 2007 - 12:28 AM

[playr158]

it depends what kind of blow off valve you run....i know the HKS you can get a Samco T-hose which allows you to clamp 2 pieces of IC together and mount a blow off
(see DEFGEPH's profile)

[Defgeph]

Samco t-hose with an HKS 1" adapter

[elvasoshexai]

Samco t-hose with an HKS 1" adapter

damn.. they don't make it in 2.25"

[Defgeph]

You can get the hose in what ever size you may need. The little T piece that attaches to the BOV flange is 1 inch