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Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:57 am

Wreck wrote: also look at Pipemax, worth the money. some may not be aware, you measure the bends on the centre line to work out length, it sound obvious but some don't know and just measure the inside or outside of the radius.

It can be very frustrating getting pipes to the length and location you want, sort of like a metal jigsaw puzzle.

an ICE mock up kit would make things easier to plan pipe lengths, expensive though.

good point about centreline measurement. pipemax looks interesting, thx for the tip. the ICE kit i'll have to live without, mucho dinero for a one-off.

Fri Aug 27, 2021 10:42 pm

I have used this supplier for bends in the past.
http://www.mandrelbends.com/

Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:10 am

I found stainless steel to be more readily available in our sizes than mild steel. Not having a TIG welder made stainless a non option. 1 5/8" is not available in Canada but I understand it is pretty common in the USA... and marked "Made in Canada" too! Go figure! :evil:

Sat Aug 28, 2021 11:44 am

i'm in sweden so canada/us suppliers are out. but it's ok, we have sources too!

would like to do ss but i'm not set up to back-purge. unless i seriously hone my skills to weld 9/10 penetration and avoid oxidisation. that could take a while..

Sat Aug 28, 2021 12:26 pm

I wouldn't worry about back purge.
I TIGed an exhaust on the Audi daily. 379bhp 2l turbo with a 3" downpipe, sports cat etc.
First real TIG job I did and I only fusion welded (no filler) and it's holding up well after 3 years.

Yeah maybe doesn't look so pretty, but works just fine.

Sat Aug 28, 2021 2:19 pm

If it can be mig welded with co2 and L56 wire....then that's what it gets.
Seems to work just fine on the cheap stainless j-bends I got from summit, it might last ten years but chances are I will cut it apart and re-arrange it before then.

Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:54 pm

modok wrote: If it can be mig welded with co2 and L56 wire....then that's what it gets.
Seems to work just fine on the cheap stainless j-bends I got from summit, it might last ten years but chances are I will cut it apart and re-arrange it before then.
True. A lot of people forget you can MIG weld stainless easily with the right gas and wire.

A lot of the most expensive aftermarket stainless exhaust systems available are NOT welded with TIG. I think the A1, CSP, Vintage Speed (atleast one if not all of them) have been MIG welded for a while now to keep up with increased demand. It's quicker and does not take as much skill to turn out well. If it's good enough for them to charge $1500 then its good enough for me to make my own with $150 worth of mandrel bends and pipe.

TIG is nice and pretty if you have the patience... which is sometimes worth having.

Sat Aug 28, 2021 5:19 pm

Thanks! I didn't know...

Mon Aug 30, 2021 10:25 pm

daos wrote: i'm in sweden so canada/us suppliers are out. but it's ok, we have sources too!

would like to do ss but i'm not set up to back-purge. unless i seriously hone my skills to weld 9/10 penetration and avoid oxidisation. that could take a while..

CSP in Germany has a good range of exhaust tubing and parts:

https://www.csp-shop.com/en/exhaust-heating/universal-exhaust-parts/tubing/stainless-steel/42mm/

Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:12 pm

UK Luke 72 wrote: I wouldn't worry about back purge.
I TIGed an exhaust on the Audi daily. 379bhp 2l turbo with a 3" downpipe, sports cat etc.
First real TIG job I did and I only fusion welded (no filler) and it's holding up well after 3 years.

Yeah maybe doesn't look so pretty, but works just fine.

that's about all the encouragement i need. leaning heavily toward ss now, and given the quite small price difference in raw materials, relative to a huge price difference in finished ss vs mild steel systems, it would be daft not to try.

Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:14 pm

CSP in Germany has a good range of exhaust tubing and parts:

https://www.csp-shop.com/en/exhaust-heating/univer...m/[/quote]

cheers for that, also have a few even closer to home.

Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:44 am

one thing i'm interested in is the venturi on some exhausts, after the collector (overkill on a mild street engine?), more specifically how to work out the size.