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COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 1:58 pm
by LucasGQ
Hi guys

Im just bout to start a turbo conversion on my GQ TB42. Can any body help me out with info on whats best to use as intercooler piping.
I have herd mild steel would be the cheapest but it can rust on the inside of the piping, is this true as i dont want to be blowing rust into the engine?
Any help would be great.

cheers.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 2:16 pm
by tehekho
Ally or Stainless.
Why do they make manifolds out of ally?

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:31 pm
by thelux
There is the rust issue.
Stainless is heavy and suffers badly from heatsoak. Once hot it stays hot for a while.
Alloy is the way to go it cools fast and stays cool.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:52 pm
by DanwinGQ
I used ally on my old truck.
Light weight and disperses heat well. Can also look pretty shmick if u wanted to buff and clear coat.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:49 am
by LucasGQ
hi guys
thanks for the info, now just need to find out what a mate can weld or get really cheap

cheers

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:40 pm
by A.J.
I've just used mild steel for mine, I painted it on the inside.
That only works of the pipe is not too long/many bends, obviously.

I was being a tight arse, but if you can get alloy, go for it.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 7:50 pm
by turps
Most air intakes I have seen have a coating of oil in them. So nice cheap mildsteel will be fine.
I wouldn't go painting it. Whats to filter the paint flakes when it doses start to flake. And it will.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 7:31 am
by bj on roids
Without doubt, the BEST material is alloy. Cooling and weight.

Having said that, it is a pain to work with and get right (for most of us common folk)

Stainless is nice and pimp, but again a little hard.

Mild steel is the easiest and cheapest.

Poly is the worst. :finger:

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 7:59 am
by Screwy
Used alloy on all my intercooler piping with silicone bends, only used mild steel for the adapter i had to make for the inlet manifold end.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:17 am
by msjc38
I would go mild steel & get them HPC coated & your rust issues are gone

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:36 am
by chunks
Alloy.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 9:28 am
by awill4x4
In an ideal world you would use Aluminium from the turbo to the intercooler as it allows some of the heat from the compressed air to radiate outwards.
From the intercooler to the inlet manifold it doesn't really matter what you use but for the best results to keep the piping as cool as possible I would lag the piping so that the engine bay temps don't heat up your already cooled air from the intercooler.
Regards Andrew.

Re: COOLER PIPING STEEL, ALLOY OR STAINLESS?

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 2:09 pm
by stitch_all4x4
bj on roids wrote:.

Poly is the worst. :finger:


if your on a budget hpc coat the poly :finger: