Turbo manifolds really $1000????
Don't, mild steel is ****. I had one several years ago and it didn't hold up very well at all. It scaled heavily and cracked badly on the wastegate runner intersection. It was made by South Florida Performance.
I actually had a SFP manifold, and sold it so that I could pay for my current one
This thread is funny, I'm glad to see some people actually grasp what's involved, it wasn't but a few years ago everyone would be screaming "Yea!!! screw those expensive manifolds!!" I think some of you actually building them over the past few years has made the difference in understanding.
I would be surprised if the Full race one is actually 321, not calling them out on it, they make good stuff, but it looks like a cast piece (ie) weld els. Getting 321 pipe would be too costly to make that manifold even for someone like them where it's all they make all day long. They would need to be buying in huge quantities or cheaper quality chinese stainless. Which at that point I'd rather have quality US 304L even.
My honest opinion. I think a lot of these so called 321 heavy wall manifolds are not 321, how are you going to know? Testing? You can't tell really even under analysis testing. Quality 304L will look like cheap 316 and and quality 316L can look like cheap 321. So even if you cut off a piece of your expensive manifold and send it out. You wont be definitively sure.
Mild steel can be used in heavy sch40 pipe and it will weigh a ton and not last. Using mild steel for the flanges is fine, using 304L will hold up just fine. I just had a customer bring in a old kit from eight years ago when I used 304 and it is still perfectly fine. Using 321 benefits very little other than weight savings over need of pipe, and even then it better be made right or it can still fail.
I use 304L or 316L sch10 pipe which ever I can get sooner. I rarely use 321 unless I come across a good deal and its almost always .065 wall.
I would be surprised if the Full race one is actually 321, not calling them out on it, they make good stuff, but it looks like a cast piece (ie) weld els. Getting 321 pipe would be too costly to make that manifold even for someone like them where it's all they make all day long. They would need to be buying in huge quantities or cheaper quality chinese stainless. Which at that point I'd rather have quality US 304L even.
My honest opinion. I think a lot of these so called 321 heavy wall manifolds are not 321, how are you going to know? Testing? You can't tell really even under analysis testing. Quality 304L will look like cheap 316 and and quality 316L can look like cheap 321. So even if you cut off a piece of your expensive manifold and send it out. You wont be definitively sure.
Mild steel can be used in heavy sch40 pipe and it will weigh a ton and not last. Using mild steel for the flanges is fine, using 304L will hold up just fine. I just had a customer bring in a old kit from eight years ago when I used 304 and it is still perfectly fine. Using 321 benefits very little other than weight savings over need of pipe, and even then it better be made right or it can still fail.
I use 304L or 316L sch10 pipe which ever I can get sooner. I rarely use 321 unless I come across a good deal and its almost always .065 wall.
Last edited by Zero R; Aug 16, 2009 at 06:36 PM.
