Before i started this project i had never used a TIG welder, I started it with the intention of MIG welding the entire thing, how mislead i was as now im in love with the art of TIG welding.
Welding alloy on the other hand is another step up from welding steel, it involves correct preperation, a comfortable work area and a lot of time. Ive been able to weld alloy but my results are mixed. When it came to the inlet manifold on the SR20 i decided to buy a MAZWORX lower CNC section and then create the rest from another local company called Hypertune.
I have had a lot of experience with inlet manifolds on SR20s in the past, never once have i used a factory one, although they work well the style just does not suit the look i am after.
In 2005 i fabricated an alloy sheet metal plenum for my first 180SX, it worked very well.
3 years later i built another one for my two tone PS13, this used 45mm trumpets 75mm long that were machined into the factory lower plenum.
With 3mm alloy then sheeting in the trumpets using 100mm alloy donuts and 4 inch alloy tube.
On the dyno and on the track it worked really well, the longer runners seemed to give it more torque than the inlet i built for the 180SX
After a massive boost leak i removed the plenum some 6 months after it was built to find a split on the 90 degree corner along the weld, to fix this i welded in gussets that run to each factory runner and onto the plenum to stop the alloy flexing.
After those gussets were added there were no more issues with this plenum.
Its now 2009 and Hypertune had just created an inlet plenum for the high port SR20, after all the headaches with the last plenum i made it was time to spend some $$ and try something off the shelf. Again its very similar to the last plenums i had made by utilizing the factory runners and injector bosses.
So the ultimate SR20 inlet in my eyes is the CNC runners from Mazworx and the plenum shell and throttle body from Hypertune. It will all come together in the coming weeks.
KTran
awesome work,
please build me 2jz manifolds(intake and turbo)!
🙂
beto
Why do all your engines look AMZING?
Jase
Can never go wrong with the KISS rule. Keep It Simple Stupid. 🙂
kriss
if youve only just started using TIG on the ute what were you using to weld up all the alloy stuff from the previous cars?
Nigel
I could tack alloy and then i got my mate to do most of the welding as i was hopeless at it
Julian
Ive just undergone a welding course, and i agree 100% on that TIG is like a fine art. its such a good feeling when you lay down a really good looking weld. i haven’t attempted alloy yet, but i am itching to give it a go.
Clinton
I <3 Tig, way better than any other form of welding.
BBZ
being lucky enough to work with alum all day every day i try to make everything out of the shit. if you have a machine with enough grunt and a foot pedal or fingertip controller and a gas lens you are laughing.