Originally Posted by Paul
On a more serious note... By this, I presume you form up a sheet of Aluminum into the peak shape and height you desire... What works better a sharp or rounded peak? What thickness is the material you weld back in? And, how carefully do you blend in the peak's material with that of the floor and adjoining walls...
Thanks....
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Well, just like everything else in life, there's no set answer. I'm constantly evolving my intakes, so they are ever changing. Most recently, I make the 'tent' from two separate pieces of aluminum, and weld them at the peak. This leaves a blunted top edge, rather than a sharp edge. I make them from .080" material these days, although I've tried both .063" and .125" thick.
The .063" is a bit tougher to weld to the thicker intake material, while the .125" is easier to weld but tougher to cut and shape to fit. The .080" is a nice compromise.
I weld the material from the underside, so there is no blending inside the plenum at all really. When I used to pay to have someone weld the 'tents' in place, it was from the inside. But this was time consuming and very costly, although it made the inside look nicer. Performance wise? I have seen no difference.
My next intake project (for me, not for sale!) is a fully fabricated intake from scratch, with hammer-formed runners that are .063" thick, and with a fully hand-shaped plenum. I suspect it will weigh about 1/2 what a stock intake weighs, and I can finally remove the OEM tight curves of the stock intake, as well as enlarge the runners consist
ently. It will have to sit a bit higher than stock too, so it won't fit under a GT hood. I'm guessing about 12 hours of labor to actually fabricate it, but I've already started making my hardwood hammerforms for it.
Bob