What turbo manifold to get? There arent many options out there....
it seems everyone and their mother will make you a manifold but not many offer downpipes which kinda defeats the purpose. because if i could make my own downpipe i'd make my own manifold too
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 34,402
Total Cats: 7,523
From: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Really?
From a layman's perspective (having never made a manifold), I've always assumed a few things.
First, the degree of skill (and the quality of tools) needed to build a manifold are vastly greater than to build a downpipe. Manifolds are subjected to much greater heat and pressure, and they bear a greater mechanical stress. They consist of a fairly large number of individual pieces, which must be cut at somewhat complex angles, and the materials involved are comparatively quite thick.
On the other hand, assuming you have the skill and tools, it's pretty easy to build a manifold on the bench, without access to the car that it's going to go into, and still ensure that it will fit properly and turbo not hit block. On the other hand, to ensure proper fitment of a downpipe, you really kinda need the whole car, including the manifold and the turbo. That's doable if you're building a large number of identical pipes, such as when designing a downpipe to work with a Greddy turbo on a Greddy manifold, or a GT25 on a Bell manifold in an NB. You build it once in the car, then you build a jig, then you build all the rest of them on the jig. But if you're doing a lot of different fitments, for different turbos on different manifolds on different cars, well, that's a hell of a lot of variables.
In other words, manifold-building is a demanding task that happens to be well-suited to remote fabrication. Downpipe building, though it requires custom-fitment, is far less demanding of skill and equipment and thus easier for the layperson (or the local exhaust shop) to execute.
Thoughts?
From a layman's perspective (having never made a manifold), I've always assumed a few things.
First, the degree of skill (and the quality of tools) needed to build a manifold are vastly greater than to build a downpipe. Manifolds are subjected to much greater heat and pressure, and they bear a greater mechanical stress. They consist of a fairly large number of individual pieces, which must be cut at somewhat complex angles, and the materials involved are comparatively quite thick.
On the other hand, assuming you have the skill and tools, it's pretty easy to build a manifold on the bench, without access to the car that it's going to go into, and still ensure that it will fit properly and turbo not hit block. On the other hand, to ensure proper fitment of a downpipe, you really kinda need the whole car, including the manifold and the turbo. That's doable if you're building a large number of identical pipes, such as when designing a downpipe to work with a Greddy turbo on a Greddy manifold, or a GT25 on a Bell manifold in an NB. You build it once in the car, then you build a jig, then you build all the rest of them on the jig. But if you're doing a lot of different fitments, for different turbos on different manifolds on different cars, well, that's a hell of a lot of variables.
In other words, manifold-building is a demanding task that happens to be well-suited to remote fabrication. Downpipe building, though it requires custom-fitment, is far less demanding of skill and equipment and thus easier for the layperson (or the local exhaust shop) to execute.
Thoughts?
Last edited by Joe Perez; Aug 15, 2009 at 06:18 PM.
Really?
From a layman's perspective (having never made a manifold), I've always assumed a few things.
First, the degree of skill (and the quality of tools) needed to build a manifold are vastly greater than to build a downpipe. Manifolds are subjected to much greater heat and pressure, and they bear a greater mechanical stress. They consist of a fairly large number of individual pieces, which must be cut at somewhat complex angles, and the materials involved are comparatively quite thick.
On the other hand, assuming you have the skill and tools, it's pretty easy to build a manifold on the bench, without access to the car that it's going to go into, and still ensure that it will fit properly and turbo not hit block. On the other hand, to ensure proper fitment of a downpipe, you really kinda need the whole car, including the manifold and the turbo. That's doable if you're building a large number of identical pipes, such as when designing a downpipe to work with a Greddy turbo on a Greddy manifold, or a GT25 on a Bell manifold in an NB. You build it once in the car, then you build a jig, then you build all the rest of them on the jig. But if you're doing a lot of different fitments, for different turbos on different manifolds on different cars, well, that's a hell of a lot of variables.
In other words, manifold-building is a demanding task that happens to be well-suited to remote fabrication. Downpipe building, though it requires custom-fitment, is far less demanding of skill and equipment and thus easier for the layperson (or the local exhaust shop) to execute.
Thoughts?
From a layman's perspective (having never made a manifold), I've always assumed a few things.
First, the degree of skill (and the quality of tools) needed to build a manifold are vastly greater than to build a downpipe. Manifolds are subjected to much greater heat and pressure, and they bear a greater mechanical stress. They consist of a fairly large number of individual pieces, which must be cut at somewhat complex angles, and the materials involved are comparatively quite thick.
On the other hand, assuming you have the skill and tools, it's pretty easy to build a manifold on the bench, without access to the car that it's going to go into, and still ensure that it will fit properly and turbo not hit block. On the other hand, to ensure proper fitment of a downpipe, you really kinda need the whole car, including the manifold and the turbo. That's doable if you're building a large number of identical pipes, such as when designing a downpipe to work with a Greddy turbo on a Greddy manifold, or a GT25 on a Bell manifold in an NB. You build it once in the car, then you build a jig, then you build all the rest of them on the jig. But if you're doing a lot of different fitments, for different turbos on different manifolds on different cars, well, that's a hell of a lot of variables.
In other words, manifold-building is a demanding task that happens to be well-suited to remote fabrication. Downpipe building, though it requires custom-fitment, is far less demanding of skill and equipment and thus easier for the layperson (or the local exhaust shop) to execute.
Thoughts?
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
From: Republic of Dallas
I had a FM1 manifold and I broke every stud left and right or the nut and/or stud just came lose. The only way I was able to stop the loosening was the drill holes in the nut heads and wire them to each other like they do with air craft parts. Then for the studs I went and found the best I could find around town and pinned them in. work good for the time I had that manifold but now I got a custom one made to fit the DSM turbos seeing how as the dsm turbos are cheaper. They make every thing from the factory 14b to bolt on gt35r that use the same downpipe and internal wastegate so its a good 300 to 500 cheaper.
Really?
From a layman's perspective (having never made a manifold), I've always assumed a few things.
First, the degree of skill (and the quality of tools) needed to build a manifold are vastly greater than to build a downpipe. Manifolds are subjected to much greater heat and pressure, and they bear a greater mechanical stress. They consist of a fairly large number of individual pieces, which must be cut at somewhat complex angles, and the materials involved are comparatively quite thick.
On the other hand, assuming you have the skill and tools, it's pretty easy to build a manifold on the bench, without access to the car that it's going to go into, and still ensure that it will fit properly and turbo not hit block. On the other hand, to ensure proper fitment of a downpipe, you really kinda need the whole car, including the manifold and the turbo. That's doable if you're building a large number of identical pipes, such as when designing a downpipe to work with a Greddy turbo on a Greddy manifold, or a GT25 on a Bell manifold in an NB. You build it once in the car, then you build a jig, then you build all the rest of them on the jig. But if you're doing a lot of different fitments, for different turbos on different manifolds on different cars, well, that's a hell of a lot of variables.
In other words, manifold-building is a demanding task that happens to be well-suited to remote fabrication. Downpipe building, though it requires custom-fitment, is far less demanding of skill and equipment and thus easier for the layperson (or the local exhaust shop) to execute.
Thoughts?
From a layman's perspective (having never made a manifold), I've always assumed a few things.
First, the degree of skill (and the quality of tools) needed to build a manifold are vastly greater than to build a downpipe. Manifolds are subjected to much greater heat and pressure, and they bear a greater mechanical stress. They consist of a fairly large number of individual pieces, which must be cut at somewhat complex angles, and the materials involved are comparatively quite thick.
On the other hand, assuming you have the skill and tools, it's pretty easy to build a manifold on the bench, without access to the car that it's going to go into, and still ensure that it will fit properly and turbo not hit block. On the other hand, to ensure proper fitment of a downpipe, you really kinda need the whole car, including the manifold and the turbo. That's doable if you're building a large number of identical pipes, such as when designing a downpipe to work with a Greddy turbo on a Greddy manifold, or a GT25 on a Bell manifold in an NB. You build it once in the car, then you build a jig, then you build all the rest of them on the jig. But if you're doing a lot of different fitments, for different turbos on different manifolds on different cars, well, that's a hell of a lot of variables.
In other words, manifold-building is a demanding task that happens to be well-suited to remote fabrication. Downpipe building, though it requires custom-fitment, is far less demanding of skill and equipment and thus easier for the layperson (or the local exhaust shop) to execute.
Thoughts?
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 34,402
Total Cats: 7,523
From: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
you missed my point. i bet there are thousands out there that pass on someones beautiful manifold and buy from fm begi or tim because they'll get a downpipe and not have to worry about sourcing or building their own. welding is a skill that not everyone has nor wants. Be it a manifold or downpipe doesn't matter much.
the solution would be to buy from someone who can supply a downpipe for your setup.
the op was asking for a suggestion on a manifold, i figured valuable advice would be pointing him in a direction where he could get parts that were a bolt on affair without having any extra greif in his life
the op was asking for a suggestion on a manifold, i figured valuable advice would be pointing him in a direction where he could get parts that were a bolt on affair without having any extra greif in his life
Now tim, about the absurdflow manifold what turbo is the manafold built for. I have a 00 i am going to DIY my entire turbo kit for. Going to be running the FM hydra. And how much is the manifold.
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 34,402
Total Cats: 7,523
From: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
They are custom-built for any turbo you damn well please to put on 'em. Every one is different, which is part of the reason there's no standard downpipe for them (which is what posts # 24-35 of this thread have been about.)
.
I've had a begi manifold and the studs stretch and the manifold warped once I finally got on the track. Tim is making an Absurdflow for me. If this doesn't work, I'm selling all the miata **** and buying an Evo. Stay tuned.
If you want to track the car and you buy something other than a v-band manifold you're wasting your money.
If you want to track the car and you buy something other than a v-band manifold you're wasting your money.
is a v-band manifold truly that much of a necessity?
I like my AbsurdFlow SGDP because it's serial #1 of 1, and Tim swore on his welding machine that there will never, ever be a #2 for what I paid!
The nearly immediate spool is also nice.
The nearly immediate spool is also nice.







