Custom Aluminum Intake
12-05-2014, 09:27 PM
#1
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Custom Aluminum Intake
Hey guys I am terrible at getting on here and posting to the forum, so i figured id share the little intake project i just built. So heres the deal i could buy an aftermarket one for 200$, find a stock one which most people were asking over 90$ or build my own. I went about finding some aluminum online and ordered some 2 3/4 inch 1/8 in wall 6060 aluminum. I got a 90 and 45 to complete the project, below are some pictures....
Started with sizing up the first piece to the TB, cut about 3.5 inch off.
Prepping the lip to be welded back on.
Didnt want to scratch the aluminum with wire brush to remove oxidation but instead cleaned it thoroughly with acetone. Aluminum is extremely sensitive to contaminants and wont weld well if not clean.
Bead welded back on
Prepping the 45 to go in that will attach to the MAF box.
Welded Out
Finish Product
I will next be making a stand to hold the MAF box up and attach it to the body right below. Fun little project and saved a lot of money compared to buying an aftermarket one. I will continue to upload my fab projects as i go along on this miata.
Started with sizing up the first piece to the TB, cut about 3.5 inch off.
Prepping the lip to be welded back on.
Didnt want to scratch the aluminum with wire brush to remove oxidation but instead cleaned it thoroughly with acetone. Aluminum is extremely sensitive to contaminants and wont weld well if not clean.
Bead welded back on
Prepping the 45 to go in that will attach to the MAF box.
Welded Out
Finish Product
I will next be making a stand to hold the MAF box up and attach it to the body right below. Fun little project and saved a lot of money compared to buying an aftermarket one. I will continue to upload my fab projects as i go along on this miata.
Last edited by vanilla.gorilla; 12-08-2014 at 08:04 PM.
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12-06-2014, 11:54 PM
#3
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I will be making these for sale at somepoint if anybodies interested. I can also do custom set ups for turbos amongst any other thing in your engine bay related to aluminum or steel. PM me if interested.
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12-07-2014, 11:04 PM
#12
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The front thermostat housing location is typically blocked off on turbo applications because it promotes uneven cooling of the engine. It won't effect you if you are naturally aspirated because you won't make enough power, and therefore heat, to have it matter.
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12-08-2014, 07:43 AM
#13
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That's a JR spacer so it can clear an intake crossover like that.
Oh I completely understand. But it's not a matter of if I could do this myself or not, it's a matter of I wouldn't want to.
I could make this happen without welding--to spend more time with my boyfriend--for $50 in parts from siliconeintakes.com. Specifically (1) 135° pipe, (3) couplers, and a silicone port for a 1/2 NPT fitting.
Thanks just trying to show some work i did but i guess you wouldnt understand considering you couldnt do this yourself.
I could make this happen without welding--to spend more time with my boyfriend--for $50 in parts from siliconeintakes.com. Specifically (1) 135° pipe, (3) couplers, and a silicone port for a 1/2 NPT fitting.
Last edited by Braineack; 12-08-2014 at 07:54 AM.
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12-08-2014, 11:44 AM
#14
Cpt. Slow
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It all kinda means nothing though, since you're corking the end of the intake with an AFM.
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12-08-2014, 07:22 PM
#15
Right, I'm just saying even with a 3d printed, flow-designed intake, we've had members test their intake to make sure there's any gain. I've had intakes restrict as much as 8hp due to their design, and I did one muffler test that by putting a giant quiet magnaflow on with a 90* bend on the end, I gained 3hp and 2ft/lbs.
It all kinda means nothing though, since you're corking the end of the intake with an AFM.
It all kinda means nothing though, since you're corking the end of the intake with an AFM.
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12-08-2014, 08:24 PM
#17
Cpt. Slow
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Well, although 124rwhp isn't "real power", but achievable on a 1.6, and a significant upgrade from the 116 crank hp. So yes, "stock mods" do quite a bit for miatas. You just have to know what you're doing.
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12-08-2014, 10:19 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by TargaMiata.com
March 4, 2008 - Despite the problems, we did get a chance for some comparative testing on the dyno.
My temporary intake pulled hot air from behind the radiator. That's one reason it was temporary, and why it was mounted upside down in the previous picture of the car on the dyno.
For interest's sake, we pulled out a stock 1994 intake tract that includes a resonating Heimholtz chamber. It's not perfectly sized for my engine - I believe the theory says it should be equivalent to 1.5 cylinders worth of displacement - but it was worth trying. And whaddya know, it did something! Nothing major, but 4 lb-ft at 4000 rpm for free is nothing to complain about. The red graph is the stock setup.
http://www.targamiata.com/images_lrg...take_tract.pdf
Using the stock crossover tube will also let me put the filter in a cooler place than right behind the rad, which will reap benefits in the real world where having a filter sticking through the hood is awkward to arrange.
In the picture, you can see the filter from my original intake resting inside the engine bay. Don't be fooled, we don't have some sort of bizarre dual-filter setup going here.
My temporary intake pulled hot air from behind the radiator. That's one reason it was temporary, and why it was mounted upside down in the previous picture of the car on the dyno.
For interest's sake, we pulled out a stock 1994 intake tract that includes a resonating Heimholtz chamber. It's not perfectly sized for my engine - I believe the theory says it should be equivalent to 1.5 cylinders worth of displacement - but it was worth trying. And whaddya know, it did something! Nothing major, but 4 lb-ft at 4000 rpm for free is nothing to complain about. The red graph is the stock setup.
http://www.targamiata.com/images_lrg...take_tract.pdf
Using the stock crossover tube will also let me put the filter in a cooler place than right behind the rad, which will reap benefits in the real world where having a filter sticking through the hood is awkward to arrange.
In the picture, you can see the filter from my original intake resting inside the engine bay. Don't be fooled, we don't have some sort of bizarre dual-filter setup going here.
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