Maybe dumb question, but why don't you use a 3D printer to print the plenum and runners?

 

I haven't noticed, have you settled on which design you are going with? (Long or short runners)

 

I assume its because of heat and boost...

....and machine/welds look sexier and last longer.

 

Lost PLA casting is pretty tricky, unless you mean just using the 3D printed part which I dont think would work.

 

out of plastic? that stuff is porous.

Though there are other options like quick cast parts in Aluminum... but at that point you're basically just casting it anyway.

 

It all depends on the resolution and material you're using I think

 

It depends on resolution for the porosity. Even if the resolution is poor there's some sweet paint that they use on model aircrafts and they sell on amazon that does a perfect job of sealing it. Or you could just wrap it in carbon or fiberglass.

 

So much pretty machine work and no turbo vids still? Who lives near him and can go work the camera. I want to hear this thing.

 

he posted a few vids a while back. it sounds glorious

 

Like was mentioned, our 3D printers (stratasys ABS) produce parts that are not strong enough for an intake manifold. And yeah, the models are very porous as printed. I am using plastic mockups for fitment though. If pressing the stainless inlet trumpets didn't work, I would have done like Leafy suggested and printed/made composite inlets.

Long at first, I will most likely make a set of shorts since I have a lot of extra material.

Sorry guys. I admit my videos suck. All I have is my 13 year old sony pocket camera that's been thru the washer twice. Plus, getting someone to take a video that: 1. isn't shaky, 2. isn't full of dumb commentary as they are recording, 3. microphone isn't covered by a finger; is difficult.

I plan on borrowing my brother's gopro at some point, or santa may give me one of the newer gopro knockoffs.

EDIT: and the microphone on my sony camera is not good. The car sounds soooo much better in person. The mic doesn't pick up the little burbs and burbbles on decel, any turbo whoosh, barely any BOV vent noise, etc.

EDIT2: This is really the only video posted with the turbo on it, and only at ~5-6 psi and short shifting it. There's lot of detonation there.

 

The stainless portion of the runners are complete. The prototype Haas has been in use for the last few weeks non stop, that's never happened.

Too bad these will be covered up. So PURDY.

 

No lexan peek-a-through?

 

There aren't enough props in the world, Tim. Beautiful work.

 

2nded.

 

Gotta get some lexan and do that some justice!!!

 

Thanks
I'm not smart enough to figure out how to do the lean like I planned initially. There's hood clearance issues towards the front so the top has to be relatively low there. Then swoop up to the throttle body in the back. Easy and probably pretty to make it a nice swoop surface. To add two (or more?) flat surfaces to add lexan... Not sure how. Hmmm. I'll machine that part last. Maybe 3 long skinny triangles?

The no-lexan part is modeled already and I'm lazy soooooo

 

shaker hood cutout. With lexan top.

 

mild chub achieved.

if you do cover it up, make sure it's fastened with quick disconnects so you can floss like a boss

 

I don't remember what the plan was for the lid, but lexan is really easy to heat form. You can make a hood rich form out of cardboard/ plaster/ something to fill the hole in your manifold lid, pre-cut the lexan to your desired shape, clamp it to the highest point on the manifold with clothespin clamps, then hit it with a heat gun. The polycarb will just lay down on top of your cardboard form. Just don't put too much heat into it or it will bubble and craze. Also, you can get away with a really ugly form if you take your time with the heat gun. If you give it just enough heat to relax, and not enough to flow into the imperfections in the form. I've made a bunch of windows/ covers/ etc like this.

Also, Stratasys supports vacuum form tooling on most of their printers. They intentionally add porosity into the part to allow the vacuum former to breathe through it. It's very trick. You might not have a vacuum former, but it would be easy to print a form and just skip the vacuum bit.

 

This


But KL and Miata must be done.