PDA

View Full Version : Need someone who can bend 4" 1/8' thick alum tubing



flat broke
05-22-2002, 02:45 PM
After an exhast blowout in the standard black hoses I ran last year during the shakedown on the new boat yesterday, I swung by Schoor (thanks again for the tip Dave) and picked up some 4" OD Aluminum tube. None of the mufler guys in the South Bay that I have checked with can do it, so I figured I'd ask over here. Anyone know somebody that does large diameter tubing work?
Thanks,
Chris

wsuwrhr
05-22-2002, 02:51 PM
A friend of mine bends 4 inch for exhaust at a shop in Irwindale. I'll ask him where he goes.
Brian

HBjet
05-22-2002, 02:56 PM
Tell us more of what happened? You were using hoses that where a year old? and your replaceing it with the aluminum tube? Explain.....
HBjet

superdave013
05-22-2002, 03:11 PM
Originally posted by flat broke:
I swung by Schoor (thanks again for the tip Dave) and picked up some 4" OD Aluminum tube.
Thanks,
Chris
Now is that not the biggest Rem. selection you have ever seen? Wish I could help with the bends.

gstark
05-22-2002, 03:48 PM
Check out Precision Tube Bending (PTB). Where I work we bend a lot of CRES, titanium and Inconel tubing for aerospace apps, not muffler shop levels, and there is a major difference. We offload alum work to PTB.
They will likely have different bend radius tooling so give that some thought.
Also, do you know what alloy of aluminum you have ?

wsuwrhr
05-22-2002, 04:09 PM
Not a muffler shop, but a shop that mandrel bends tubing. We do 4 inch exhaust and not many shops can bend tubing that size.

flat broke
05-22-2002, 04:29 PM
Originally posted by superdave013:
Originally posted by flat broke:
I swung by Schoor (thanks again for the tip Dave) and picked up some 4" OD Aluminum tube.
Thanks,
Chris
Now is that not the biggest Rem. selection you have ever seen? Wish I could help with the bends.
That was my 3rd trip out there. I actually just swung by yesterday on my way back from smellsomeore. We've already picked up a lot of T6 1/8 plate, some T6 barstock of various diameters and I imagine well be back soon http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif You can't beat $20 for 6.5' of T6 4" tube.
HB,
Here's the dealio. Last season I ran the motor minus Team G and bigger carb in my Dana with Stainless Marine 4" stainless risers connected to 4" ID straight hose from teague. I checked the things constantly worried that they might burn through, but never did. Those hoses are still in the Dana behind some stock Mercruiser manifolds at this point and are still fine. Now in the spectra, my 468 sits at a slightly different angle front to back which changed the geometry of the hose where it meets the riser. I bought new hose last week from Teague for the application due to low funds and not wanting to pony up for fabricated tubes at this point. When I took the boat (spectra) out yesterday for its shakedown under my ownership and power I noticed a change in exhaust tone half way around the lake. I poped the hatch only to see the top of the starboard hose spurting exhaust and water up onto the hatch. I headed for the ramp and after inspection found that the exhaust might have been hitting the rubber at too severe of an angle and thus heating to the point of a rupture. I checked the plugs and it's not running too lean as I first feared it might be. The other negative was that performance started droping through the floor on the way back to the dock due to water all over my coil and soaking the cap. I fired her up today after re-installing the MSD and everything is cool, so now I'm just waiting on a more permanent exhaust setup. I had the GPS with me yesterday but the tach was acting up because it doesn't like the MSD(fixed that with a MSD tach adapter) and I had too much going on to air it out and get a reading. Maybe Monday I'll have some numbers.
Talk to you guys later, and let me know if you get the info on that guy wsuwrhr.
Thanks,
Chris

HBjet
05-22-2002, 09:16 PM
Flat Broke, good to here everything else is ok. What do you think about a trip to Pryamid this Sunday? I should have the boat back from the interior shop, and I'm going to take her out for the first time since October. Hustler and maybe Party Cat will be there. Email me.
HBjet

flat broke
05-24-2002, 02:05 PM
I just had to post this about Precision Tube Bending. The only bending they must do is their customers over the counter. I called them after not getting a response to my email and a real nice guy informed me that he could bend two pipes for about $800 dollars. Needless to say I rushed the boat down there as fast as I could... NOT. So got another local quote at 100 per side wich might turn out to be the ticket. That is unless I can find a way to rig a home made tube bender with a 4" mandrel out of a floor jack and one of the boat trailers http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif Back to the drawing board.
Chris

HBjet
05-24-2002, 03:25 PM
What about cutting and welding the tubes together in the angle you want. I know someone that can do it. He is the best!
Call or email me.
HBjet

flat broke
05-24-2002, 07:53 PM
Originally posted by HBjet:
What about cutting and welding the tubes together in the angle you want. I know someone that can do it. He is the best!
Call or email me.
HBjet
I already swapped email with the best on Monrovia st and he said he couldn't get to me until mid july http://free.***boat.net/ubb/wink.gif . We both know I can't wait that long. It's not looking good for Sunday at this point. I used a piece of 4" gas vent tube from Home Depot to do a mock up so now I don't have to tow the boat to a shop that can do it, but dropping 100/side is still high in my book. I might spend tomorrow looking for tube benders and mandrels to do it myself. You know what they say, "give a man fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime". That being said, I'll find a way to buy a bender and never use it again http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif I'll give you a call on your cell tomorrow night to let you know if we're going to make Pyramid.
Chris

Stupid Fast
05-24-2002, 08:06 PM
Find an electrician. They bend 4" rigid conduit all the time. Hell I've seen them bend 6" and make it look perfect.

HBjet
05-24-2002, 09:44 PM
No Flat Broke, you didn't talk to the best. I talked to my neighbor who has made some custom exhaust before of offshore boats and he said 100 bucks a side is about right. He explained to me the process and how they do it do there are no wrinkles in the bend. Right now he's on his way to the river, but said Monday or Tuesday he will get me the name of another shop that bends, and a shop you sells already bent tubing and you just need to weld the pieces together. He can weld it for you before July, and trust me, he is the shit when it comes to welding. Not too many welders sit in 500 dollar leather chairs without any burn makes welding all day do they? Call my cell tomorrow.
(949) 697-1136
HBjet
[This message has been edited by HBjet (edited May 24, 2002).]

Hustler
05-25-2002, 10:26 AM
Flat Broke you can rent a bender from most large rental yards, the benders are built by Greenlee, just keep in mind that the bend radius is not very tight, if I remember it's something like 2' Good Luck
Hustler

hack job
05-25-2002, 10:21 PM
good news we got it doen we go the tube cut( got the trusty band saw out and cut out our angles) and then found a guy that would work on sat afternoon and got it all together and it works like a charm we will be out there tomorrow. see ya then!
Tyson www.plumbersassracing.com (http://www.plumbersassracing.com)

flat broke
05-25-2002, 10:25 PM
well, F' bending it. We made some strategic cuts, bent the pipe and had it welded. The welds could have looked nicer, but thats what you get at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif Now if we can just get some taper head 1/4 20 screws for the homemade steering wheel adapter we'll be out at Pyramid tomorrow. The only down side is that I didn't have time to clean the interior or wax the boat after all of the work we've been doing. Maybe I can put someone back there tomorrow to clean it while we're towing to the lake http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif
Barring any other problems we'll see you guys tomorrow,
Chris

Shockwave
05-26-2002, 12:18 AM
Has anyone done any welding to a set of bassetts? Know what materials they are constructed of specifically? I have a set of thru-transoms I bought second hand that the collector outlet has been cut off to where my exhaust connector hoses wont get a good attachment and try to slip off- I'm gonna have to cut and weld some extensions on them-
Holland

gstark
05-27-2002, 04:21 PM
flatbroke:
My apologies for suggesting PTB. The type of work they do (aerospace bending) obviously is not what you (or I) would want to pay for. 1-off runs are not what they do, production quantities are their bread and butter. Consequently the high setup charges.