13 header fix1.jpg
39 hits | 62.2 KB | Posted: 8/9/24
I put the headers on the car to check thing out and start fabricating the crossover pipe. For the first time, I put the v band clamps for the crossover on the headers while they were on the car. Then I noticed the #1 plug wire hanging there. So I put...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

14 Down pipe.jpg
62 hits | 99.54 KB | Posted: 8/9/24
Took the current 3-inch X pipe out and mocked up the new 4-inch down pipe to the X. I'll put a v band clamp in there somewhere.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

12 done sanding.jpg
34 hits | 59.19 KB | Posted: 8/5/24
Done sanding these. I ended up buying zircon abrasive belts for the belt sander which worked a lot better than the silicon carbide ones I had before. Got them down to less than 3 thousandths out of flat. That's probably good enough. I'll make my own ...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

12 sanding.jpg
54 hits | 60.96 KB | Posted: 8/3/24
Nearly there with sanding these down.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

11 grinding flat 3.jpg
74 hits | 62.6 KB | Posted: 8/1/24
Starting to tackle grinding the flanges flat. My 6x48 belt sander just barely has enough range to get the whole flange at once. This is an early shot. I black out the flange with a huge Sharpie and then sand it a bit. The Sharpie helps show where the...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

11 grinding flat 2.jpg
64 hits | 59.89 KB | Posted: 8/1/24
A little more sanding. Getting better but the ends still had a long way to go and stainless is a pain to sand. Even with a 36 grit silicone carbide belt which is about as aggressive as they come.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

11 grinding flat.jpg
61 hits | 62.22 KB | Posted: 8/1/24
To help the ends out, I ran a bead with no filler right where it was warped to pull it back but made sure to keep the bead out of the sealing area. Worked really well. Maybe a bit too well on the bigger header. Oh well, easy enough to sand down.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

11 wastegate merge welded.jpg
68 hits | 59.51 KB | Posted: 8/1/24
Fully welded wastegate merge.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

9 header.jpg
47 hits | 82.7 KB | Posted: 7/26/24
Installed in the car to check clearances. Looks like the wastegate merge can go under the header.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

9 header2.jpg
42 hits | 78.6 KB | Posted: 7/26/24
Installed in the car front view.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

10 merge fitment.jpg
42 hits | 39.55 KB | Posted: 7/26/24
The merge for the wastegate return. A lot of time fitting these parts to get a nice fit. Makes it nicer to weld later.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

10 merge mock up.jpg
42 hits | 60.13 KB | Posted: 7/26/24
Wastegate return mockup. These are always more complex than you think they will be, but this wasn't that bad. It was nice to be able to do all the fitting off the car in one spot. Of course I'll double check the fit on the car before I final weld it ...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

8 patch.jpg
41 hits | 53.65 KB | Posted: 7/24/24
I cut out a spot where the weld blew through and put a patch on it. For whatever reason the Sch 10 wasn't exactly Sch 10 in that spot. Should be around 0.1" and was maybe 16-gauge.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

8 tacked.jpg
36 hits | 63.82 KB | Posted: 7/24/24
Tacked the pipe in place. Looked like I had access to all the weld joints. Turned out to be tougher than I thought.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

8 final welded.jpg
63 hits | 60.91 KB | Posted: 7/24/24
Fully welded. Getting to one section of weld inside that jumble of pipe turned out to be a challenge. Had to extend the tungsten and use a higher gas flow rate. Got it done but glad no one can see in there.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

8 assembled.jpg
67 hits | 63.5 KB | Posted: 7/24/24
Put the turbo, header, and down pipe stub together to plan out the waste gate merge. I need to put it in the car to check clearance to the control arm though.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

7 WG bends in progress.jpg
37 hits | 47 KB | Posted: 7/20/24
Some of the bends and cuts needed to make the wastegate pipe. A lot of trial and error here as the pipe is fairly complicated. At least for me. There are pipe calculators online that can get you close but for cutting on bends there is always some adj...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

7 WG mock up.jpg
38 hits | 53.66 KB | Posted: 7/20/24
The final mockup with the pipes just held in place and marked. None of the hole are cut out yet. Just checking fitment here.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

7 WG pipe.jpg
42 hits | 51.54 KB | Posted: 7/20/24
The pipes tacked in place with the minimum of light tacks. Still need to cut the holes out which will be fun. Running the wastegate pipe from this to the exhaust will be fun as well as the upper control arm blocks most of the access.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

6 tacked up again.jpg
83 hits | 72.53 KB | Posted: 7/5/24
Inserted one 10-degree pie cut and tacked everything up again. This time the end of the pipe ended up a little close to the steering shaft. Another adjustment was required but it was just about a 4-degree slice right under the #1 header tube. This ma...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

6 downpipe welded.jpg
74 hits | 54.35 KB | Posted: 7/5/24
The final (?) first couple feet of downpipe. The hard part. After this it's just angle down to get under the car and meet the existing exhaust. That is a full 3" mandrel bent system with an X-pipe. I'll cut it right before the X and make it fit the 4...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

5 figuring.jpg
83 hits | 66.74 KB | Posted: 7/4/24
Now that the header part is done at least over the downpipe, I can start on the downpipe. First thing is to figure out exactly where it needs to go. This is more holding things and staring at them time.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

5 on the bench.jpg
76 hits | 64.19 KB | Posted: 7/4/24
Once I had it sorted out on the car, I set it all back up on the bench. Much easier to get to all the parts here. But more risk of something not fitting on the car. More on that later.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

5 making cuts.jpg
92 hits | 62.91 KB | Posted: 7/4/24
I made this extra clamp for the dry cut saw so I can cut angles on mandrel bends. Especially on the 180 degree bends that just won't work on the regular clamp. It looks shady but it works fine. The machinists vice can also be attached to the saw for ...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

5 laying it out.jpg
84 hits | 55.36 KB | Posted: 7/4/24
Mocking up my cuts. I got the angles from the corrugated aluminum pipe. It mostly worked but it can be tricky to see all the bends and angles on the aluminum. More on that later.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

5 tacked.jpg
95 hits | 63.11 KB | Posted: 7/4/24
All tack welded up and test fitting. I can move the header, turbo, and downpipe as a unit, but it is very heavy. It's hard to see but the down pipe ended up 1/4" from the corner of the head. Probably enough room if I wasn't thinking about wrapping th...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

4 back view.jpg
88 hits | 77.03 KB | Posted: 6/29/24
Driver's side header fully tacked up including the stub to the crossover pipe. I'll have to cut the tacks to the header to weld the stub first then weld the header to the flange last to have access for the TIG.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

4 front view.jpg
76 hits | 70.74 KB | Posted: 6/29/24
View from the front. Plenty of hood clearance but these will be ceramic coated and wrapped when in use.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

4 top view.jpg
76 hits | 72.98 KB | Posted: 6/29/24
Top view showing the twisted turn for the pipes. I looked at other ways to route things and this was the best option.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

4 bottom view.jpg
76 hits | 60.66 KB | Posted: 6/29/24
View from the bottom. The two pipes don't touch but they are close.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

Dreivers header hot side mock up.jpg
99 hits | 57.85 KB | Posted: 6/28/24
Chopped up a bunch of expensive 2.5" cast stainless bends to connect the drivers header to the turbo. This is just mock up, I'll tack weld it and check the fit, then weld it and check the fit several times in the process. Little changes as you go can...
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

Headers 062524.jpg
111 hits | 53.28 KB | Posted: 6/25/24
Welded the headers bolted to a 1"x3" block of cold rolled steel to keep them from warping. It worked. Mostly. The very ends curled up a tad and it curled width wise at the ports. About 1/32", so not much. Big belt sander will take care of that.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

Headers 062524 2.jpg
100 hits | 63.57 KB | Posted: 6/25/24
I'm not a welder, but they won't leak and won't fall off. Works for me. Once they are ceramic coated, it will be fine.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

bad headers.jpg
128 hits | 102.49 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Custom headers from Stainless Steel Headers. Nothing about these were right.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

checking.jpg
112 hits | 73.01 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Holding up bits of cut up header to see where things should go.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

current.jpg
113 hits | 75.22 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Header tacked together and checking the rest of the exhaust routing.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

cut up header.jpg
105 hits | 64.53 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Slicing up the custom headers to maker them work.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

Headers tacked.jpg
106 hits | 64.94 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Reworked headers tacked up and ready to weld.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

old left.jpg
113 hits | 80.11 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Driver's side just prior to starting the single turbo install.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

old right.jpg
120 hits | 77.66 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Passenger side turbo just prior to starting the single turbo install.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

routing.jpg
123 hits | 75.77 KB | Posted: 6/22/24
Figuring out the turbo positioning.
(Posted in: 2024 Big Turbo)

System layout.jpg
96 hits | 95.81 KB | Posted: 10/17/23
Laying out the new 3-inch system. Resonators, x pipe, Flowmasters, tail pipes
(Posted in: Exhaust 2023)

Tailpipes tacked.jpg
107 hits | 89.51 KB | Posted: 10/17/23
Tail pipes all tacked into place. Sorry no pics while cutting and tacking. Too much work.
(Posted in: Exhaust 2023)

Welded tails.jpg
117 hits | 64.05 KB | Posted: 10/17/23
Tail pipes TIGed together. Ready for the next step.
(Posted in: Exhaust 2023)

V band weld.jpg
107 hits | 43.35 KB | Posted: 10/17/23
V band clamp welded to the resonators (bullet mufflers). Not exactly stacking dimes but not going to fall off.
(Posted in: Exhaust 2023)