Carbon Fiber SRI/CAI anyone?
- Thread starter Riles
- Start date
1moreMPH- I'll be using the best epoxy/hardener mix to combat yellowing. Usually yellowing is due to UV exposure, but the one I'm going with won't yellow for years of direct sunlight exposure (or at least that's what the manufacturer states!). But, since our parts are under the hood, they should go forever without discoloring since they only see UV for probably at most a day per year if you add up all of the exposure. Also, the melting shouldn't be an issue since it will be bringing in cold air all of the time for itself.
If I go with hardpipes, then I will want to do a month or so of testing, since they deal with more heat.
Update on progress: In the past 2 weeks, I've made 3 different sets of molds, and haven't hit perfection yet. I just want absolutely beautiful bends, so I ordered some mandrel bent aluminum pipe that UPS says will be here today. If this is true, then I will have pics tonight of the first completed prototype that will look exactly like the production model.
Update on pricing: I've found a great supplier of fabric, and when I run the prices, if I sell at least 5 CAI's/SRI's (maybe one or two more if its SRI's since they are shorter) at the same time, I can get the colored carbon/Kevlar for the same price as the carbon fiber! So, if everything works out well tonight (or Monday if UPS doesn't come), the group buy will be really cool.
Assuming I'm done either tonight or Monday, I am planning on driving with the CAI on for a week and the SRI for a week before I feel comfortable offering these to others. This works out well, because I'm driving down to panama city for spring break next week, which will be the perfect test environment (20 hour drive inside the hot engine bay, and warm temps for city driving when I'm down there).
If I go with hardpipes, then I will want to do a month or so of testing, since they deal with more heat.
Update on progress: In the past 2 weeks, I've made 3 different sets of molds, and haven't hit perfection yet. I just want absolutely beautiful bends, so I ordered some mandrel bent aluminum pipe that UPS says will be here today. If this is true, then I will have pics tonight of the first completed prototype that will look exactly like the production model.
Update on pricing: I've found a great supplier of fabric, and when I run the prices, if I sell at least 5 CAI's/SRI's (maybe one or two more if its SRI's since they are shorter) at the same time, I can get the colored carbon/Kevlar for the same price as the carbon fiber! So, if everything works out well tonight (or Monday if UPS doesn't come), the group buy will be really cool.
Assuming I'm done either tonight or Monday, I am planning on driving with the CAI on for a week and the SRI for a week before I feel comfortable offering these to others. This works out well, because I'm driving down to panama city for spring break next week, which will be the perfect test environment (20 hour drive inside the hot engine bay, and warm temps for city driving when I'm down there).
Riles said:
Ok well is it done? JESUS HURRY!
ok now is it done?!??! COME ON!!!
(smash)
I'll have to seel my spool CAI for one of these. Have you said how it will be routed? Also will it be a complete pipe to the turbo or just a short peice off the MAF into the fender?
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- 2001 Pro 2.0 LX
mmm, this sounds scrumdidlyumptious, awaiting pics
Haha, sorry to keep you waiting guys, my apartment office closed before I got home, and they were holding my package hostage! I completed the aluminum mock up today and covered it in carbon fiber, but I ran out of carbon fiber sleeve for half of the intake (apparently the sleeves shrink by up to 35% when they go around wider pipes). Anyway, I finished that section in fiberglass so that I could have something to test while I await the next carbon fiber shipment. (This is ok, because the test driving will mostly be testing the epoxy, not the fabric)
Anyhoo, here are the pics of the babies drying right now. It doesn't look like much because they are still uncut and unfinished, but by the end of tonight, they will actually all look like an intake!
Also, as you can see in the pics, I need to build a good drying stand rather than using old miller lite boxes and random pipes.
Ok, here are the pics. As you can see, I have another layer of fabric to do on the lower intake section, and just another layer of epoxy on the actual carbon fiber one. Also, don't be fooled by the eye trick that the carbon fabric plays- it really is straight pipe and not wavy.
Anyhoo, here are the pics of the babies drying right now. It doesn't look like much because they are still uncut and unfinished, but by the end of tonight, they will actually all look like an intake!
Also, as you can see in the pics, I need to build a good drying stand rather than using old miller lite boxes and random pipes.
Ok, here are the pics. As you can see, I have another layer of fabric to do on the lower intake section, and just another layer of epoxy on the actual carbon fiber one. Also, don't be fooled by the eye trick that the carbon fabric plays- it really is straight pipe and not wavy.
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Last edited:
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- 2001 Pro 2.0 LX
is the piping still in the cf sleeve? looks lik it is hard to come out with the shrinking and the bend. looks nice
As of that picture taking, the pipes still were in the sleeves. But, I have more pictures for ya! Now I have removed the pipes, and the first half of the intake is just awaiting a final coat of epoxy to give it that beautiful shine. The other half (the fiberglass half) will actually be covered by tonight in carbon fiber- I found some extra material lying around. So, as soon as the two are given their final coats (either late tonight or tomorrow morning), they are all done and ready for the car.
The following pics are just to prove that I got the pipes out. I promise I won't post again until the actual product is on my car- I'm just so excited that this is turning out better than I expected.
The following pics are just to prove that I got the pipes out. I promise I won't post again until the actual product is on my car- I'm just so excited that this is turning out better than I expected.
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Speedplease
Member
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- 2003 Black GT Mustang
Yeah looks cool hope it works!
Ok, first drive impressions. It's 2:30 in the morning, so when I went to put the CAI on for testing, I realized that a couple of inches needed to come off the air filter end, so I ran the unit tonight as an SRI. More like a medium ram intake, because it is really just half of the CAI with a filter on the maf.
Anyway, with this thing on, you can hear the turbo scream! It sounds wonderful, and the recirculation sounds like a real blow off. But, that brings me to the problem- the same one the other intake manufacturers had- the car almost dies after a high rpm "blow off". I tried to put the recirc fitting far enough away from the maf, but it just needs to be moved a little bit. I'm not upset- thats why it is a test drive, a few bugs will always need to be worked out.
I can't comment on a power increase because its really cold here, and my car always feels fast in the winter. But, it is great to finally have it on my car, and in a day or two it will be full CAI. And, it looks beautiful. I dont have the most recent pic up, but both sides are carbon fiber now. Once I get it all together, I'm gonna take it for a nice long trip to make sure it doesnt melt.
Oh, and just so you know, the reason I keep doing these updates is because I was so upset at the carbon fiber manufacturers that bailed out, I want you guys to see that I am working at it and almost done, and haven't given up...
Anyway, with this thing on, you can hear the turbo scream! It sounds wonderful, and the recirculation sounds like a real blow off. But, that brings me to the problem- the same one the other intake manufacturers had- the car almost dies after a high rpm "blow off". I tried to put the recirc fitting far enough away from the maf, but it just needs to be moved a little bit. I'm not upset- thats why it is a test drive, a few bugs will always need to be worked out.
I can't comment on a power increase because its really cold here, and my car always feels fast in the winter. But, it is great to finally have it on my car, and in a day or two it will be full CAI. And, it looks beautiful. I dont have the most recent pic up, but both sides are carbon fiber now. Once I get it all together, I'm gonna take it for a nice long trip to make sure it doesnt melt.
Oh, and just so you know, the reason I keep doing these updates is because I was so upset at the carbon fiber manufacturers that bailed out, I want you guys to see that I am working at it and almost done, and haven't given up...
im more interested in the SRI anyways.
And I wouldnt worry about the almost stalling....since I believe the solution is adding a second flange to a hardpipe kit and running 1 recirc and 1 bov...i wouldnt worry about any issues the intake created since its up to the person to buy a hardpipe kit that will fix it no?
And I wouldnt worry about the almost stalling....since I believe the solution is adding a second flange to a hardpipe kit and running 1 recirc and 1 bov...i wouldnt worry about any issues the intake created since its up to the person to buy a hardpipe kit that will fix it no?
