how'd he do it?

[JShadzi at aol.com]

<< Ok, Javad, I'm impressed....really impressed.>>

Shucks, thanks  =)

<< Just how did you do all that plumbing?  I see the flex pipe in the
 backgrnd of some shots and presume you used that to make templates to
 make up against?>>

Good eye on the flex pipe, but that is the wastegate outlet as it merges into
the DP below.  To set up the header, I build a replica motor on a stand with
the head, block, intake manifold, and everything else that could have gotten
in the way, then one-by-one pieces together the elbows.  Also, a key was
determining exactly where the turbo flange needed to be, once I had
determined that, I built a bracket to hold it precisely in place, so *all* I
had to do was connect the collector to the exhaust port on the head.

Check out the pics here, they will explain a lot of it.

http://www.mswanson.com/phpix/?mode=album&album=javad%2Fheader%2Fdesign


<< Do you plan to coat,  wrap or otherwise insulate the exhaust to the
 turbo?>>

Yes, eventually, but since this is a prototype I will install everything with
the least amount of coatings in case some welding or modification are
required.  I will implement stainless heatshields and aluminum/fiberglass
sandwhiches wherever I can to keep things from melting too bad.

<< I've been following the thread recently but wonder if you have posted an
 outline of the principal elements of design and fabrication of these
 works of art.>>

Well, not yet, I will likely go into more detail on 80tq.com in the future,
but basically, a turbo header is a very stressed component, and much thought
must go into the design to ensure a part that will perform with longevity as
well as its performance.  I did a lot of thinking about the length of the
runners, whether they should be equal, their diameter, the collector, etc.
Then, once I hit the drawing board with all the theory and engineering
principles that I had studied up on, getting the sucker to fit was the real
challenge, and that dictated a lot of the final result anyway!

I will probably write a paper in the future outlining my decisions and the
reasons for them in the future, much too much to write here!

Bottom line, look at a stock manifold, and look at the header, my bets are on
the header for big time power  =)

<< Look forward to learning more!>>

As always, me too!

Javad
80tq.com