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Old 08-19-2006, 09:28 PM
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Default What would be involved?

I was thinking about possibly fabricating my own intake for the 408 I will be building. Ill be running dual quads and wanted to put them on a Tunnel Ram intake. Ill be using W-2 heads and figure that if I get the specs of the angles and a pattern for where the intake attaches to the heads, and follow some proven design basics, it shouldnt be all that tough to build a nice aluminum piece. I do have access to a tig welder and a tubing bender if any of the runners need to be bent as well as a sheet metal brake and a friend of mine has a CNC machine to make the flanges, so what else am I not thinking of or need to know about building one? I sure theres gotta be at least one or two of you guys that have done this or maybe know whats involved.
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Old 08-21-2006, 04:19 PM
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Ok, well if noone has any advice, would any of you happen to have a sheetmetal tunnel ram they could get some pics of so I can get some ideas?
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Old 08-21-2006, 04:56 PM
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I was looking at a cadillac performance page (dont know why...) and I came across a, believe it or not, sheetmetal intake kit for a cadillac 510ci motor. The cadillac 500 ci motor has tiny ports to keep the torque up but they said the intake was nice because you could enlarge the intake ports on the head and just hog out the ports on the flanges becasue all it was was a 3/8 aluminum plate with stock ports punched out. It was in about 40 pieces of plate aluminum, 4 sides to each runner and a plenum that was shaped like a v hull boat to keep all the angles simple. You could use any configuration for a top, single 4 dual, 3 duece, TB elbow, etc. Required TIG welding of course, but I would think short aluminum tubing would be easier to form into an oval intake port for a Mopar W2 or formed it into a rectangle for a stock intake port. Look at Hogan intakes for some nice sheetmetal intakes.
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Old 08-21-2006, 06:49 PM
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Thanks for the tip Pishta, they offer some really nice stuff. $3400 for a dual quad tunnel ram is alot of money, Ill definately be saving myself some there if I build one myself. Now I just need to take a closer look at his stuff, get a design figured out with measurements and get the pattern for the W2 flanges and I can start getting the pieces cut. Any idea on what the thickness of the aluminum should be? You said 3/8 for the flanges, which sounds about right, but what about the rest of it?
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Old 08-21-2006, 07:09 PM
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I think the runners could be light gage aluminum plate (.080"). At least thats what I read in a couple mags. I would make the carb flange out of 7/16 stock. Why not the intake flanges also? It can all come from the same piece of plate.
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Old 08-21-2006, 08:12 PM
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A couple of suggestions---

Build a steel jig to bolt the intake flanges to. A jig will be easier to get the TIG gun to rather than a block and heads on an engine stand.

Use 1/2 aluminum for the intake flanges and carb flange. Why? 1/2" is usually easier to get and there will be some warpage to contend with even welding on a jig. The final machining should be done after all welding is done.

Are you planning to use rectanglular part W2s or oval port? Oval port may be easier to use round tubing flattened slightly. Rectangular ports may be easier to TIG out of sheet metal.

It isn't "rocket science" to weld up an intake. Bruce Crower got his start offering "U FAB" steel sheet metal intakes over forty years ago. How well it works is another question. I suspect the design is what you pay the big bucks for.
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Old 08-21-2006, 08:26 PM
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I was figuring on doing it right on a block and heads, but a jig is a great idea. Good point on the 1/2 inch, it would give me more leeway for a little warping. I was planning on using oval port W2s, so I was going to do just what you suggested, flatten some round tube a bit and then bend it as needed or vica versa. As far as the design goes, Im going to try to go off of a proven design and make mine very similar so that there will be a much better chance that it works well. I just want to build some of my own parts so when people ask where I got it, I can tell them I made it. I love doing that stuff. Ill probably try making valve covers too. Plus, Fabricated aluminum pieces look awesome. I bought a fabricated coolant catch can and all I could think after I got it was "I could make this so easy, why did I spend that money on it?". Since then, Ive been looking at sheet metal intakes and valve covers and such, and they dont look too tough to do, so I figure Ill give it a shot.
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Old 08-21-2006, 11:38 PM
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Id love to make some sheet metal valve covers, but my welding skills are terrible.
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Old 08-22-2006, 04:14 AM
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Well, I havent touched a TIG in years, I used to be allright with it, but I am going to have to practice up with some scrap before I weld the actual pieces. Plus,the guy that has the welder is willing to helpout a bit.
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Old 08-22-2006, 08:33 AM
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We used to make stuff because it wasn't available commercially. It's neat to do stuff others can't but it sure gets old! When we went to aluminum small blocks, we fabricated the oil pans, valve covers, timing chain covers, water manifolds, headers, heavily modified the GM water pumps to fit the timing chain covers, etc. At least, at that point in time the intakes(single carb) were commercially available.

Good luck to you!
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Old 08-22-2006, 09:30 AM
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Thanks Sanborn. I know the stuff is available, and I could buy it, but I like the satisfation of doing things myself whenever possible. Plus, it will give my car more of that old school hot rodder feel to have homemade parts on it, which is kind of the general look and feel im going for with it. A little bit of new school with a whole lot of old school!

Thanks to you other guys for all the tips too! Ill definately be posting pics once I get started on it.
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Old 08-22-2006, 02:04 PM
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Another specific suggestion. Make the valve covers with 1/2" flanges. The sheet metal doesn't need to be more than .060". If you want to also use spring oilers, you can drill down throught the flange with a 1/8" extra long drill bit, then .060" holes in front of each spring for good cooling of the spring. The oil lines going into each valve cover flange does turn some heads.
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Old 08-22-2006, 05:13 PM
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Sanborn, any pics of that setup, Ive never seen one that I can think of. It sounds pretty neat though! I assume the advantage to it is just cooling of the springs?
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