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Stainless steel 304L
304L Stainless Steel is a durable material for most manifolds
or exhaust systems and it is an excellent metal for use either
on race or road engines. 304L is a perfect upgrade for mild
steel as it provides superior performance, improved visual
appearance and vastly increased durability.
Stainless steel 321
321 Stainless Steel is one of the most durable stainless materials
because of its high Nickel content and the presence of Titanium.
These metals give it excellent fatigue resistance to cracking
at high temperatures. It is therefore our material of choice
for turbocharger applications unless the extreme conditions,
and available budget, recommend the use of Inconel.
Aluminium
6061
Although not recommended for exhaust manifolds, or for exhaust
systems, aluminium is ideal for cooling systems as it is the
least expensive of the heat treatable alloys. We prefer 6061
for its hardness and because it is ideal for cutting, machining,
shaping and polishing.
Titanium
Titanium is the material of choice for those whose budget
exceeds that for stainless. It will give a reduction in weight
of approximately 2/3rds over the weight of stainless. We would
not normally recommend it for an entire system but mainly
for the components where the temperature does not exceed 400°C
for sustained periods of time. ASTM Grade 2 Titanium offers
the optimum in terms of cost, availability, fabrication, weldability
and mechanical properties.
Inconel 625
Inconel contains 60% Nickel and 22% Chromium. Initially it
was developed to cope with the extreme heat and very high
strength demands of jet engines but it is now routinely used
on Formula 1 engine manifolds. In some applications, such
as extreme duty turbochargers, the expense of Inconel can
repay the initial high combined cost of the metal and fabrication
process.
Mild
Steel
Mild steel is easy to bend and to fabricate but its drawbacks,
for example high weight and poor resistance to oxidation,
far outweigh its positive qualities. We would not recommend
this metal to the committed enthusiast or the serious racer.
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