Mickrick Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Why do they manufacture exhausts from this stuff? What are the advantages? And last question, how expensive is it? TIA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Brown Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 High temperature strength and corrosion resistance but difficult to machine due to work hardening (this probably not relevant with exhausts). Very expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickrick Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Thanks David. I'd heard it was very difficult to work with, and apparently, the guys who build the exhausts for the F1 cars are artesans, who do only that. How much more expensive is it than stainless? Twice the price, ten times the price? It would be nice not to have to keep polishing the headers, to keep them looking nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Mupferit Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 A cheaper but effective way of keeping them looking good is to have them ceramic coated with Cermakrome by Camcoat Ltd. Mine were done when new and apart from a quick buff when cleaning the car, they never, ever discolour or need cleaning. Even on the rolling road when exhausts normally glow a bright cherry red, mine didn't change colour at all. The finish is a kind of aluminium look which can be polished and although it will never shine quite like polished ali, it isn't half bad. Some will say that ceramic coating can suffer from stone chips but I have now had it applied to the primaries on two 7's and over 19,000 combined miles, neither one has shown any deterioration or discolouration of any sort. I think the Cermakrome finish is more durable in this respect than their black ceramic finish. Highly recommended. Edited by - Brent Chiswick on 1 Aug 2008 10:28:28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMMO Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 The reason we used Inconel for race exhausts was lightness. Our race headers were on 0.020" / 0.5mm thick and weighed very little. Cost of Inconel is between three to four times the price of stainless depending on diameter and gauge. You can cut a tube with tin snips along its length it is so thin. Try cutting a length off with a band saw and the material work hardens and makes the band saw blade blunt without actually cutting through it. Weird stuff! All F1 exhausts are Inconel as far as I know. Ammo Raceco.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickrick Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Brent, thanks for the tip. Seems that's an option well worth considering. Hi Ammo That is wierd! And fascinating at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k.russell Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 I have been working with inconel for 25 years, mostly for the heat treatment buissiness, furnace equipment , and petro chem. The price now is i beleive between £6 - £10 per Kg. we only used the seamless pipes between 5mm and 100mm dia and most of the sizes above 12mm were thick walls, we produced pipe of thin wall for other companies, forming them from a sheet of flat material and seam welding up, which is how i believe the exhaust tube is done. the tube would be argon purged and TIG welded. This would all add to the cost. for the temperatures seen in most cars a thin wall (1.2mm) 304 or 316 stainless system would be more suitable i think. Kevin R black(but sometimes orange)-ali HPC here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickrick Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 You've not been tempted to knock one up for your car then Kevin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pikey Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 simpson race exhausts offer Inconel exhausts J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 The place that made up the new RaceCo system had some very nice F1/Indycar Iconel exhausts lying around, it's ridiculously light but I hate to think how much it would cost for a complete system. OK in F1 but for us mere mortals maybe a bit over the top. Cheers Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBL Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 I have been told of a Sevener here in California who had his SS exhaust ceramic coated on the inside only, and had the outside polished. Unfortunately I have yet see it, but it sounds like a realistic approach. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMMO Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 The Inconel system we had made for my race bike in the mid '90's was made of seamless tube. Quite difficult to bend. When mandrel bent there is always the risk of getting wrinkles on the short turn of the bend. I suppose for F1 and Indycar where the systems have to be perfect there must be a lot of wastage which just adds to the cost. We used to carry a complete spare exhaust system in case of crash damage. I used the love handing somebody a header pipe at the race track when there was bit of a crowd. The look of amazement in their face as they lifted the thing to chin level, obviously expecting to grip onto something a lot heavier. The victim would be slightly embarrassed and people would laugh and pass it around. 😬 That's how we got a porky road bike from 225 kilos down to 169 kilos. Lots of titanium, magnesium, inconel and carbon fibre. If somebody was really interested in weight saving we could make one of our new big bore Duratec header systems in Inconel but the price would be quite high. Ammo Raceco.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithT Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 A friend of mine who stocks Nickel Alloys thinks the price would be between 30 and 45 pounds per kg with the thinner material being at the upper end. (Thats for 718 - not sure if 625 is used for exhausts but guess the price would be similar). "Inconel" is a trade name. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Howe Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Brent, care to offer a guide price? Also, what sort of additional thickness would it add - I am thinking about the problems of primaries entering the collector. JH Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 230bhp Sausage delivery machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisb Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Hello Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithT Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Hi Chis. Thought youd be taking an interest in this one though not sure if sheet is your thing(?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now