Flexible intake pipe to turbo

[rockbender]

Does anyone have any experience using a flexible intake tube/pipe between the air filter and turbo? On a van with a Banks turbo you have to snake around the fuel filter and then mount the filter right above the AC compressor. Banks has some sort of flexible tube in its kit, but I'm not sure what it is made out of (if I had one, I wouldn't have a problem!). I think I can build an ABS or PVC intake with a few fittings, but was thinking of using 3" semi-rigid/flexible aluminum duct (think dryer vent, but not the kind with just a spring and foil) as at least a temporary connection. The material bends nicely and is pretty stiff, but if you squeeze hard enough you could put a dent in it. I guess I am having this nightmare vision of a vacuum causing this pipe to collapse and just wanted to see if anyone has used it successfully before I get too far from home with it.

As far as the rigid pipe goes, is there a preference between ABS or PVC?

 

[79jasper]

I don't know that PVC would hold up to the heat.

Really all in all, you could use flexible exhaust pipe. Just primer and paint it first.

 

[redneckaggie]

they sale that type of flexible ducting at oreillys around here, made by spectre

 

[TWeatherford]

I wouldn't run the flexible stuff - every one I have seen has very small holes in it where it flexes. On an exhaust its not much of a problem, but on the vacuum side of an air filter you'll be sucking dust. I have never understood using PVC or ABS on an intake, or really anywhere under the hood of a truck. Lots of heat will cause brittleness over time, and doing it right isn't that difficult. I'd hate to see a turbo that swallowed a chunk of PVC.

 

[79jasper]

Forgot about the stuff made by spectre.
If someone wrapped the flexpipe with some header wrap, it wouldn't leak anyways. Plus it'd keep IAT's down.

TWeatherford, how would you suggest "doing it right??"

 

[oregon96psd]

TWeatherford, how would you suggest "doing it right??"

I would guess metal pipe welded together....?

 

[TWeatherford]

TWeatherford, how would you suggest "doing it right??"

Bent/welded aluminum or stainless, or powder coated mild steel (don't want rust on the inside of the pipe). Or, if you don't have a tubing bender and tig welder (I do not), piece it together with straight pipe and silicone elbows and flexible straight connectors.

 

[79jasper]

That's a better in depth answer.

A person could do it with a mig using exhaust elbows and pipe. Then have it coated afterwards.
The 2nd gen banks has a 4" inlet. So with 4", it shouldn't be a problem powder coating the inside.

 

[rockbender]

I may be able to do aluminum tubing with silicone fittings down the road. This seems to be a reasonable solution. If ABS/PVC have issues with heat from a normal truck engine compartment I probably don't want to stuff that in a van.

The old Banks intake is 3". I thought about using flexible exhaust but you bring up a good point that it isn't 100% air tight. The flexible duct that I am using now is 100% air tight as it is corrugated /flexible aluminum that is one piece. Again, my main concern with this is what happens if it collapses? I assume it would just squeeze down a bit and kill the motor.