I was about to purchase the Dejon Tool UICP until I came across some posts about the build quality and material of choice, steel being heavier. After further research, you clearly see that most pipes, both IC and intake pipes are built from aluminum.

Then, why is it that one of the most popular and proven applications by Buschur Racing are made from steel? Now Im confused.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it's because items made from steel is cheaper to produce than items made from aluminum.

 

either

 

works fine

 

steel is much cheeper and also much heavier. both will work exactely the same

 

If you're concerned about weight, lose a few pounds and wear spandex when you drive.

An intake pipe is about 12 inches long. The difference in weight between that and aluminum is negligable.

Steel is cheaper to buy, much easier and cheaper to weld.

With that being said, it really makes no performance difference.
If you had two options that were the same price, definately go aluminum.

 

Stainless and 6061 sell at about the same price these days.

Some fabricators prefer to work with one over the other. Perhaps in some cases they don't weld aluminum.

 

FIRST of all, we do not use "steel" we use 304 grade stainless steel and we also use a thin wall tubing so the weight is only very slightly heavier than a typical aluminum tube that is usually atleast .065 wall thickness.

The other reason we use stainless is the polished finish lasts basically forever. Aluminum tarnishes, stains and looks like crap. Next reason is aluminum is VERY easy to bend and dent. The use of T bolt clamps on your intercooler plumbing connections if using aluminum tubing will generally put a dent in the pipe under the clamps. This is a good spot for a boost leak.

The stainless pipes are MUCH more rigid, this means you can overtighten a t bolt clamp without causing damage to the tubing below it.

Also, there was some testing done quite a few years ago that made me switch to and continue to use SS for our tubing.

Aluminum, as you know, dispates heat very quickly. This means if you heat up one part of the tubing the heat travels very quickly through the rest of the tube and if you stop putting heat to the tubing it will cool faster than a piece made of steel. What this also means is this heated area of tubing, in an engine bay, spreads the heat through the length of the pipe more quickly than stainless steel.

Something else, polished tubing does a better job at reflecting radiant heat than a non polished part. What was shown in this testing years ago was an intercooler pipe that was made from polished stainless reflected engine heat better than aluminum and kept the charge air in the pipe cooler than aluminum tubing did.

So there is my input, that I was asked to give, on the subject.

 

I use T-bolts on all my aluminum piping. I've never dented any and don't have boost leaks.
How hard do you have to tighten before denting? I've cranked t-bolts and never had an issue.

The disadvantage with aluminum is that you actually have to be somewhat experienced in order to weld it. Stainless is simple. Aluminum takes a good amount of time to learn and much more expensive equipment.

 

Well sophie, I guess the answer is tighter than you have tightened them.

Welding aluminum is no more difficult than welding stainless, as a matter of fact I'd say once you have done a little bit of both it is much easier to lay a nice bead of weld on aluminum than anything else. We weld all of our intercoolers and other aluminum products in house.

 

Youve got to be kidding man. Youre worried about heavy intercooler pipes? My 2.5" BR UICP probably weighs 2-3lbs. Comeonnnnnn

 

Well. I think you have more experience welding alum than I do.

I've done both and aluminum is definately harder. My first attempt at stainless I was able to weld a great looking bead. My first attempt at aluminum, I accomplished a hazy lump.