I'm just curious... Are any of the shops currently working on an intake manifold for the 4B11?

I'd like to see a nice ceramic coated one come out. So I can get rid of that hunk of plastic Mitsu calls an intake manifold and get rid of that plastic spring board that hides it. I like seeing my engine... not hiding the ugly plastic bits.

 

You are aware that plastic is better, right? It holds heat less than metal, so the intake charge tends to cool down.

Not saying it's the best thing since sliced bread, but a lot of cars are getting plastic IMs.

 

I'm sure plastic's thermal conductivity/insulation may be better than the majority of the alternative materials, but I would still prefer to have something more aesthetically pleasing than a chunk a molded plastic up there.

Worst case scenario, I suppose I could have a custom manifold made, but I think I'd rather avoid that cost if at all possible.

It just bugs me to pop the hood on a car and to find my nephew's toy box when I'm expecting an engine.

 

You and I differ then. I don't expect my motor to look pretty. I expect it to make HP. It can have decals of Barbie dolls on it for all I care. It just better do the job that my car payments are paying for...

 

sure... and that's fine with me.

I can handle an 'ugly' engine and engine bay. In this case, maybe I just have too much prejudice against plastic engine components...

Then again, I've never been a big fan of the current trend in new cars to try and hide everything under the hood. It makes working on the engine a bigger hassle than it needs to be.

 

on a serious note is ANYBODY making ANY parts for this car anymore? haven't really seen anything new in a while...

 

ceramic coat keeps the heat in.. not exactly a great idea for intake manifold.. anodizing is best as it doesnt add material to the aluminum..

 

RRM - mostly working on the turbo kit and getting that finished.
Works - mostly working on the Evolution X
Everybody else - **crickets chirping**

Just like always with the Lancer platform...

 

^LOL +1

 

The plastic seems to be the way a lot f manufacturers are going, but being that plastic isn't as strong as other materials what is a ported manifold going to be made of. I don't care if it looks pretty or not, but opening it up a bit so we can get more air in there will do a lot, when is that coming??

 

that is the question really, I suppose. I haven't seen any posts about a manifold in development. So I thought I'd ask...

 

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Unless a company like RRM does a LOT of R&D and custom-fabricates something, we might be stuck. The 4G94 has been around for nearly 7 years, and the only IM option on the market is the stocker ported. And that's an IM that is kinda known for poor airflow . . .

 

You can port the stock plastic one.

 

Now, now... While we are getting parts going on the EVO, we're still focused on the Lancer as well. I'd say we're "mostly" working on the SPEED World Challenge car, which happens to be a Lancer

We've never been known for rapid development (although it does occur from time to time), but it'll be worth the wait.

 

That's understandable, but it never hurts to ask... ya know? If the funds become available and there isn't one already available on the market, I may have one custom made, but like I said before, that would be a last resort.

Eh, IF I do any custom work to my intake manifold, then it WON'T be to the plastic one. That's just me and my preferences though.

Not to be argumentative, and if you know something about ceramic coatings that I don't, please do share. As for why I'd want an IM ceramic coated... If ceramic coating serves to keep the heat IN a header/exhaust manifold (and therefore OUT of the engine compartment), would it also not serve to keep the heat OUT of an intake manifold? If you're running a CAI, then the charge running through the intake would typically be cooler than the "ambient" temp under the hood. So, in this application, would the ceramic coating not serve as an insulative coating to reduce the warming of the intake charge? It only seems logical that I can use an insulative coating to keep things to cooler in the intake, and wouldn't a ceramic coating be better thermal barrier than just aluminum alone?

Worst case scenario, I would end up having a custom intake made on my own, and in that case mild steel tubing might end up being the material because it's theoretically cheaper to work with. If that turns out to be the case, a ceramic coating would be hella better than paint.