Does anyone know where I can get the rubber pieces for both sides of my elbow (aftermarket elbow)? Or have you made or used somethig else. All info is appreciated. Thanks.

 

I use the Trickflow elbow (Summit Racing)...



(not my car)

...but you could always buy something from an outfit like http://www.siliconeintakes.com/

Good luck.

 

I have an aluminum elbow, but dont like it as it gets really hot. I dont know but think a rubber one wouldn't transfer heat as well. I wonder if anyone has wrapped an aluminum one with some kind of heat barrier. that's why I painted mine black

 

Try a google search on "silicone auto hose coupling". You will find suppliers like this:

http://www.verociousmotorsports.com/...FQEuxwodJV06EQ

http://www.sfxperformance.com/catalo...ngs/page_1.htm

Just try and find some good "made in the USA" parts. Most of the silicone stuff is Chinese crap. The silicone parts are popular with ricers, particularly in gaudy colors, so "cheap" sells.

Bad news - black absorbs heat faster than silver or white.

 

I guess that's why they painted the engines black??
so they would be hot as lleh.

looking at my 1st post, I left out trying to look stock "also," this was before the tb was purchased


to the op I think Lowe's has pipe couplers like the one for the maf to cold air kit, looks just like it.
on the other side of the maf to the elbow??

 

Yeah I checked and seen the ones at Lowe's that would work for the CAI side, but not for the elbow.


Injuneer, thanks, that is what I was looking for.

 

Most likely for better thermal efficiency.

You want to reflect heat away from the air inlet, hence silver and white... the more reflective they are, the lower the emissivity (less heat transfer).

 

Yup... black also radiates heat better. Motor's hot, you want it to radiate heat. Elbow needs to stay cool, you want it to reflect heat.

 

so which would be better natural aluminum or 1le?
when I purchased the thing I had not found this sight and did not know about the 1le. my stock one was torn.
wasn't really happy the first time I touched it and it was hot. that's when I knew I had made a mistake.

so when I bead blast the paint off will I hit 13 flat or what?

 

did you buy the kit used or what ? if its new it should come with everything

 

Do an ebay search for the 1LE elbow. It's rubber like the stock one, but without the air horn that is attached. I had to replace my elbow and just went with one of those.

 

I didn't buy a kit, I am building something and I need the fittings.

 

I'm sorry I was thinking that you needed the elbow. I got my fittings at Home Depot. They are some type of plumbing fitting that can go from 3" to 2.5". It's all rubber with a hose clamp on each end.

 

Not a problem I did see the ones you were talking about, however the ones I need are for 3.5 inches on one side and 4 on the other, the same as the aftermarket ones available. I made a mold from my stock unit and was playing with it and was going to fab an elbow out of glass.Should work great for heat soak, and so far I have less than $7.00 in it

 

If you change materials (aluminum to rubber) you have to evaluate the thickness of the material. Aluminum conducts heat better than rubber. The thicker the material, the less heat transfer.

I suspect Vortech used the aluminum elbow for strength, to provide uniform flow with the dividing wall, and to allow the air that has been heated up by the compression to lose some of its heat before it got to the throttle body. Polishing would work better than bead blasting. The tiny dimples produced by bead blasting would increase the surface area and increase heat absorbtion. I've seen a shop glass bead blast piston tops in large shot nitrous motors to increase heat transfer through the pistons. Seems to defy thermodynamic logic, since you want to keep as much of the heat as possible in the combustion chamber, but now you're dealing with extending the life of the pistons and rings, rather than worrying about a few extra BTU's to increase HP.

The best solution sould probably be a smooth silicone elbow in a light color. Or wrap it in insulation. Might pick up a 1/100th or so......