Just go on eBay and get yourself a piping kit. They're like $100 and will have all the piping you could ever want.

 

True but they are all aluminum and have to be TIG welded, which cost quite alot to get done.

The best bet is to get mild steel mandrel bends from summit or jcwhitney. There not to expensive and can be miged.

 

When I bought my 2g it had a fmic with exhaust piping, couplers and duct tape...It seemed to work fine and held 20psi on a 50trim... No cons I guess besides being jerry rigged, and possibly ugly, but hey, if it works it works.

 

Well I know I can get a universal piping kit on ebay, but the reason I ask is because a guy I know is running exhaust piping as his intercooler piping and he hasn't had any problems, so I want a little more feedback on this...

 

It might rust on the inside of the piping due to moisture in the air, other than that i see no problems using it.

 

Cool... Muffler shop, here I come. I'll post pics of my setup later next week when all is done.

 

I use mandrel bends from summit for all my IC pipes as well as exhaust pipes, been doing it for years and never had a problem. I however cannot stand it when I see crush bends in intercooler piping though, HORRIBLE for flow...

 

I use mandrel bends from summit for all my IC pipes as well as exhaust pipes, been doing it for years and never had a problem.* I however cannot stand it when I see crush bends in intercooler piping though, HORRIBLE for flow...

Not just horrible for flow but horrible on the eyes too. If your going to do it might as well make it look nice.

 

As long as it's mandrel and you paint it it's fine.

 

What kind of paint is better? I want to paint it black...

 

The best is powdercoating, i always powdercoat mine at home, but if that's not an option rattle can engine paint always does me good, too.

 

Should I go with 2.5 or 3 inch piping? I will be running an e316g at about 20 psi.

 

2.5... I'm making over 500hp on 2.5 piping.

 

For what you're using it for 2.5

 

Been using Summit mandrel bends here for my car with no issues. I will take some new pictures when I get the chance of how I have them. 2.5" should be more than plenty.

 

I used 2.5" exhaust tubing with a ebay core when I was still rocking the 14b. I used aluminized mandrel bends I got through a local exhaust distributer when I working at an independent shop. I fabbed up all the pipes and painted them using engine enamel. It worked pretty well for what it was. I currently am using an ETS kit now.

 

Just make sure before you paint the pipes that you scuff them with 320 grit sand paper so the paint sticks otherwise it will scratch/ flake rather easy. Ask me how I know.

 

JC whitney or Summit mandrel pipes (I prefer JCWhitney) from the exhaust section.

Go with 2.5" Thats what I have used for many years. Never rust on the insides. Its aluminized.

As for paint, you could go to the powder coat route or just do what I did and get "Painters touch" paint from Home Depot. As many know and seen my engine bay, everything under there is painted with this stuff and the first parts I painted (over 6 years ago) still has its super gloss shine. The paint is super durable. No need to spend mad dough on putting color on the pipes.
Several thin coats with 5 minutes inbetween each coat will make a great finish!

My car is at the shop right now but heres a pic of my FMIC setup with the painted 2.5" pipes.

 

Im going to be doing my upper intercooler piping in 3in exhaust piping and painting it black. The fmic im getting, the cold side is short route and the outlet is right were the fluid reserve bottle is, so I just need about 2 feet of straight 3 in pipe to shoot directly into the 3in gm maft and then Im buying a 90 deg 3in silicone elbow to go into a 3in tb!

 

Unless you paint or powder coat the inside of the steel piping it will rust and it will end up in your combustion chamber. FYI.

 

BS :chair:

 

Do you have first hand experience with what you say? I ask because I used aluminized mandrel bends from Napa to make my piping over 4 years ago and still have no rust.

 

Yea Im not worried about rusting either. My cat back piping on my exhaust is from the same place Im going to pick up the pipe Im going to use for my upper intercooler piping and it hasnt rusted yet and its been there for a year and a half.

 

Plain steel pipe would probably develop surface rust on the inside, but aluminized exhaust tubing should not rust.

 

I had all my piping made out of exhaust piping. works just fine. doesn't rust. one thing is that it won't have a lip like pipes with most kits so the pipes will tend to blow out of the couplers easier on high boost... but other than that I've had no problems.

 

Our cars have self-oiling ic pipes
so they won't rust. lol

 

That statement is so true.

 

If your going to paint them you might as well have a ceramic heat dissipation coating put on.