would this work?

[stuntdouble]

i was thinking of a cheap way to "home-fab" a custom exhaust out of stock pipes and had an idea. i was thinking that once i cut away all the excess pipe that i wont be using, i could put a small bend in the end of the pipe towards the outlet by packing it with sand and applying a bit of heat. the sand would primarily only be used to keep the pipe from creasing or ovalling although i expect it would oval a little. just a thought. anyone???

 

[Tech7]

I've tried sandbending pipes. Several times actually. I never had good luck. Try it with some scrap first if you want to try. Good luck.

 

[gggGary]

Stock pipes are double wall, pipe inside a pipe. Tried sand bending PVC pipe one time even that got pretty ugly.

 

[kent_in_kc]

NO, I doubt it. Go to Speedway Motors dot com and get some 1.75" or 1.5" combo bends, two of them. Cost you about $30 plus ship. Weld them up, weld the stock first three inches out of the engine to your new pipes.

 

[stuntdouble]

thanks for the info. i didnt realize that "sand bending" was an actual method. learn something new everyday i guess...

 

[kent_in_kc]

Sand bending requires that you pack the sand in tight and caps the ends. I've even seen it done with ice.

It can work especially if you heat the tube to soften it (obviously not if you're using ice). And the sand can't be wet at all or the heat will turn it to steam and your tube will explode.

Best to get mandrel bent stuff.

Good luck.

 

[Teebs]

What everyone else said.

I've done it a number of times. I've had way more success with heavy walled small diameter tube than exhaust pipe. You have to REALLY pack the sand in there and it has to be evenly packed, so if your inside diameter is 1.25", you really need something with a 1.25" outside diameter to pack it down. Even a small air pocket and you'll end up kinking it. And it needs to be solidly capped. It's work, but not impossible. You may end up wasting more than it's worth just to figure out what exactly you're doing.

Still, if you can, save yourself a ton of aggravation and go with the Speedway bends.

 

[DLD1]

Mandrel bent tubes cut and fit is the way to go.

I used to fabricate headers for a race car my buddies and I ran years ago because it was an oddball car and no one manufactured units for them. The trouble and time involved in trying to bend your own isn't worth it unless you plan to sell them. We made a couple of dies for bending that worked well, but we couldn't get the really tight radius bends that a mandrel bender can produce. Sand packed bending has been around for many, many years, but for most home mechanics/fabricators it just isn't worth the effort.

Good luck with your project,

DLD

 

[flthead]

i just got mandrel bent tubing from speedway motors . ordered 1 1/2 dia. its good thickness and made up my custom exhaust in a couple hours . easier to spend a couple bucks on the pipe then trying to bend it yourself . ill get some pics up later