custom aluminium parts?

[satur9]

does anybody know or have access to the equipment to make parts out of aluminium. i remeber somebody making thier own wheel spacers but i tried a search for that and got nothing.any help here?

[nismo]

well, if you plan on doing some exhaust work with aluminum, i woudn't recommend it. aluminum rusts very easily. But, other parts, there shouldn't be a problem with. I dunno bout the wheel spacers though.inder

[MadBill]

Actually, aluminum doesn't rust anywhere near as badly as mild steel. It quickly forms a transparent layer of aluminum oxide, which largely protects the base metal from further corrosion. However it is still a bad choice for exhaust, because it's melting point is lower than the maximum exhaust gas temperatures of an engine.Re wheel spacers, that was me. (Do a search for Project Big Boots) I don't have my own lathe, so I drew up what I wanted and found a one man machine shop to fabricate them for me. (Quotes ranged from $CAN 100 to 250 for the job!)

[drunkenmaxx]

one thing that stood out about aluminum cans when they first came out: if you found one on the roadside, it wasn't rusty like a steel one.

[nismo]

True. I guess the phrase "you learn something new everyday" is true.inder

[Ponyota]

Aluminum don't rust at all. As far as oxidation, thats a form of deterioration. Mostly seen on heat treated hard alloys exposed to air. Oiling the surface will help to slow the process. I have seen some custom exhaust that are made from common aluminum alloys. Melting point of aluminum is 660.37 º C or 1220.5 º F. Isn't the head and our block on the Vibe Aluminum? Just be careful of what alloy you use to make parts. 6061, CB90, 6063 are just a few of the softer alloys. Hard alloys are brittle and tend to crack and break more easily.

[MadBill]

Quote, originally posted by Ponyota ». I have seen some custom exhaust that are made from common aluminum alloys. Melting point of aluminum is 660.37 º C or 1220.5 º F. Isn't the head and our block on the Vibe Aluminum? Heads and blocks have water jackets! In the early '60s, Pontiac built some Super Duty 421 c.i. drag cars with aluminum exhaust manifolds, but they included a note: "Caution! Do not use full throttle for more than 15 seconds." Exhaust gas temperatures can reach 1500 F. and more. I have tried and melted aluminum exhaust pipes.

[Ponyota]

Yeah, they do have water jackets.. What was I thinking about!...Oh, I wasn't thinking, lol.I do know however, there are aluminum exhaust systems. Though I believe that they are made for Diesels and 4 inch. Mostly I was thinking of exhaust tips not exhaust manifolds. Wasn't the older side exhaust that they used on Corvette made of aluminum to? I've also seen many show cars use a aluminum system, the fact that the aluminum tubing is cheaper than stainless steel or chromed and can be highly polished to a mirror shine.

[MadBill]

Diesel exhaust is a lot cooler, and of course a lot of show vehicles are never even started, much less 'rode hard'...The Corvette side exhausts were steel pipes with aluminum heat shields.The vehicle I tried aluminum on was a little 850 cc 1962 Mini. I figured it was so small, it couldn't get the 2" tailpipe hot enough to be a problem. Wrong-O! After the first time on the track, the system was drooping like a clothesline between each support hanger and the next time it just melted right off at the header!

[MoonDogg]

Yes I work in a CNC machine shop.. we make most parts out of 6061 Aluminum Alloy.. we also use Steel 1018, 4130, 4140 alloy and 304/316 Stainless Steel and other metals (brass, bronze, copper, etc) .. what exactly you want made?

[Ponyota]

Oh bummer! All that hard work laying on the ground in a pile of scrap aluminum! I know exactly what you mean by drooping aluminum though. I work at Alcoa Lafayette and remember when I was on the 8 thousand ton presses about 18 years ago running 3003 S alloy tube. That stuff would run about 5 foot a second. It would be like spagetti when we rolled it over to the cooling tables. Well, I don't want to highjack this thread, so I'll stop there.

[Smokin' Rubber]

Does titanium rust or oxidize? I would think that or stainless steel would be the most durable

[SlappyMcHappy]

I bought wheel spacers made from airplane grade aluminum off of ebay. Just put wheel spacer in search and see what you come up with. The Vibe can handle the spacers on the back wheel, but you will get massive front end shakes with them on the front. I settled with 1" spacers on the back and nothing on the front and I love it. My wheels are about 1/4" inside the fender now, instead of 1 1/4". You don't even notice that they aren't on the front because I don't think the front are as tucked under as the back wheels.As a result, I have an extra set if you would like to buy them. I would let em go for $30 each, total $60. e-mail me at rutawkg2me@hotmail.com if interested.

[damronjr]

emailed you.