Tube bender

[c.lees]

I don't suppose anyone in Sydney has a tube bender that can bend 32mm OD aluminium tube with 1.6mm walls?

Or even know what sort of bender will do the job? The standard hydraulic ones can be picked up pretty cheap but I suspect the manual type used for roll cages etc would be better. Maybe even a 1 1/4" steel conduit bender will work.

 

[DoubleChevron]

you would need an exhaust bender? You're just going to crush that tube in a normal bender

 

[seasink]

Don't try it without an internal spring to support the walls.

 

[COL]

Don't try it without an internal spring to support the walls.

or fill with sand

 

[c.lees]

I did consider filling it with something and then bending.

I have tried cutting and welding it, first attempt was with 2.4mm 5356 filler, too much heat so it ends up being lumpy on the inside, attempt number two was with 1.6mm 4043 filler which was much more successful. Given this I may just cut and weld the corners, not huge amounts of segments as that is just more places to not have leak proof welds. My aluminium welding isn't always that neat so I don't want to do many segment lobster tails if I can avoid it.

This is all for the cooling system, so most of it you won't see unless you look under the car. Some of it can be done with silicon hose bends.

 

[rubyalpine]

I did my front radiator conversion on my R10 without doing any bending. Silicon bends and straight lengths from Aliexpress much cheaper than S/Cheap or Repco, and worked perfectly. Many of the old vacuum cleaners had 32mm stainless pipes and I found the resource recycling centres had plenty for sale.

Henry

 

[PeterT]

You need a mandrel bender, or jam it tight with sand inside.

 

[FIVEDOOR]

This guy plugged both ends with fine pebbles jammed tight.

There are number of YouTube vieos on bending aluminium tube, I only checked out tyhe above one

 

[PeterT]

I use Carrington Products at Riverstone. Maybe they can help you?

 

[c.lees]

I have some silicon bends on the way from AliExpress and I also have a few metres of straight silicon hose which is fine for shallow bends.

32mm aluminium tube is actually pretty cheap if you buy 6m.

 

[Benoit]

I've bought exhaust bends for my Panhard et Levassor from ECS Exhaust on the Central Coast. They should be able to do custom bends.

Car Exhaust Parts Supplier Online in Australia | ECS Exhaust

Leading Australian Car Exhaust Parts Supplier. One-stop Shop For Car Exhaust Parts ✓ Extensive Range ✓ Affordable Prices ☎ Call Us on (02) 4372 1334

www.ecsexhaust.com.au

1.25" Inch1 1/4" 32mm Od Exhaust Pipe Mandrel Bend Mild Steel 15 To 180 Degree Bends - ExoFlow

1.25" Inch1 1/4" 32mm Od Exhaust Pipe Mandrel Bend Mild Steel 15 To 180 Degree Bends - ExoFlow

www.ecsexhaust.com.au

 

[pugrambo]

I was always taught to fill the pipe with sand when the walls are so thin

 

[Greenpeace]

If you're chasing stainless bends between 1.5" and 3" this EBay seller is hard to beat on price.
I've bought bends from here for a number of different projects. They weld beautifully.

 

[PeterT]

I think he wants aluminum, not steel? You can certainly buy aluminum bends from places such as Aeroflow.

 

[Greenpeace]

I think he wants aluminum, not steel? You can certainly buy aluminum bends from places such as Aeroflow.

Aluminium mandrel bends aren't hard to find on EBay either. My Reliant's exhaust is made from aluminium mandrel bends bought off EBay, it's about 5 years old now. Can't recall the the grade, but it welded nicely.

I used aluminium solely for weight saving.
I thought that may have been the reason in this instance but I guess the silicone bends and clamps will negate that to some degree?

 

[geckoeng]

Sam's Alpine A110 1600S !!!

Very funny. Fat finger typing.

www.aussiefrogs.com

Post #46

Sam's were 32mm x 2mm wall, bent with a conduit bender. And 2 tight bends into chassis tunnel were from G0-Gear race shop. I tig welded all together and onlt silicon hose so it could be put in place in the car chassis.

Ray

 

[R8 Dream]

For my R8 I also used 32mm x 2mm alum tube, but only slightly bent some tubes using a propane flame, but the rest were all rubber bend/joints. Not had one drop of coolant leak in over 7 years. I routinely go around - every year or so, just checking the clamps, but not had an issue at all. I did get made up a special Alum bend that connects to the thermostat/filler at the rear - cost $150. The Alpine A110 SC-SX essentially uses many rubber (now silicon) hoses with some bent Alum tube. I would also like to especially acknowledge Rob Sealey for the guidance and help he gave with this.

 

[R8 Dream]

I got the idea from a previous AF post and made up a 'special tool' to put beads in the ends.
Uses a vise grip, washer and half exhaust clamp. Cheap and worked very well.

 

[DoubleChevron]

For my R8 I also used 32mm x 2mm alum tube, but only slightly bent some tubes using a propane flame, but the rest were all rubber bend/joints. Not had one drop of coolant leak in over 7 years. I routinely go around - every year or so, just checking the clamps, but not had an issue at all. I did get made up a special Alum bend that connects to the thermostat/filler at the rear - cost $150. The Alpine A110 SC-SX essentially uses many rubber (now silicon) hoses with some bent Alum tube. I would also like to especially acknowledge Rob Sealey for the guidance and help he gave with this.

Years .... decades ... many ago my father, grandfather and uncles .... They all ran VW kombis with scorpian motors in the back. They just ran mild steel tubing to a bull bar mounted radiator (quite some distance from the motor). And simply ran a green tin of castrol anti-corrosion .... They never had an issue and did endless miles in the things. I think my fathers kombi is still going strong. Last seem a decade or so ago now running a Magna motor.

You don't need fancy aluminium or stainless unless you're trying to save weight I'd imagine!

 

[Greenpeace]

You don't need fancy aluminium or stainless unless you're trying to save weight I'd imagine!

I was thinking the same thing (I may have alluded to it earlier in the thread).
Given that aluminium is 1/3 the weight of steel there are definately worthwhile savings to be made (safely) in certain areas.
The original 1.5" exhaust (from the header flange back) on my Reliant weighed just over 8kg. The 2" aluminium, mandrel bent replacement iincluding the homemade, thin wall, stainless bodied muffler weighs exactly 2 kg.
Thing with weight savings strategies is, it's one in all in, otherwise why bother?
I tend to find it amusing when I see a JDM car with a $2000 carbon fibre bonnet also sporting about 50 kgs worth of stereo gear, amps, speakers, subs etc on the inside.