Turbo Manifold Material

[SLIXK]

Has anyone run a stainless steel/welded manifold? I’m planning ahead on a top mount manifold and wanting to choose between cast and stainless. I have local options for quality cast manifolds but I like the look of stainless welded manifolds and don’t mind paying the extra. What I really want to know is would stainless welded manifolds make a louder/clearer turbo spool compared to the all rounded cast iron manifolds? 
 
If it won’t really affect the turbo spool I’ll probably just go with the cast iron option if it will only look better as stainless.

[Duncan]

The real factor you should consider is that stainless manifolds almost always crack due to heat cycling. Cast ones deal with the temperature changes much better......there is a reason factory manifolds are cast

[GTSBoy]

And in the context of choosing an aftermarket manifold, when we say "cast"....we really mean "fabricated from cut up steam pipe bends".....yes?

[SLIXK]

On 5/6/2022 at 9:09 PM, GTSBoy said:

And in the context of choosing an aftermarket manifold, when we say "cast"....we really mean "fabricated from cut up steam pipe bends".....yes?

Yes, I think?

On 5/6/2022 at 9:06 PM, Duncan said:

The real factor you should consider is that stainless manifolds almost always crack due to heat cycling. Cast ones deal with the temperature changes much better......there is a reason factory manifolds are cast

Yeah I know cast will hold up longer than stainless, but I don’t mind losing on that part of things if a stainless will cause better flow and increase turbo spool noise. 

[The Bogan]

I had a brand name stainless exhaust manifold on my R33, it cracked, I then got a steam pipe one made up through "Unigroup Engineering" and had it ceramic coated, that survived, even after wrapping it in, um.....wrap, to minimise underbonnet temps

It was a nice looking bit of kit too

[Duncan]

umm yes, me too....unigroup welded up the stainless one on the stagea about 4 times before the convinced me to go with a 6boob manifold instead.

And....since we've strayed into pendatry.....aren't steam pipe bends cast?

[The Bogan]

On 06/05/2022 at 8:43 PM, Duncan said:

umm yes, me too....unigroup welded up the stainless one on the stagea about 4 times before the convinced me to go with a 6boob manifold instead.

And....since we've strayed into pendatry.....aren't steam pipe bends cast?

What they use for manifolds is carbon steel

[GTSBoy]

Steel. Not cast.

[SLIXK]

On 5/6/2022 at 10:10 PM, mlr said:

I had a brand name stainless exhaust manifold on my R33, it cracked, I then got a steam pipe one made up through "Unigroup Engineering" and had it ceramic coated, that survived, even after wrapping it in, um.....wrap, to minimise underbonnet temps

It was a nice looking bit of kit too

Did you hear any difference of the turbo spool between the two or better spooling efficiencies?

[GTSBoy]

Material will not make any difference.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Then Artec brings out a full cast manifold with no welds.

Game changer, I'm waiting for their twin scroll single gate RB manifold and maybe I will donate more money to the Skyline gods/vortex/debt collector 

[SLIXK]

On 5/7/2022 at 2:14 AM, GTSBoy said:

Material will not make any difference.

Sweet