i have cut all my pipes,i was going to have a bead welded on.it there another way to do it.i have aluminum 3" piping.

do i really need to do it only running 8-10 psi with t-bolt clamps?

 

My pal ran silicone hose and T-bolt clamps over an old Incon MAF tube chopped in half (like 4" O.D. with no beads/grooves etc) and it never came off at 10-13 psi. I think you will be okay with the T-bolts and no bead rolling....for now anyway.

 

Agreed. got 15 now with nothing. I weld beads around mine right now for guys with higher boost. Don't have a bead roller yet.

 

Hi

Hey there

ffhkeeeekkdddjd

http://www.ttjgjgjshsns.com

site
link
click
read
site

 

just welded my stuff works great!!!

 

I use a cheap 18" throat panel beader for rolling beads with some extra bracing clamped on to keep the long frame from spreading. It'll bead 16ga steel. I've done probably 2000+ beads on the poor thing, mostly 16 and 18ga steel.

Welding a bead is *ok", but another way is to use epoxy. Rough the pipe up with 40 grit, a row of masking tape on either side where you want to bead. Use epoxy to build a bead. A wet finger will help smooth it. Pull the tape while the epoxy is still a little sticky. Quick set works better.

Dave

 

I've seen modified Vise-Grips used for bead rolling pipe. Kinda time consuming, but virtually free if you have an old wore out set of Vise-Grips. The guy I know who does it used 2 small blocks of steel. He cut a round groove in 1 block with a small carbide cutter in his die grinder. Then he ran a small bead of weld on the other. Made them as close to the same radius as possible, but the bead is smaller than the groove to leave some room for the material he's beading. Then he locked the vise-grips closed one them and welded the dies to the jaws of the vise-grips. He just locks the vise-grips and tyhen unlocks them and moves them over and relocks them. Do this for the entire circumference of the pipe and you have a bead. Like I said, time consuming but it works. Works best on aluminum, less force necessary to bend the pipe. I don't think you need to do the entire circle though. I think 4 spots around the pipe would be adequate and much quicker.

 

I've used a cheap Harbor Frieght bead roller with success.

 

Any Pics?

Thanks.

 

i would love to see a pic of it also,i was just in there looking for something like what you are talking about,i didnt find anything though.

 

Mine is similar, but not exactly like this one. they are calling it a "fabrication kit", but it's just a bead roller with several different dies. Mine is 18" depth too, and it'll spread/distrort when beading 16ga tube. I fashioned a brace from 1/3" plate to stiffen it that I clamp into place.


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34104

Dave

 

I bought the exact same tool from the Eastwood company. Got it for $80 plus shipping from their Ebay store. I like that brace idea, gonna have to try that out.

 

this is what I am going to try with my build

http://www.v6z24.com/jbodyforum/my-winter-ok-summer-projects-t99940,start,30.html

page 3 about half way down

 

#ad


Harbor freight roller with a home made guide. It rolls beads with the best of em for about $150.

Chris

 

Can you post pics of the beaded pipes?

Thanks.

 

not to discourage it, a rolled bead looks professional and is added security. But. If you design the system with short hose connections and brace the pipes, you barely need clamps. I just use normal radiator hose clamps, they are good to 25psi (the highest I've gone)

Its when you have those long silicone hoses, 90's or very free-floating hard pipes that can move around a lot that you need to clamp the hell out of them.

Granted, if you have rubber motor mounts, that can complicate things

 

I don't have any really good pics on this computer, but you can see the bead on the pipe coming out of the firewall.

#ad



The only other thing I want to do this winter is make a new set of mandrels with a smaller bead for when I do smaller piping. The smallest bead mandrels that it comes with work fine for 4" piping but its a bit big for the smaller 3" pipe. It works, its just not as pretty as I would like.

 

That's damn near what the guy I work with did, only I like that one better! Much quicker and easier to make vs. grinding out little dies and welding them into the Vise-Grips!

 

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...7563-how-bead-your-own-intercooler-pipes.html

I just picked up a 2.5" exhaust clamp and washer to make this.

 

that look awesome!!