Crustang to Mustang
Well-known member
Anybody have a 3D printer and tried making a lightweight intake manifold for a 2V or Crossflow head? I've seen a few projects but not much info out there. I'm just curious how they would hold up.
All Small Six 3D Printed Intake Manifold
- Thread starter Crustang to Mustang
- Start date
This relates to all small sixes
frozenrabbit
Well-known member
Anything that could be home printed would never hold up. FDM printed ABS, PLA, and even 'exotic' materials would not hold up to fuel and heat cycle. Resin prints offer more exotic materials, but would most likely also fail. The thing to do would be to have a design printed in stainless or aluminum by a commercial printing service.
Crustang to Mustang
Well-known member
That's what I would have figured but I've never used a 3D printer.
frozenrabbit
Well-known member
aussie7mains
Famous Member
You do know about Aussiespeed manifolds for these engines? Ford did have a plastic manifold on the late Barras, but its NOT subject to the exhaust heat, or much petrol being EFI or LPG.
PSIG
Well-known member
There was a foundry an hour from me that would take your 3D PLA prints and make molds from them for casting. Brass, aluminum, etc, and IMO 'reasonable' cost. Unfortunately they vaporized during COVID, but I'd imagine others are out there. I saw several examples of intakes there on display, and the comment was that most do not plan for the machining of the raw casting, and those costs involved. A set of 4 throttle body intakes (ITB) for a Euro 4-cyl was $87 cast in aluminum (about 6 years ago), as the only price example I had. Figure $140 for an I6, plus machining, inflation, and do your math. 
Crustang to Mustang
Well-known member
I was mainly curious because the Aussiespeed manifolds are so expensive.
aussie7mains
Famous Member
I doubt you will reduce any cost via 3 d printing, foundry work is expensive, its only though volumes that cost come down, with the big six, thats never going to be the case.
Bronctopia
Well-known member
There are metal powder 3d printers.
They can do exotic stuff like Stainless, Titanium, Inconel, and whatever else the rocket - bros are into these days.
If you let Santa know you successfully IPO'd a tech company I'm sure he would toss one on the sleigh for ya.
They can do exotic stuff like Stainless, Titanium, Inconel, and whatever else the rocket - bros are into these days.
If you let Santa know you successfully IPO'd a tech company I'm sure he would toss one on the sleigh for ya.