Trying to Gauge Interest In Some Parts
There is a market for that piece, and I am aware of what it would take to produce it. I could go in my garage right now and duplicate it...no problem!
What I have right now is a friend with a CNC set-up that is wanting to...
If it was possible to fabricate an adapter for this application out of a single piece of steel or aluminum, trust me, we'd be in his shop tonight working on a prototype!
I hope that makes things clearer.
Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
Hear me out on this, please; there may be a way to meet most, if not all, of the requirements of this operation by changing some of its parameters.
Consider this: Your friend can't weld or bend pipe. So, we take those two elements out of the formula.
Instead of providing the customer with a finished product, you sell him a "kit" that consists of three pieces; a J-bend piece of 2.5" pipe that you can buy and simply cut to the required length on both ends (chop saw, band saw, or whatever,) and two flanges that will be CNC manufactured to the necessary specs by your friend and his machines.
The customer will get a three-piece "kit" that he will weld (or, have welded to these flanges,) and that is ALL he will have to do; weld the flanges onto the J-pipe that will be cut to the proper length and angle by YOU.
Obtaining and cutting that J-bend pipe to the right length and angle, and packing and shipping the three items will be the sum total of your physical involvement in the manufacture of this item. Reference marks , provided by you, will ensure that the pipe and flanges are welded together at the correct relationship to ensure proper fitment.
The customer is guaranteed of a properly-fitting component because PISHTA has done all the homework on fitment issues; his turbo is in an A-body chassis, with the engine in the stock location, and should not have ergonomic issues with any other A-body engine compartments.
You (and your friend) are guaranteed of a manufacturing process to build this "kit" that will require NO pipe-bending nor welding, (the two processes that were not within your and your friend's collective capability.)
In order to make this turbo-install exercise as user-friendly as possible, it will fall to YOU to familiarize youself with the small variety of turbocharger mounting flange configurations (three-bolt, or four-bolt, for example) so that the buyer can specify which configuration he'll need to make this truly a bolt-on item, once the small amount of welding is done.
I am not very well-educated about the types of turbo-mount setups there are out there, but I'd guess that there are probably only four of five different ones (if that, even) you'd need to make, to have the field covered for slant six applications. A Three-bolt, a Four-bolt, and a Buick (proprietary configuration with an integral waste-gate) would be a good start and those three would probably cover 90-percent of the turbos being used.
You could buy one of each of these flanges and use them to make the programs for the CNC machine and start cranking them out from some half-inch mild steel )or, whatever is an appropriate material.) I am pretty sure that aluminum will not work in this killer-heat environment. It would be nice if it would, but I'm afraid it woudn't stand up to all those BTU's.
The flange that would bolt to the exhaust manifold outlet might be a "one size fits all" item, but you'd need to research that problem to see if you'd need to CNC more than one size, and configuration. I'd bet that two different flange-designs would cover pretty much all of that part of the operation.
Not having to bend any pipe, or weld anything at all, should greatly reduce the time required to produce this "kit" as the J-bends you'd need are readily available, and your friend will be making the flanges.
I think that it would be a nice touch to include all the nuts, bolts, washers and gaskets necessary to install this piece, in the "kit." I believe there are probably only two turbo-flange mount gaskets, at most...
So, there you have it; a two-item CNC exercise, no welding nor any pipe bending at all...
And, I will buy the first one.... guaranteed!!!:blob: