Custom Intake Manifold

[TechRod]

Forgive the noob question but is this something that could be made via DIY sand casting and a backyard foundry or would it just be too complex a part?

[geoffinbc]

The casting is cheap. The tooling is not.

[onefastV6]

Once you get the design down, contact these guys http://www.reliablecastings.com/ and see what it would cost to make it a reality. I wonder if Marc has ever used them as they are based out of Cincinatti, OH.

As the 3400/3500's are dead by GM standards, I wonder if they would release any design information that would help with this project?

[unchained01]

i completely understand !!! Same here work and family ake alot of my time too Looks like you have a great start and thanks for the link to the mopar build

Jerryrigg you have any input on this ? Any casting ideas ? Could this be done as a 1 or 2 piece unit ?

[bszopi]

Unfortunately, no. 2 young, active kids keep me quite busy, not to mention the typical honey-do list...

[unchained01]

any updates ? really interested in seing this come to life

[kwhauck]

If our were that easy to build, mine would have been done!!

[bszopi]

Making a little progress on the coolant routing/thermostat housing. I started trying to build it out of pieces of 1/4" material like the rest, but soon figure out that just wasn't going to work out well. So I have now moved to blocks of material with bored holes. And since I am trying to make this as a potential part for daily drivers as well as custom builds, I am trying to maintain all the standard connections (bypass, heater core, CTS). Its proving to be somewhat of a pain, but I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. So, no picture updates tonight, sorry...

While searching around last night, I came across the following post: http://www.mopartech.net/showthread.php?t=7560

Hopefully we'll have a build thread like that for this manifold. Also made me think I need to go down to 1/8" for the cavity area, instead of keeping with 1/4" throughout.

[95cutlassproject]

Not just replacing, upgrading

[Fireball]

Very very cool guys. I love rapid prototyping, we got to do it in school. It was great to see something you designed be produced before your eyes. The awesome part about rapid prototyping is that you can manufacture parts that would never fly in a real industrial process where screwed up shapes are not practical haha. Good stuff here!
I think a new (modular) LIM design would sell like hotcakes. If you own a 3x00 your probably going to replace your LIM gaskets at some point, you may as well replace the LIM while your at it!

[JerryRigg]

That's excellent. Do you have access to a rapid prototype machine? I just had a few of my Solidworks models for other projects printed, cool as hell, but super expensive.

Here's a custom casting I just completed, its for a 4 cyl Mazda B6 DOHC motor, to adapt motorcycle ITB's. I'll be mass producing these, and like I've said I'd really like to dig into the 3x00 stuff too.
Still needs some detail work & machining done:

[bszopi]

Well, I should have had my spare manifold with me while I was modeling this, as I had it all jacked up. Figured it out when I started to overlay a CCM of the 3400 ports that I received from Marc a few years ago. While lining it up, the ports from the CCM and the ports I had modeled didn't line up very well, so I decided to bring in my manifold to compare it to what I had on screen. Needless to say, I had to rearrange several of the parts, flip them around, etc., but finally got it where it appears to be correct. So now that I have that figured out, its time to start with the modeling of the coolant passage/thermostat housing, and then the cavity that the ports will go into.

Anyway, here is a top shot of the model with the 3400 port CCM overlay-ed.

[02dohc]

that looks really good man. i just finshed up work on a 90 degree elbow setup to put itbs on a stock 3400 lower manifold. if you want i can give you the file and if you want you can make them for others to put itb on their cars, they attach to a extrudabody universal throttle body adapter and you have to do the work from there. hopefully the setup will help others out. sorry for the hyjack

[TechRod]

There really isn't an SC in mind. What. I am currently designing will be a generic base for the 3x00s, that will allow for different top pieces to allow for carbs, standard EFI, and SCs. We'll see if it works out that way or not...

Droid via Tapatalk

Oh boy, you would be able to sell a bazillion of these.

[pocket-rocket]

There really isn't an SC in mind. What. I am currently designing will be a generic base for the 3x00s, that will allow for different top pieces to allow for carbs, standard EFI, and SCs. We'll see if it works out that way or not...

Droid via Tapatalk

Modular intake, that's a really good idea, Brad