Stainless vs. alumanized
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 208
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From: West Branch MI
Stainless vs. alumanized
I was (again) reading Richard Newton's book about C3's and he mentions full stainless exhausts are not recommended for street-driven corvettes because they radiate too much heat towards the frame/floor. Also, there seems to be a problem with clamping these systems due to the hardness and expansion.
What are your opinions regarding this? I was thinking of, when the time comes, running a full stainless exhaust (including mufflers), but wanted your input first.
Thanks yet again.
What are your opinions regarding this? I was thinking of, when the time comes, running a full stainless exhaust (including mufflers), but wanted your input first.
Thanks yet again.
Instructor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: New Port Richey FL.
Aluminized will disapate heat faster as stainless will retain longer, as for it making much difference, I would doubt it. I forget what the exhaust temp. is, but once it's there, both are going to be just as hot. Just the aluminized will cool faster. As for clamping, it's just pipe, don't be cheap on your shackes.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,501
Likes: 510
From: Willowbrook IL
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by 007-8
Aluminized will disapate heat faster as stainless will retain longer, as for it making much difference, I would doubt it. I forget what the exhaust temp. is, but once it's there, both are going to be just as hot. Just the aluminized will cool faster. As for clamping, it's just pipe, don't be cheap on your shackes.
When the pipes were first made from plain carbon steel, the pipes were about 0.079" thick for duability, alumanized brought the thickness down to 0.062", and SS brought it down to 0.045". While going to SS it increases the duarbility of the system the biggest downside is noise abatement. The thicker the pipe, the less of the exhaust noise is resonated through the pipe wall.
The material of the exhaust pipe has no bearing on the exhaust gas temps as that is a function of the combustion variables such as A/F ratio, timing, compression, spark duartion, just to name a few. Adding an exhaust after treatment (catalytic converter) will increase the temperature of the gasses leaving the unit by over 200C.
Don
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
All stainless steels are not equal. Ever since the addition of the catalytic converter cars have used stainless up to the converter. It is a poor stainless 409 but it is stainless. New trucks often use stainless for tail pipes. Again a poor stainless and aluminized for looks.
I have used the bright shiney 304 stainless for a complete exhuast system for years without a problem and it stays looking good.
Clamping doesn't seem to be a problem but then I don't clamp that hard to prevent permanent creases that make taking apart sometime in the future impossible.
I have used the bright shiney 304 stainless for a complete exhuast system for years without a problem and it stays looking good.
Clamping doesn't seem to be a problem but then I don't clamp that hard to prevent permanent creases that make taking apart sometime in the future impossible.
Instructor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: New Port Richey FL.
Originally Posted by 007-8
Aluminized will disapate heat faster as stainless will retain longer, as for it making much difference, I would doubt it. I forget what the exhaust temp. is, but once it's there, both are going to be just as hot. Just the aluminized will cool faster. As for clamping, it's just pipe, don't be cheap on your shackes.
I ment it would disapate heat faster after the car was turned off not while driving. And I agree it would marginal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 763
Likes: 42
From: Detroit MI
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
My 1970 has a 15 year old stainless exhaust on it. I can't tell you how nice it is to remove when work is necessary. I would highly recommend one to anyone considering stainless.
BTW, the 4 year old aluminized exhaust on my 442 is already starting to rust. Its only a matter of time before I will need a torch to get it off.
Tom
BTW, the 4 year old aluminized exhaust on my 442 is already starting to rust. Its only a matter of time before I will need a torch to get it off.
Tom
Racer
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
From: Winston-Salem NC
Originally Posted by Lee H
I have had aluminized on my 75 for about 7 years. No problems, no rust, no corrosion. I would do it again.
Ditto here. 5+ years for mine. Just had it off when I took the body off. Quick, light rubdown with a piece of fine steel wool to get the crud off of it and it looks like new again.
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