Those are very nice. The collector of the Fabspeed, while not amazing or anything worth bragging over (I had better on a Miata) isn't completely tragic either. Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
It is not tragic, but it is a far cry from real merge collectors -- like what one can get through Burns stainless and dozens or so others who specialize in real headers. 304, 321, 347, or Inconel depending on our pocketbook and preferences. By the way, the materials costs for 321 F355 headers with 4-2-1 merge collectors is slightly north of $2400. All you need is a set of bend lengths, radii, some cutting, welding, a couple of flanges, a bit of machining, and miscellaneous fabrication. Headers only; Exhaust is more. I should also note: there is about 5 HP in bringing the header tubes out of the heads at an angle of 7 degrees to match the angle the ports exit the head. A transition for the effective cross section of 38mm of the ports to the desired cross section of 42mm in the headers has another 2-odd HP. None of the commercial headers have a) proper port angle, a) transition expansion, c) proper header tubing ID, d) proper merge collectors, or e) properly sized expansion chamber. Other than that, all is golden.
In regards to the 321 SS stuff from Burns, my fabricator tells me their prices are on the high side. Roughly 40-60% more than what he can get them for. He sources from a local manufacturer who builds headers for others private label. All american sourced steel. My fabricator has been using them for years with very few issues. Burns has a nice site, but I recommend your fabricators shop around for the best prices.
Agreed, like I said, I had better on my Miata (a Burns 321 SS collector btw). Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
Hi Mitch, Did you get a company to build headers to the specs you mentioned? Can you share who they were? PM me if you'd rather not advertise. Thanks
None of that amounts to meaningful gains, I spent the cash for the headers, hyperflows, Capristo 3 and while it was worth it for the sound the performance gain of a few Hp is possibly the worst dollar per Hp of any performance mod on any car I have ever done or seen. What we really need is someone to produce a bolt on supercharger kit and there is no need for it to cost more than $7k with an air to water intercooler and all the bits for install. With modest boost the engine would get a real wake-up. Of course it probably wouldn't come in an F1 version due to ECU/TCU complexities and I would have to watch all the manual guys go SC.
Have you given any thought as to where it gets bolted on? Up front:: no room Back rear: nothing to bolt it on to.
Your absolutely correct Were getting crap from 90+% of the aftermarket companies. Honda S2000 owners have a much higher quality of parts available. I understand supply demand but just the out right quality and material selection is bottom of the aftermarket barrel IMHO If I was a little younger I would blow the up with real race parts not these beads and trinkets leftovers were getting at exotic prices. Heck, if I get a big enough bug up my ass LOL It's happened before
There is room for one of the new TVSs, relocate the heat exchanger and coolant fill, electric water pump, replace the plenum chambers with a casting to link the TBs to the SC with the SC upside down like an LSA is done in the ZL1.
This is part of the reason there are no aftermarket parts like this - everyone wants something different. You've got maybe 5k cars in the US, maybe 1/3 of which want anything other than stock. Of those maybe 1500 cars, some want turbo, some want SC, some want higher revving NA, some want lower revving NA (more low end torque), so there's so much fragmentation that anything you gear up to sell will only be 100-200 sales maximum. You can't recoup any R&D costs doing that without charging an arm and a leg. If you wanted to hit the largest swath of owners, make an upgraded cam timing system, a better bolt-on ECU and possibly some cams (though the market dwindles fast and the R&D goes way up once you get to cams). Anything else moves into one-off territory as the market is so tiny.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with that, but what we need is someone with the motivation (an owner) willing to create that casting (the rest is off the shelf) because they want it for their self, then be kind about to sell to us. Although, the same argument was made about the Lotus Elise, some wanted turbo, some SC, no space etc. and Blackwatch has sold allot of BOE supercharger setups because it is *the* power package available and delivers so much for cost.
If only I knew anything about creating a sandcast mold, what we need is the guy that works for GM that happens to own a F355 to spend a couple of weekends on the project!
+1 ...... the standard cappy is 'barely' better than stock ...... back to back dyno was a 7RWHP gain ..... fabspeed headers free up good upper RPM HP but lose a bit in the lower/mid RPM range when compared to OE manifolds ...... though as you mentioned ... it can be a tad pricey to get good gains on these cars ... +1 ... the fabspeed collector is pretty good for what it is ... actually ....... manifolds tailored to port design have been in the works for a very long time ......... there is no rest in the abyss ............. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/517803-project-5-2-full-system-race-specification-twin-valve-exhaust-gothspeed.html ..... 'investment casting' is the way to go ...
If you have the part drawn in any 3D program (Solidworks, Pro-E, Rhino) there are lots of companies that can make it on a 3D printer for test fitment, no one ever gets it right the first time so, this would save money on the R&D. Ciao, SRR
If someone did figure out a proper way to put a supercharger onto a 355, the stock headers would probably explode, so at the end of the day, you'll still need the extra $$ for a nice set of headers, hi flow cat, and an exhaust . Turbochargers/superchargers do make more power easily, but we can't ignore the cost it takes to stabilize that power reliably. It's alot more than just buying a SC kit and plugging it in. Even Boe sells the TVS kit recommending certain upgrades and a buy at your own risk stipulation as the Toyota valvetrain is weak and could go anytime. Proper headwork is almost a must. An Air-to-water exchanger is most effective in reducing heatsoak on a rear engined car and it will be challenging to implement that on a 355. More power will also require tranny/clutch upgrades to hold the power as in the case of the lotus. Then there's the cost of the tuning. Balance and driveability will certainly be altered. Boe sells alot of kits because their TVS setup is actually alot better and more reliable than the stock SC setup. It's a different ball game when you're trying to turn a 355 into something else.
I would never call out the actual manufacture.. but there is an exhaust out there, the welds are so bad it looks like a child did them. SMH
I know someone who has that expertise, what do you want to know about casting? I'm sure that if you make model I can find out where the dimensions need adjustment for the casting process. Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
There are a lot of company's that use the tvs rotors. the new TVS1700 (LT4) would be a good blower for these smaller motors. No need to spin the weight of a 2300/1900. The mounting is not too bad with the intake port design, the Ferrari challenge (I crack myself up!) is clearance for the belt drive/tensioner. on a low boost (5psi) application you could get away with a 6 rib belt, but more than that and you can expect slip issues (depends on pulley wrap/belt slip ect) I have built several TVS blown hot rod projects for myself/friends and the mounting of the blower is not the hardest part.
I am still needing my F mechanic to do a set. He keeps having too much other std and racing work to get to this project.
It would be so trivially easy to supercharge the F355 that I am surprised that no one has done it (from the hardware perspective). Take the 4 bolt cover off the clutch housing, mount a pulley to it and use it to drive a centrifugal supercharger. Yes, the exhaust system would need to be changed significantly, but there is ample room for a centrifugal driven by the propshaft. Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
