Im sorry, what was the price on these, ? $600?

this rocks!

im goning to order this when i have my 3.4l pushroad. how long is the 1000 USD offer ?
and how is it with the the intake and clearence ( 88 gt ) . I have seen its an issue ? or?

Yes, $600 for a standard intake (for Fiero TB, in near chrome)

The combo deal is still good.

Forgot to mention; if you look at the Y pipe you can see that we made the juction where the left and right bank meet and enter the 2.5" down leg that it looks a bit dif. Both pipes still enter the 3-way collector as full circles and not some type of cut-off figure eight. The new design has less welds and is mostly pressed from one piece. I hope to have a tig-welded option soon.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: Another update on our intakes: With our new one-pice runners we lost that joint on them and with it the the ability to shift the runner some, thus access to a few bolts was PIA. The new congiguration won't change flo but it will make for eaiser access to all the mounting allens. BTW: that particular intake has had the option of having the welds ground down.

Thanks for posting those pictures, Francis T. Things are definitely looking more "cleaned up" with those intake manifolds!

Out of curiosity, do you think that "the option of having the welds ground down" that you mentioned would be sufficient for me to take the manifold to a local shop in my area for chrome plating, or not? I ask simply because while I can see your latest options make your Trueleo intake manifold smoother, it's hard to see from my computer monitor exactly how smooth that option makes them, and as you know, chrome accentuates the visibility of even the smallest flaws.

If you feel more prep work (beyond grinding down the welds) prior to chroming would be desirable, that's fine and not a "deal-breaker" for me because the local chrome shop in my area presumably could do that, and they do excellent work.

In either case, whether additional prep work would be desirable or not, can you or anyone else tell me if it makes sense to forego the standard powdercoating of a Trueleo intake given the planned chroming of it that I've mentioned? My understanding is that chroming a powdercoated surface is a no-no unless it's stripped first, anyway. On the other hand, I also don't want to try chroming a surface that is rusted because I had foregone the standard powdercoating.

What would you or others advise?

As for real chrome, I'm not really sure? It does seem good enough, but then that depends on what you consider good enough. Not trying to avoid the question it's just hard to say. If you want to do real chrome and youre not in hurry wait a while as I hope to do another intake soon and have that one tig welded which should come out even nicer. It will cost more however. BTW: with the runner new setup it's really easy to get to the injector connectors.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: If youre chromong you dont want it coated. We have shipped bare metal intakes in the past, I simply put a lot of WD40 on them to prevent rust.

That makes sense. Removing WD-40 from a Trueleo intake manifold prior to chrome plating it sounds like it would be much easier than removing powdercoating from it.

The place doing the chroming does an acid wash before plating anything. That is why pot metal cannot be chromed, the acid will eat it up. Leaving the WD40 in place will not matter. Best to make sure what steps your local chrome shop goes through before plating....

I use paper towels and then pass my propane torch over something with remove WD40 on it. Like he said they will dip it, just tell them it has WD on it. I also like to torch anything I'm going to powder coat just make sure there's no hand or other oil left on it. Not a bad idea before you spray bomb a metal object.

quote Originally posted by Hudini: The place doing the chroming does an acid wash before plating anything. That is why pot metal cannot be chromed, the acid will eat it up. Leaving the WD40 in place will not matter.

Thanks, Hudini, that's interesting; I didn't know that, so now I can avoid wasting time getting that stuff off. Yesss!

quote Originally posted by Francis T: I use paper towels and then pass my propane torch over something with remove WD40 on it. Like he said they will dip it, just tell them it has WD on it. I also like to torch anything I'm going to powder coat just make sure there's no hand or other oil left on it. Not a bad idea before you spray bomb a metal object.

That's logical, Francis T, and I think in this case, I'll end up getting the finished Trueleo intake manifold chromed locally rather than powdercoated. That way it'll match the mint-condition, chromed, factory air cleaner canister I now have. Also, as we all know, the only thing that produces even more power than adding a chromed part is adding a matched set of chromed parts.

project34, check you PMs

quote Originally posted by Francis T: project34, check you PMs

I've received your message, Francis T.

Please check your PMs as well.

Not a new product, but here's a few pictures of a special order prototype intake I made for a customer. It is in bare metal as he wants to have it chrome plated and it still needs some more sanding etc.. I wasn't going to post anything on it whereas it turned out to take way more time to build than I thought and thus we won't be offering it since it would be out of most peoples' price range. But it is interesting and has some neat features, one of which is 30%+ more plenum volume even thoght it don't look like it. It is also about 5/8" lower. The runners are still the same lenght & retain velocity stacks, thus the flow should be just as good.

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quote Originally posted by Francis T: Not a new product, but here's a few pictures of a special order prototype intake I made for a customer. It is in bare metal as he wants to have it chrome plated and it still needs some more sanding etc.. I wasn't going to post anything on it whereas it turned out to take way more time to build than I thought and thus we won't be offering it since it would be out of most peoples' price range. But it is interesting and has some neat features, one of which is 30%+ more plenum volume even thoght it don't look like it. It is also about 5/8" lower. The runners are still the same lenght & retain velocity stacks, thus the flow should be just as good.

NICE!!!!


I wish I had tried a manifold like this on my old turbo set-up!

FYI

When plating Chrome onto steel, the plater will use the following processes:

Soak Clean - Heavy alkaline cleaner - approx 180 deg
Rinse
Electro clean - same as Soak clean but with DC current to remove dirt loosened in soak clean stage
Double rinse
Power acid - Strong acid - approx 140 deg - DC current to remove weld scale
Double rinse
Electro clean -again
Double rinse
Acid activate - mild acid to activate the steel surface
Rinse
Bright Nickel Plating - usually .0002 - .0006 inches - this is where the shine and corrosion resistance comes from (some shops may deposit Semi-Bright nickel before the Bright nickel for added corrosion resistance)
Several rinses
Chrome plate - usually .000005 - .000008 inches - more corrosion resistance and especially scratch resistance
Several rinses

Depending on the shop, they may use hexavalent chromium or trivalent chromium - I like the hex chrome better for the look, although tri chrome is more environmentally friendly

A complex part like the manifold in this thread would require special racking to get good coverage and even throw - especially in the chrome bath. If you have ever seen yellowish areas on chrome plated parts, that is the nickel that did not get plated over with chrome.

If anyone has any questions about plating, send me a PM and I'll try to help you out.

Joe

nice

If anyone going to carlisle is interested in a prototype intake send me an email -rspiderii@aol.com- the intake was made to test a few things assembly-wise and is not cosmetically the same as something we would ship. It however will work just as good. Since I hate to see something that someone may want to use just hanging on the wall I'm going to sell it. It still needs a few things done to it, if anyone interested I'll go ahead and complete it.

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Francis,
Could your headers be ported to match the exhaust ports on the 3400 SFI engines? I know that the stock 2.8 manifolds bolt up to the 3400 heads, so in theory so should your headers, as long as the primaries flanges could be ported to match the 3400 exhaust ports.

Our header flanges are about 1/2" thick and typered down from the runners (about 1 1/4" ID) to match the exhaust ports (about 1 1/8" ID) of the 2.8 heads, thus they can be opened up quite a bit. You are talking about then same heads as the 2.8 and not something very dif? BTW: maybe half the intakes and headers we've sold went on 3.4s. Hope that answered your questions.

Francis,
Thanks, thats good news. I am not talking about the iron head 3.4. I am talking about the aluminum head 3400SFI engine. It shares the same block as the 2.8 and 3.4. There are slight difference in the heads as far as mounting the 2.8/3.4 headers but I think I can make them work for the 3400SFI. I measured the exhaust ports and the are about 1 1/4" so if I port the flanges they should work.

The main thing is to get right is the port spacing and header flang bolt holes right. If an iron head 2.8-3.4 header gasket lines up (aside from the ports being smaller) then you should be able to make it work. If they an almost-fit, send me the gasket for other heads and I'll see if can make headers for them. No pormises, may need too many changes and not enough orders to warrant making new jigs.

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I wonder intake if this will fit my modified 3.4 94 Camaro......the cowl is kinda low.

Just thought some may like to see this customers intake. Looks neat black. BTW: not his TB or fuel rail

Do you make turbo manifold ?

quote Originally posted by FieroGeneral: Do you make turbo manifold ?

Intake or exhaust? As for the intake I have a turbo an use one and have sold ouite a few to people going with a turbo. I've also put larger TB flanges on a few for that app.

Our exhaust headers will work fine and we can provide the Y pipe with it ended at the junction with a bolt-on flange so all you'd need to do is make the short section to your turbo. With people putting the turbos in so many dif spots and using so many dif turbos, there's no way to make a Y pipe that fit all.

it seems that with a 3.4 crate motor and just the trueleo manifold people are getting 130-140 hp. im curious if anyone has a 3.4 crate motor and did a dyno run with intake and headers.

ive got em on my 3.4 with crate motor cam, 1.6 rockers, and dohc pistons and it pulls hard all the way to 7k, it has such a broad powerband makes for good driving all over the place.

It's not just the added HP a better intake provides that makes the big drinving dif, it's all those useable higher RPMs you get. BTW: I think blacktree got some dyno numbers with our headers, but it may have been someone else.?

If you're the one I made this for please contact me, lost your info.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: Not a new product, but here's a few pictures of a special order prototype intake I made for a customer. It is in bare metal as he wants to have it chrome plated and it still needs some more sanding etc.. I wasn't going to post anything on it whereas it turned out to take way more time to build than I thought and thus we won't be offering it since it would be out of most peoples' price range. But it is interesting and has some neat features, one of which is 30%+ more plenum volume even thoght it don't look like it. It is also about 5/8" lower. The runners are still the same lenght & retain velocity stacks, thus the flow should be just as good.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: If you're the one I made this for please contact me, lost your info.

Is that the same oval plenum that you used for the F-body guy?
What size TB is it built for?

Let me know if you don't hear from the original purchaser.

No, the F-bod was dif, it had a true oval cross section. this one is flat on top and bottom.

quote Originally posted by Raydar: Is that the same oval plenum that you used for the F-body guy? What size TB is it built for? Let me know if you don't hear from the original purchaser.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: If you're the one I made this for please contact me, lost your info.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: Not a new product, but here's a few pictures of a special order prototype intake I made for a customer. It is in bare metal as he wants to have it chrome plated and it still needs some more sanding etc.. I wasn't going to post anything on it whereas it turned out to take way more time to build than I thought and thus we won't be offering it since it would be out of most peoples' price range. But it is interesting and has some neat features, one of which is 30%+ more plenum volume even thoght it don't look like it. It is also about 5/8" lower. The runners are still the same lenght & retain velocity stacks, thus the flow should be just as good.

Francis T, in regard to your inquiry (above), I am the one for whom you'd made in early 2008 this custom Trueleo intake manifold. You'll probably recall that we referred to this as the "Racetrack" manifold. Although we both knew it was designed for street use, we nonetheless called it that because of the distinctive, non-standard, and non-oval, "Racetrack" shape of its custom plenum.

quote Originally posted by Raydar: Is that the same oval plenum that you used for the F-body guy? What size TB is it built for? Let me know if you don't hear from the original purchaser.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: No, the F-bod was dif, it had a true oval cross section. this one is flat on top and bottom.

Raydar, Francis T is quite correct in his recollection. The "one-off" manifold pictured above is the one Francis T custom made for me in early 2008. Its plenum has the "Racetrack" shape I mentioned above, rather than an oval one.

I've unfortunately run into some serious technical challenges in getting that one-off, custom Trueleo intake manifold chrome-plated, but I don't fault Francis T for those issues. Thus, the chrome-plating of that manifold (which I sought locally to call attention to its unique shape) now seems unlikely. I'm currently seeking potential alternatives to that chrome plating of this manifold in my September 27 thread titled,"Epoxy Paint, Powder Coating, or Ceramic Coating for a Trueleo Intake Manifold," which is accessible via this link: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/095194.html

Accordingly, if you, Raydar, or anyone else has any ideas on how to salvage this project, I'd certainly welcome your opinions in that thread. (I've no desire to sidetrack the present thread, which is why I created the aforementioned one.)

quote Originally posted by Raydar: What size TB is it built for?

It was built for an overbored, 57mm Fiero throttle body, once made (but unfortunately not in recent years) by Darrell Morse, a gentleman whose high-quality craftsmanship (which I'm sure you already know) was downright legendary.

In the meantime, if you, Raydar, or anyone else knows how I can overcome any obstacles to chrome-plating or --- perhaps more realistically --- otherwise salvaging this one-off, Trueleo intake manifold via epoxy painting, powder coating, or ceramic coating, please let me know via the aforementioned thread I started.

And yes, for others following this thread, I know that the very idea of chrome-plating a Trueleo intake manifold specifically to call attention to its appearance is something probably not "top-of-mind" for most people, but hey, this one, IMHO, looks great! I just need to bring it beyond the stage of bare metal. or more accurately, beyond its current 95/5 tin/solder coating from the nearby chrone shop that had been working on it.

If you are still having a problem with gettiing a finesh on that intake, you can send it back and we can powder caot it with near chrome. Sorry I didnt see your reply sooner.

quote Originally posted by Francis T: If you are still having a problem with gettiing a finesh on that intake, you can send it back and we can powder caot it with near chrome. Sorry I didnt see your reply sooner.

Yes, chroming that intake now is no longer an option, so thank you for the "near-chrome" powder coating suggestion you mentioned above, Francis T. I hadn't thought of that.

A bit more background information probably is in order here:

I can't prove it, but my guess is that when pressure testing this one-off Trueleo intake manifold after their efforts to smooth it out further for chrome plating, the chrome plating shop actually ended up creating the numerous pinhole leaks that are now in that intake, either by using too much air pressure when testing it, and/or grinding it down too thinly while attempting to smooth it out even further for chrome plating.

Many of those pinhole leaks now have been fixed through further welding at a different shop, one that I've successfully dealt with for years that specializes in race engine building, and whose long-time owner initially was very confident he could fix all those leaks through further welding on his part, and with no need for a synthetic like J-B Weld.

However, although that race engine builder has fixed many of those pinhole leaks through additional welding, even that shop's owner/engine builder/welder/machinist now very reluctantly agrees that attempting to fix all those leaks through further welding is just too risky, particularly at the plenum area, which is now quite thin (possibly from too much sanding/grinding by the would-be chrome plating shop).

In any event, I'm going to use J-B Weld to achieve a smoothened exterior finish, and to effect the needed remaining repairs of the pinhole-sized leaks in this intake.

I've not used J-B Weld before, but my understanding is that it should work nicely in achieving a smoothened exterior finish on this intake. However, I also know that I can't chrome plate over J-B Weld, which is why I mentioned earlier in this post that chrome plating this intake no longer is an option.

Unfortunately, I also seem to recall seeing somewhere else (maybe in a different post of yours, Francis T?) that powder coating over J-B Weld doesn't always work either.

Is that in fact the case, or not?

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P.S. For those following this thread, I want to make it very clear that, as I stated in my previous post, "I don't fault Francis T for those issues."

Nope, can't power coat safely over JB. First thing I would suggest is to pressure test it yourself to find the leaks. BTW: It did test leak-free when I sent it to you. Too bad they got carried away with the grinding as sent it was smoth enogh for powder coating. Anyway, you only need like 1-15 lbs of air pressure find leaks. You can do it few dif ways. Unfortunately you dont the have premade plates and flanges to bolt to it to cover the TB, EGR, Bottom etc. so you'll have make some up. Connect your air hose to vacuum fitting and connect a large ballon to another fitting -the big punching ones work great- Put air in and then feel around and listen for leaks with stethoscope and see how fast the ballon deflates.

\Quickest way find leaks: Submerge it in a tank and mark any bubble areas. For that method I would not use water as it may cause flash-rust. Mineral sprites works good. You can also try lead/flux to fix pinholes - not too easy to do on steel but it can be done - whereas lead melts at something aorund 650? and the powder coat oven is only 450 it shoudl be fine. Also, if the leaks really are tiny, the powder coat itself will likely close them.

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Just thought some might find this interesting. It's special intake for a customer; big enough TB? From a Mustang. Yes, the engine it's going will be very modified.

I posted this in fireo chat, just wanted to add this one-off LT1 intake we did for a customer here.

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