Toyota's new 2AZ-FE 2.4L uses a plastic intake manifold!
- Thread starter Ken4
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yea its like that on my 99 mercury villager as well. i think their super charger is plasticy as well right?
Patman
Staff member
Composite intakes are great! My LS1 Firebird had one, and those things stay very cool, you can put your hand on it after driving all day and it feels cool to the touch. This allows the engine to breathe cooler air, and for a drag racer it's nice because you can run back to back all day long and your car will not slow down.
I'd be willing to bet they went with it for cost reasons. Remember it's GM we're talking about
But seriously do you know how high the velocity of the air is going through the intake? I doubt that it is able to pick up much heat even if the intake was on fire.
Also saw on that consumeraffairs website that had the info on the Durango, another section mentioning cracking of plastic GM intake manifolds...
Glad our 3.8 is supercharged so no plastic intake...
Glad our 3.8 is supercharged so no plastic intake...
Patman
Staff member
If you put your hand on my LT1's intake manifold after running it back to back at the dragstrip you can't even hold your hand there for two seconds it's so hot. The LT1's manifold is aluminum. So even with the air moving fast through there, the aluminum gets super hot, while the composite ones don't. I wish someone would release an aftermarket composite intake for the LT1. Then I would not lose two tenths in back to back quarter mile runs.quote:
Originally posted by Jason Troxell:
I'd be willing to bet they went with it for cost reasons. Remember it's GM we're talking aboutBut seriously do you know how high the velocity of the air is going through the intake? I doubt that it is able to pick up much heat even if the intake was on fire.
My '92 BMW 325i has a plastic intake, no problems so far. I think it was done to create smoother and more accurate shapes than can be done in mass production with aluminum castings.
Plastic manifolds have been around over 10 years. The question is
why do we still have aluminum or even cast iron? Think like the
manufactures, cost and fuel economy. They are much lighter than
even aluminum, have a higher heat distortion temperature, and less
resistance to flow. The lighter weight, better flow, cooler flow all
add to efficiency. Higher efficiency leads to both better mileage
driven conservatively for the EPA, and higher performance for
marketing.
They are obviously cheaper to manufacture and improve fuel
economy while actually improving performance. It is a no brainer
for a manufacturer trying to make money on a car that will keep
both the EPA and the customers happy.
As composites move into the engine, nobody will notice their con
rods are plastic. Plastic hydraulic cylinders won't corrode.
why do we still have aluminum or even cast iron? Think like the
manufactures, cost and fuel economy. They are much lighter than
even aluminum, have a higher heat distortion temperature, and less
resistance to flow. The lighter weight, better flow, cooler flow all
add to efficiency. Higher efficiency leads to both better mileage
driven conservatively for the EPA, and higher performance for
marketing.
They are obviously cheaper to manufacture and improve fuel
economy while actually improving performance. It is a no brainer
for a manufacturer trying to make money on a car that will keep
both the EPA and the customers happy.
As composites move into the engine, nobody will notice their con
rods are plastic. Plastic hydraulic cylinders won't corrode.
Yeah, composite intakes are wonderful when the intake gaskets need replaced.
LOL..ford does it too. go look under the hood of a new mustang
Don't worry, a way up there, the dog will never get it. Labman's
Lab ate through the plastic flex on the house air conditioner
condenser's feed. The wires inside and the dog were still OK. I am replacing the flex with rigid steel conduit
and the plastic fuse box with a steel one. In the mean time, I
will enjoy the benefits of the plastic intake manifold and all the rest
of the plastic parts out of reach of the Lab under the hood of my Cavalier.
Lab ate through the plastic flex on the house air conditioner
condenser's feed. The wires inside and the dog were still OK. I am replacing the flex with rigid steel conduit
and the plastic fuse box with a steel one. In the mean time, I
will enjoy the benefits of the plastic intake manifold and all the rest
of the plastic parts out of reach of the Lab under the hood of my Cavalier.
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