Looking for flexible connector 6" diameter for air intake

[Brian Diehl]

Brian, I may have a short piece of hose like a leaf vacum. It was on an air filter on the other side if I rember, to the out side. It had wire in it. I'll go look now.  Tom Y

Thanks Tom.  Let me know what you find.

[Tom Y]

Heres a pic of leaf vacum hose 6" and the other is a heat shrink material. The heat shrink material I melted together, but not sure how either would up in the heat. The leaf hose is old and stiff, but it may work for you. You may want to make the gap bigger than 1/2" to allow more flexing. If you wish I will send a peice.  Tom Y

[Tom Y]

Sorry, heres the leaf hose.  Tom Y

[Just Dallas]

Removed

[Brian Diehl]

Dallas, when you step out of the box you REALLY step out!  Thanks for your creative thinking and being willing to share it with us.

[Brian Diehl]

Tom, with the heat shrink all I can imagine is the tubing shrinking up while climbing a mountain pass in the middle of summer!  It is a funny sight in my mind!   

I'm going to give the inner tube a try and see how well it holds up.

Thanks everyone for the ideas.

[Busted Knuckle]

Brian,
Just be careful when using an inner tube for your intake.
Dina's had the air intake in kinda like a box area in the side at the top of the rear cap and I've seen several Dina's that birds got in there and built nest.
Then the air was so restricted the engine would suck air so hard it would rip the thick hard rubber elbows like a knife had sliced them open. On one we saw where is sucked the 6" aluminum tube going across the top of the engine flat like someone had stomped it flat, and reinstalled it!
So if you get to much up wind restriction it could actually suck the inner tube through the turbo! (Ooooo not good!  )
I ain't say'n it wouldn't work, but I'd be scared to do it on one of mine!
FWIW   BK    (the politically incorrect busnut! )

[Sean]

Brian,

Speaking as one who has had to in-frame an engine twice due to dirt ingestion because of intake plumbing problems, I will advise you to be very, very careful with what you do downstream of the air cleaner.

With inner tube, I would be very concerned that the vacuum generated between the turbo (or blower) and air cleaner could collapse something that thin, or, worse, cause it to rip.  After that, it will not take long for enough dust to be sucked in to cause major trouble.

You might call the guys over at PEDCO, who did my in-frames.  I remember seeing every conceivable rubber intake elbow and coupling under the sun just lying around the shop; they get more engines there than you can shake a stick at, and most of them come in with couplers or elbows hanging off them.  What you may have to do is to replace one of your rigid elbows at either end with a rubber one, rather than the short coupler between the straight sections.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Brian Diehl]

The two 90 degree elbows are rubber.  However, I don't think there is enough flex in these two elbows since 1) they are very short, and 2) they don't have any "humps" in them for easy compression or extension.  They do give, just not very much.  I'd like to have more flexibility in this connection.  I will give Pedco a call and see what they might be able to scrounge up.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

[dbenck]

Brian..I have some 6" heavy duty flex we use for vaccum intakes on CNC machines for one of our customers.
I do not think the heat will effect it. You are welcome to a piece if you need it. What we have is leftover's
from the job...been here for two years !!! Let me know.




David P. Benck
Somerset,WI

[dbenck]

Here

[RickB]

Once again David benck to the rescue!!! Man you deserve a medal or something.

Brian you gotta meet David he's your kinda guy. Well, you'll like him once you get over the "shop envy". You could land a plane in his shops!

I'm sure we'll all find ourselves around a campfire this summer.

Thanks for helping Brian out Dave. I sure hope it works.

Rick

[Brian Diehl]

Brian..I have some 6" heavy duty flex we use for vaccum intakes on CNC machines for one of our customers.
I do not think the heat will effect it. You are welcome to a piece if you need it. What we have is leftover's
from the job...been here for two years !!! Let me know.




David P. Benck
Somerset,WI

Wow, Thank you David!

I would love to try some of this hose.  Would you be able to send me 2 4" pieces?  I can get you shipping money.  I'll PM you with my address for a shipping estimate.

[Brian Diehl]

Rick,
Thanks for the positive feedback on David.  It is always incredible to me how small our bus world is!

I hope this will work.  If it does not I still need to call Pedco and Bruce out in California has also offered to see what he might have in his shop that will work.  So, I'll get something safe figured out for this problem!

[dbenck]

Hey, Brian I can send you what you need,..just let me know where...Rick you are the MAN!!!!
dbenck@somtel.net

I think this will work great for what you need.

David P.Benck