V-band clamps on intercooler piping?

[fivemustangs]

Just like the title says, can I use V-band clamps on stainless intercooler piping? I have access to a mandrel bender and someone who knows what they are doing, I want to eliminate as many couplers as i can. Will it hold boost or will it seep through the clamps? stainless 3" pipes for a procharger system.

 

[mob]

Of course it'll seal. problem is the intercooler is most likely going to be aluminum, so you will need someone who knows how to weld aluminum. I guess you could get aluminum vbands for the intercooler side, and steel vbands for the piping side, you may have a sealing issue if you mix and match vbands though. I think they make some with o-rings on the inside to help it seal, may want to look into those.

 

[fivemustangs]

Ok thanks, I am going to switch all my intercooler piping to stainless steel 1 piece at a time. thanks for the replie and I will deff. be looking into the V-bands with the O-rings!!!! SWEET!
Thanks-

 

[90lxcoupe]

I would roll the edges of the intercooler and not v-band it. That stuff is going to want to move around. I'd just roll the edges and use t-bolt clamps on it

 

[fivemustangs]

I see what you mean, I still plan on using couplers and T-clamps on both sides of the intercooler and exiting the blower and entering the TB but there would be 2 or 3 spots that I could use the V-band clamps on, I just think it would make it look cleaner myself.

Also I don't want to start ANOTHER thread so does anyone know if I can mount my SCT BA2600 upside down or side ways to hide it from view? I plan on using a tonsil style mount on my intercooler piping. I have looked around and got mixed reviews so if anyone has done it please chime in!
Thanks!

 

[mob]

Cant tell you much on that but I would try calling the manufacturer for tech support if you dont get a straight answer.

 

[fivemustangs]

That was good advice, I have called SCT, they told me that it would NOT be an issue to mount the mass air on the side of the pipe as long as there was 7" of straight pipe on both sides of the sensor. his math was taking the ID of the pipe ( being 3.5") and double it which would be 7 and that is the amount of straight pipe I would need on each side of the MAF sensor so there would not be any "turbulance" in the air flow. If there is any bends in the pipe the air will flow towards the outter bend and cause a higher flow in that area of the pipe and if the sensor is to close to that bend the readings will be incorrect.