Thread: Has anyone ever seen a stainless exhaust flange?

I'm talking about the exhaust flange that mates to the head on an N/A application, or the flanges that mate to the head and turbo (both sides) on a turbo application.

I started looking for stainless exhaust flanges and couldn't find any at all. Then I started looking at high dollar stainless turbo and N/A manifolds and none of them are stainless (even though the pipes and everything else is).

Is it common to have mild or aluminized steel for the high temp, thick flanges? I'm starting to think it is. I just always assumed they were stainless on the ballar manifolds, but not even them have it. It must be because rust and strength isn't an issue at all on thick pieces of metal like that?

Am I crazy to have even thought about a stainless flange?


(I know stainless exhausts like cat-backs and stuff have stainless flanges, but that's not what I'm talking about here.)

They only do it in mild steel. It has to do with machining. Stainless is harder than mild steel. Stainless is also much more expensive.

Well there are these...

T3 Stainless Steel Turbine Inlet Flange Columbia River Mandrel Bending

TiAL 38mm, Stainless Steel Wastegate Flange Columbia River Mandrel Bending

It's a lot harder to find stainless for the actual head flange, and for the turbo outlet flange (but it's easy to find for the turbo inlet). Wtf?

Yeah, you can find some turbo inlet flanges and Tial offers stainless for all their flanges. But good luck finding a stainless head flange. Its just not necessary.

I have a stainless Hotshot Gen6.
I'm pretty sure the manifold flange is stainless.
I'll have to look at it, see if it's rusted, and if it's magnetic (300 series non-magnetic, 400 series magnetic).

Give me a CAD file of it and I will make you one

Yah, if I had a CAD file of it I'd make my own. =D

It's not a big deal, just curious.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, isn't stainless steel more vulnerable to heat (flanges would more easily flex and twist)?

I don't know for sure, but that doesn't sound right. And I doubt Tial would make stainless steel turbo exhaust housings if stainless was going to change shape that drastically when heated.

And there's the answer to my question. Apparently Tial makes everything under the sun in stainless.

TiAL Sport.com

They ALMOST have what I need. Bastards...