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Aluminum exhaust??


Forrest Gump 9

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Unprotected aluminum corrodes just like any other metal. Sure its possible to run, the thickness of the tubing will help determine the overall sound also. For instance a thicker metal would provide a deeper resonance and a thinner, well it'll sound more like a tin can strapped to a 12 gauge. I would use schedule 20 thickness. Just my .02
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Aluminum's melting point is awefully close to the exhaust gas temperature for many gas engines. Diesel is even hotter. I suppose with some kind of coating or cooling fins it would be OK...but that may negate your weight savings. I also agree that fatigue would be an issue. People don't realize the stress and impacts exhaust systems take.

 

All that being said...it would be a fun experiment to conduct in a bench setup.

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I ran a single 4" aluminum exhaust for 3 years when my car was turbocharged. It never cracked. You need to use the right material, prep and weld it correctly, and support the heck out of it. I used 12 gauge until about 3' from the engine then switched to 14 gauge. I also built an aluminum muffler but eventually switched to a SS muffler to quiet it down further.
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Dodge experimented with a cast aluminum header for the Hemi back in the 60s...it was light, something like a 12-14 lbs advantage, and sealed well without cracking. The problem was that full throttle for more than 10 seconds or so would result in holes melting through the first 4-6 inches of the primary tubes.

There is a picture of the aftermath of a test run with a Super Stock car, with little globs of melted aluminum scattered all over the inner fenders.

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