Cold Pipe Material?

[Edub1]

Obviously the hot pipe should give off as much heat as possible, so aluminum is the ticket. But, heat transfer works both ways and if the air in the cold pipe is cooler than the engine bay the intake air will heat back up a bit if not insulated. So, I'm wondering if it wouldn't be more beneficial (and cheaper) to use different material for the cold pipe.

I understand stainless steel transfers less heat but I'm wondering if some type of plastic wouldn't be even better.

[KATwo40]

At high velocities, with a very efficient intercooler, a 2.5" pipe will carry the airflow to the engine before it ever heats up from the heat-soaked cold pipe. Just go with aluminum or exhaust pipe and be done with it.

[WDRacing]

I thought about this awhile back, there are two ways of looking at it. There's the weight savings by not using mild or stainless steel and going with aluminum, but I didn't have a method to weld aluminum at that time, so I went with mild steel.

The other thought process involves what you're thinking, heat soak. The material that best comes to mind for me would be PVC. You can grab onto the hot line coming right out of the hot water heater and not get burned. You just have to use a thick enough sidewall so that the surrounding area of underhood hot air doesn't warp it etc.

I know a guy who did his entire plumbing in PVC, lighter and no heat transfer then mild steel. His was ghetto though, he used it simply because he couldn't weld...lol. Ugly elbow joints everywhere, I'll see if I can track down some pics.

WD