Hi folks-

New to composites/CF, pardon in advance if I don't have the terminology proper.....but several questions arise as I research and plan this part

The project is an inlet/intake tube - from an airbox or filter to the turbo inlet.  Picture attached of the approximate shape, note that there are two 'bungs' or ports or however you like to call them - that connect to the PCV system. They're aluminum the example below but don't necessarily need to be.  They're plastic on the OEM inlet. 




My thought is to create (carving, sanding by hand) a foam plug, slide a single carbon sleeve over it, wet layup and vacuum bag it.   Approximate dimensions are 3" diameter at the smaller end gradually widening up to 5" at the larger end.  It's about 15" long in total.  

Several questions arise as I try to think through the multiple steps....

-Will the acetone harm the cured epoxy/CF?  I've found using a small test piece that the foam melts away quickly with acetone. 
-Do I need to wrap or coat the foam with anything before the wet layup?  
-What I'm really hung up on is how to add these ports for the accessory hose connections?  I've thought of cutting off or removing the ports from the OEM (plastic) pipe and somehow integrating them into the layup?  Or, integrating a large nut into the layup, allowing me to use a corresponding male threaded barb as seen below?


The part in the above picture was from someone's DIY write-up for a similarly functioning piece, and thus the inspiration for my project.  Thanks very much in advance for any thoughts or pointing out any mistakes in my thinking.  

Andrew

Yeh I would definitely use pre-preg, but for several reasons not just the temperature resistance. Pre-preg is much easier to get a good result with, and very consistent. I've actually just sourced a higher temp curing pre-preg than X-Preg because I make charge pipes which do see a lot of heat pre-intercooler, and the 115° capability of X-Preg meant I had to make the pipes a lot stronger than they really need to be just so that they could cope. 

I understand pre-preg is a massive investment for people as well, so if you aren't in this for the long haul where pre-preg would be worthwhile, then I would recommend atleast using a high temperature laminating epoxy like Easy Composites EL160. You could use that resin in the process you are doing now, though if you are making more than one then a mould is a great idea. Moulds are not hard or expensive to make for components this size, and there are several ways to incorporate the bungs. Ive just finished some tooling for some reasonably complex piping myself: 




I say 'reasonably' complex because each pipe was still only a 2-part split mould. Some pipes may require being more pieces if its own geometry becomes a lock. Buts its all quite simple and certainly this first pipe you've done would not be an outrageously difficult mould to make.