Category Archives: Product Information

Should I use an exhaust wrap?

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Bronze titanium exhaust wrap An exhaust wrap is a fantastic heat protection product. In addition to making your header look great exhaust wraps also give you performance enhancements. You will see a reduction in temperatures around the exhaust resulting in more horsepower.

This increase in horsepower is down to increased engine efficiency. The exhaust wrap keeps heat in the header instead of it dissipating around the engine.

BUY EXHAUST WRAPS HERE

Exhaust wraps impact on performance

When heat is contained in the exhaust it improves the flow of exhaust gasses throughout the entire system. The faster exhaust gasses move, the more power you’ll receive. In a dyno test by Hot Rod Magazine they found exhaust wraps significantly reduced engine temperatures.

Viper Exhaust wrapsHow to install an exhaust wrap

Installing exhaust wraps on your motorcycle exhaust or car manifold is simple. Grab one of our exhaust wraps which come in different roll sizes. To fasten your exhaust wrap, you may also require stainless steel cable ties. Each order comes with 5 stainless steel cable ties for free! We also have packs of 20 or 100 cable ties available to buy.

Viper Exhaust Wraps

Different wrap roll sizes are available to suit your application. We offer 2 grades of exhaust wrap here at Viper Performance:

1 – Fiber Glass exhaust wraps for 550°C – For Manifold available in Natural or Black.

2 – Titanium exhaust wraps 700°C – For Manifold available in a very attractive Bronze colour.

For more information or to purchase your exhaust wrap please click here.

How our products can work together

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aluminium pipes and silicone hosesOur online shop allows for single purchases of silicone hoses and aluminium pipes but our products are showcased at there best when combined. By joining our aluminium pipes and silicone hoses you can achieve any shape.

We have an extensive range of silicone hose elbows to acquire the correct angles and have straight length hoses up to 4 meters. Our aluminium range consists of a range of elbow hose joiners, straight connectors and reducing pieces.

This flexibility means that you can create bespoke Intercoolers, Radiators, Air induction, Superchargers, intercooler systems. You can do this from stock pieces via our online shop, or if you are a fabricator or distributor then we can discuss bespoke options. We also stock hose clamps to make securing the sections together seamless. Click here to view our clamps.

Silicone and Aluminium Parts for fabricators

Silicone Hoses and Aluminium Pipes

We know from experience that our parts offer fabricators the opportunity to create great pieces of kit to re sell. An exceptionally high quality, and reliable product (lifetime warranty on hoses) means that our trade customers are never disappointed.

You will find the largest range of shapes, sizes, and diameters available immediately in stock. From enquiry to finished delivered product, you will receive the level of service you expect from a professional company, with all of our attention focused on quality and customer satisfaction. Confidentiality and integrity is always assured. We are also able to put your branding onto our silicone hoses, which is something other manufactures are not willing to do.

 

If you are after one off parts to work together head over to our online shop and view our stock of silicone hoses and aluminium pipes.

If you are a fabricator or distributor interested in working with us here at Viper Performance we would love to hear from you please give us a call on 01952 670 702.

What is Platinum Cured Silicone?

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In a platinum-based silicone cure system two different chemical groups react in the presence of platinum. Unlike the traditional Peroxide cured materials Platinum Cured Silicone does not use peroxides as part of the catalysing process. These can sometimes leave trace elements after post cure causing contamination.

As a result Platinum Curing is becoming a more popular choice in many industries including medical, food, drink or dairy applications.

Benefits of platinum cured silicone

There are a range of benefits when choosing platinum cured silicone over alternatives:

  • High tear strength
  • excellent translucency so more visibility through the material
  • non yellowing
  • no peroxide by-products
  • highly hydrophobic
  • extended life in Peristaltic pumps

Platinum cured silicone applications

Due to its advantages as listed above there are many industries now seeking platinum cured silicone products. These include:

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications; platinum-cured silicone tubing is an excellent choice for fluid transfer. Its high temperature resistance and fewer potential leachables make it a perfect fit for medical use. Silicone maintains the purity of sensitive fluids due to its excellent biocompatibility and chemical inertness . This type of tubing has smooth surfaces and lower protein binding levels which is another selling point for this particular application.

Food and Drink applications; platinum-cured silicone tubing has revolutionised the transfer of liquids in drinks machines. Traditional peroxide-cured silicone tubing can impair the taste of liquids due to tainting, platinium cured tubing does not have this down side. It’s high tensile strength also means that it’s an ideal fit for food industries.

Dairy applications; Platinum cured silicone is ideal for use in the dairy industry due to its high mechanical wear and excellent tear strength. In comparison to conventional black rubber tubing often used for milking, platinum cured tubes do not harden and corrode with use. Instead, this extremely durable product is made using highly polished dies to create an extra smooth inner bore to improve flow rate and hygeine levels.

Viper Performance products

Here at Viper we supply only the highest quality platinum grade silicone available on the market, with a very high level of purity. Sold here in 5 Meter continuous lengths. Click here to read a blog all about our FDA Platinum Silicone Tubing and find out how to buy yours.

Our FDA Platinum Silicone Tube

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We recently wrote a blog about the benefits of platinum cured silicone, it is clear to see why many industries are now seeking this material. We are always looking to meet the needs of the market and therefore we now have FDA Platinum Silicone Tube available in a number of sizes.

Here at Viper we use the highest quality Platinum grade silicone available on the market, with a very high level of purity.

As we stated in our recent blog the advantages of platinum curing are:

– Non yellowing
– No peroxide by-products
– High tear strength
– High gloss finish
– Excellent quality
– Highly hydrophobic
– Extended life in Peristaltic pumps

We sell the tubing in 5 Meter continuous lengths, by purchasing multiples, they will be continuous up to 25 meters.

Click here to buy this product online

Cutting through steel braided hoses

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We recently wrote a piece about how to cut silicone hoses, but then someone asked the question, what about braided hoses?

If you have cut steel braiding before you may have found yourself with split or frayed edges. On our website we sell specialist heavy duty braided hose cutters which will eliminate this problem. They will effortlessly slice through those braided fuel and hydraulic fluid hoses in seconds.

These hose cutters are built from solid steel and are very sharp. The long reach handles on these cutters will help to cut through large hoses up to sizes of AN-16 in nitrile or PTFE. Hydraulic hose cutting tool comes with easy grip rubber handles.

Click here to buy this specialist product today. Or if you want to see the cutters in action take a look at the Youtube video below:

What difference do silicone hoses make?

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Why silicone instead of rubberOne of the biggest questions, when people consider upgrading a vehicles standard rubber hoses, is will it really make a difference. Considering what the benefits and drawbacks are for both options can make you better informed as to whether you should upgrade.

Below we have answered some of the most common questions regarding silicone superiority, effects on performance and applications that silicone may not be the best for.

Why are silicone hoses better than rubber?

There are a few reasons why silicone hoses are often considered superior to rubber. Below we have given just 5 examples of the benefits of silicone

1. Flexibility and resilience
Silicone hoses benefit from superior flexibility compared to rubber. They maintain this flexibility over their lifespan unlike rubber hoses. This reduces the risk that your hoses will split, harden, or become dry rotted.

2. Lifespan
Silicone hoses last practically forever and might possibly outlast your car. Because they have such a long lifespan, they can average out to a lower cost per mile compared to rubber hoses, even though their upfront cost is higher. Here at Viper Performance we are so confident in the longevity of silicone hoses that we offer a lifetime warranty for all our branded hoses if used for the correct application.

3. Operating Temperature Range
One of the main reasons people change to silicone is the operating temperature, it’s all about thermodynamics. The idea of a silicone hose is that you replace the standard hose so it doesn’t expand and get hot under pressure. Silicone hoses are capable of carrying fluids at much higher temperatures than rubber. If you’re building a racing vehicle or adding a turbocharger to your engine, silicone is the way to go.

4. Noise and vibration control
Silicone has a good ability to dampen sounds and vibrations, keeping a quiet and stable profile. Rubber has been known to be a source of noise due to the friction between the rubber and the mating surface.

5. Aesthetics
One of the most obvious advantages of upgrading hoses under the bonnet is how they look. The colours available in silicone hose ranges mean they are often a keen favourite with car enthusiasts who like show their engine bays. The vibrant blue and red hoses can really set off an engine. But if you’re not into colourful interiors silicone hoses are also available in black.

Do silicone hoses improve performance?

The reason people started manufacturing silicone hoses for the automotive industry in the first place was because silicone material offers such a valuable performance enhancement. So the simple answer is yes.

As we have mentioned above silicone has superior heat tolerance when compared to rubber, this is the major reason why silicone is the material of choice for performance-enhanced vehicles. If you add a nice turbocharger to your engine, you’ll get some great power, but if you neglect to upgrade your hoses at the same time, you will potentially drive all that extra heat into hoses that aren’t equipped to handle it.

Silicone is a very stable material that acts almost like new, even when it’s not. While rubber hoses are prone to cracking, getting stiff, or becoming dry rotted over time the resilience of silicone means that this is less likely. Anyone who has had a hose leak will know what a headache this is to diagnose and correct so upgrading to silicone will definitely impact your performance for the better.

Are there any applications where silicone is not best?

Of course, there are applications where silicone is simply not the best material to use. Its molecular structure doesn’t play well with oil, fuel, and other oil-based products. Here at Viper Performance we do have the ability to add a specialist fluro lining to our silicone hoses. This makes the hoses ideal for contact with Oils / Oil mists and for the transfer of fuels. This highly specialised product has a working temperature from -50° to +170°C. Alternativeley we also stock braided fuel hoses.

Here at Viper Performance we love helping people get the silicone hose they need and achieving the performance they have always longed for. To take a look at our silicone hose ranges all available from stock please click here.

Ready to make the switch?

Start shopping our silicone hoses now CLICK HERESilicone Hoses for sale

How Do I Cut a Silicone Hose?

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Cutting silicone hosesThere are situations where you may want to cut a silicone hose to make it smaller. It is essential that you do this in the right way to give a good finish and you do not compromise the efficiency of the hose.

There are right and wrong ways to cut silicone hoses, the correct way will depend on the hose size that you are working with. There are many questions we often get asked which we have answered below:

How do I cut small diameter unreinforced hoses or tubing?

For unreinforced silicone tubing up to around 8mm you can simply cut the tube with wire cutters, pliers or scissors.

How do I cut small diameter reinforced silicone hoses?

Small diameter reinforced silicone hoses can be cut with a parcel knife or Stanley blade. You should always ensure you use a brand new blade and please watch your fingers. This method with work on up to 25mm diameter hoses. When cutting do not roll the hose as you risk cutting you fingers

Can I use a hacksaw to cut silicone hoses?

Never use a hacksaw for any diameter hose this will create frayed material and debris inside hoses.

Can I use a vice to hold my hose whilst cutting?

If you have a vice this will make securing small hoses easier and therefore can be used for small projects. We do not advise using a vice for larger hoses as the hose will deform and move, the result will be a ruined hose.

How do I cut large diameter silicone hoses?

We will take you through the step by step process of successfully cutting large diameter silicone hoses with good results.
You will need: T bolt hose clamp to suit the size of hose, A spanner for the clamp and a Stanley knife with a brand new blade.
1. Mark the hose to cut with a permanent marker
2. Line up the clamp, tighten and secure.
3. Keep your fingers away. Now slowly use the edge of the clamp as a cutting guide. Cut along until you reach the bridge of the clamp.
4. When you reach the bridge of the clamp, you will loose that line. Rotate and readjust the clamp to get that straight line
5. Cut some more until the entire diameter is cut
6. Remove the clamp and admire your job.

Please note that our silicone hoses are perfectly cut in the factory and therefore it is impossible to get these same results at home. The tips above will give you a good result but this may take some practice. For more help please watch our how to video on youtube:

Our 180 degree aluminium pipe bends

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Our aluminium pipes are polished and roll beaded and of the finest grade 6063 alloy for easy welding. Our 180 degree hose joiner have roll beaded ends for best hose retention. Hose Joiners are ideal for joining hoses for Intercoolers, Radiators, Air induction, Superchargers, intercooler systems or for making any D.I.Y system. Our mandrel bends have the tightest bend radius on the market.

Some features of our aluminium Hose Joiners:

– Mandrel bent,
– Mirror polished
– Roll beaded ends for best hose retention,
– Seamless tubing,
– Wall thickness 1.6 to 2.0mm,
– Tightest bend radius on market
– Clean finish ready to use,

For more information on our aluminium pipe bends, please visit our website. 

SuperFlexi Silicone Hoses

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superflexi hoses

When carrying out work on your vehicle, it can sometimes be difficult to achieve the desired result when you’re restricted to rigid angled hoses. This is why we offer super flexible silicone hoses. These are particularly useful for coolant and bottom radiator connections, which can be tricky to access.

These hoses can bend to almost any shape, giving you ultimate flexibility. In addition to their flexibility, these hoses can also withstand higher pressures thanks to the steel wire spiral that is embedded into the reinforcement piles.

Available in blue, red an black, these hoses can give a striking appearance. We recommend using T Bolt clamps with our hoses, which you can also purchase from ourselves.

For more information on our SuperFlexi silicone hoses, please visit our website.

 

Flexible Cuffed Coolant Hoses

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cuffed hoses

In some applications, a pre-moulded elbow hoses cannot give the necessary angles needed for a tidy and efficient engine bay. This is why Viper Performance offers flexible cuffed coolant hoses, which give an excellent bend radius, thanks to the wire helix embedded into the wall of the hose. These work fantastically to connect your coolant or water hoses.

The hoses are specifically designed with a 50mm non-wired section at either end of the hose so that they are easy to connect and clamp. The hoses do not remember their shape, so they may need to be supported in some situations.

For more information on our flexible cuffed hoses, please click here. Alternatively, please give us a call and we will be happy to talk through your requirements with you to make the best recommendation.