FAQ

Q: I need a part, different size, or different color that I do not see on your website...

A: Everything that we have is available for sale on this website. If you do not see it, please check the Coming Soon section. It is updated frequently, and you may find that your part is scheduled to go up for sale very soon.

Q: Isn't there a danger of blowing off hose couplers when using a silicone intake?

A: No more than on an ordinary intake. Our shop car, a 1995 Talon TSI AWD, holds 23 PSI with a silicone intake and has never blown off a hose coupler, once the kinks were worked out.

Q: I saw a silicone hose similar to yours on another website for nearly three times the cost! What is the difference?

A: Well, there really is no difference. By selling at lower prices, Silicone Intake Systems enables you to cost-effectively build an entire intake out of silicone. This also increases our sales volume, enabling us to sell at the lower prices.

Q: What brand are your hoses?

A: These are Silicone Intake Systems brand hoses. We do not write our logo all over our hoses - if you want to advertise for us, that should be your decision. Unlabeled hoses will give you a cleaner look in your engine bay.

Q: Can I use this product to create my own coolant lines? How about my own exhaust piping?

No. The coolant lines are far too dangerous to attempt - if something comes loose while you are near the engine bay, you will be hating life (or possibly just dead). This does NOT apply to pre-formed, application-specific, 1-piece silicone radiator hoses - you just can't use any hose clamps/joiners. As for the exhaust piping, these silicone hoses are designed to withstand temperatures of up to 392* F. Exhaust temperatures, just as they are leaving the head, can be as high as 1700* F. After leaving the head, the exhaust gasses cool very rapidly all the way through your exhaust. It is questionable how far downstream of the head you would have to go before you start using silicone for exhaust piping. If you try this, we would love to hear about your results. However, the pieces you use in this way will not be covered under warranty. I would guess that the best bet here would be to use pre-cut stainless steel sections for the straight pieces and silicone hoses for the couplers and bends.

Q: Can I use standard worm-gear hose clamps with these?

A: This is not recommended. Standard, 1-layer worm gear clamps, when highly tightened, can dig into the silicone and leave an imprint; in extreme circumstances, standard worm gear clamps can actually cut into the silicone. This practice will void your warranty, but should work just fine in a pinch. Whatever hose clamps you use should be smooth on the inside.

Q: Can't I just use hose from my local home improvement store to build my intake?

A: No! You might be able to get away with this when there is no boost involved (IE pre-turbo), but once the air is under boost, you need a grade of hose that is designed for your application.

Q: What is the difference between working pressure and burst pressure?

A: Burst pressure is the point where the part may actually explode under the pressure. In automotive applications, it is common to use a 4:1 correction factor for the maximum boost that you should run through a part. IE if the burst pressure is 200 PSI, the working pressure (or most pressure you should run) is 50 PSI. Even so, at levels over 50 PSI, blowing hoses off their joiners would probably be the biggest concern.