Stainless exhaust

[Joe 90]

What's involved in making a custom stainless steel exhaust?
Can you use the normal gas for mild steel mig welding but change the wire to stainless steel?
What thickness should the tube be and where is the best place to buy the necessary boxes and tubes etc?

 

[optima21]

I recently made my own stainless exhaust but it was tig welded rather than being mig welded.

Stainless steel silencers

after watching a couple of videos about making exhaust silencers like this one or this one I thought I'd have a go at making my own for my 1.0L vw polo. I know very little about the acoustics for exhaust design, but thought that having chambers in the back box and the exhaust gases having...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

you can mig stainless steel using CO2 or CO2/argon mix and stainless wire, but its not the correct gas to use for stainless steel, so will produce a weaker joint, but an exhaust isnt structural, but may be more liable to cracking due to thermal shock.

most tubing will be 1.6mm thick, but I used 0.9mm to save weight, and thats why I made my own silencers too, as stainless ones tend to be heavier than standard ones.

here are some stainless parts that I mig welded about 10 years ago using 316 stainless wire and CO2 gas, its not so pretty but these pics were taken in the last couple of years.

 

[Bornfree]

I used a jetex silencer and bought the pipe, flanges and bends from Ebay cost about £300 total. Tig welded it.

 

[Morris]

I use dairy pipe and mandrel bends mostly, Tig welded , V band fittings.
As in

 

[winchman]

Before you start look at the cost of custom made one compared to parts as occasionally its not worth getting the welder out
This place have done two for me

Home - Cybox Automotive

Performance ExhaustsPremium Quality, Direct- Fit Stainless Steel Exhausts For enhanced performance, sound and looksExploreCustom Build ExhaustsCars, Bikes, Trucks, Classics, Campers and more!ExplorePrestige Exhausts Superior exhaust systems for increased durability, enhanced sound and appearance...

www.cybox.co.uk

 

[addjunkie]

Before you start look at the cost of custom made one compared to parts as occasionally its not worth getting the welder out
This place have done two for me

Home - Cybox Automotive

Performance ExhaustsPremium Quality, Direct- Fit Stainless Steel Exhausts For enhanced performance, sound and looksExploreCustom Build ExhaustsCars, Bikes, Trucks, Classics, Campers and more!ExplorePrestige Exhausts Superior exhaust systems for increased durability, enhanced sound and appearance...

www.cybox.co.uk

I agree for a car. Ive made a few bike trike ones. Same as above, mandrel bends and tigged. The skill is in cutting the bits to all fit together nicely, and holding it while you tack it up. Dont forget as a friend of mine found out, you need to make sure it will come off again too!

 

[winchman]

We often see a bloke at Rufforth Autojumble who sells all the fittings and clamps to make your own sadly I don't have his details

 

[Popcorn]

Good supplier of stainless exhaust parts here:

Fabrication Components for Exhaust Fabricators | FabCo

We know first-hand the time & effort it takes to source reliable suppliers & quality fabrication components. We stock a varity of mandrel bends & parts.

fabco.uk