Welding Car Exhaust Pipes

[Arcangel]

Hi Guys

I need to put in a new piece of exhaust pipe on my Car where the previous owners repairer seems to have made a bit of a bodge up

But can you Mig Weld exhaust pipe or does it have to be braised?

I don't want to take my Car to an Exhaust Shop, I want to repair it myself and I will try and find a photo of what needs doing

 

[Shedendman]

If its sound enough ie not rusted to the thickness of tin foil then sure no problems,i take it it is a steel pipe?

 

[skotl]

Don't know whether it's typical, but there's a fabulous custom exhaust fabricator in East Kilbride (Simon's Exhausts) who MIGs everything with stainless wire - comes up a treat

 

[Arcangel]

Hi skotI

I've never used stainless wire before but it sounds like it could be expensive

 

[dannyp]

mig that with mild wire, if there is enough left there t weld to it'll weld if its paper thin you'll be chaseing holes for an hour or two

 

[skotl]

Hi skotI

I've never used stainless wire before but it sounds like it could be expensive

Me neither, but it doesn't seem super expensive...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/stainless-mig-wire

 

[the snooper]

Me neither, but it doesn't seem super expensive...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/stainless-mig-wire

Not worth using stainless on mild steel and you would need different gas

 

[wyn]

That looks like it is just at the bottom of the manifold...would it be some sort of cast material?
If the hole goes up the engine side it could be a nightmare to get the mig torch in there.

 

[addjunkie]

Id take that off to fix it properly

 

[Arcangel]

Me neither, but it doesn't seem super expensive...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/stainless-mig-wire

As its not a Stainless Steel Exhaust I cannot see any point in using Stainless Steel Wire, if it were a Stainless Steel Exhaust then that would be different

 

[the snooper]

It will be easier if you sleeve it rather then a butt joint, doesn't tend to blow holes as much

 

[Arcangel]

That looks like it is just at the bottom of the manifold...would it be some sort of cast material?
If the hole goes up the engine side it could be a nightmare to get the mig torch in there.

It certainly won't be an easy fix and I dare not take the bodged up patch off until I am ready to Weld it up which may mean that I will have to put some sort of Sleeve over it and then Weld that in place, or in other words a Neater Bodge of my own and there is also a piece in the middle that needs joining together (hard to get a photo of that)

I am not being a Cheapskate here but a New Exhaust for this Car would cost a fortune and its an Almost impossible job to get the down pipes off as the bolts are in a very hard to reach place and I don't want to risk snapping the Studs off

 

[Arcangel]

That looks like it is just at the bottom of the manifold...would it be some sort of cast material?
If the hole goes up the engine side it could be a nightmare to get the mig torch in there.

Only the loose Collar is Cast the rest is Steel and I know it won't be an easy job to do although I'm sure I can do a better job than the Previous Owners guy did

 

[Arcangel]

Id take that off to fix it properly

Yes! maybe I could drop it down to give me better access if I can't get the whole thing off (I will give it a try)

 

[Arcangel]

It will be easier if you sleeve it rather then a butt joint, doesn't tend to blow holes as much

Good Idea! I will take the joint apart and then try and sleeve it and weld it or clamp it instead of using the Bolt up Cast Iron Collar

 

[Arcangel]

That looks like it is just at the bottom of the manifold...would it be some sort of cast material?
If the hole goes up the engine side it could be a nightmare to get the mig torch in there.

Only the joining Collar is Cast Iron the rest is just normal exhaust stuff

 

[p0689109]

I welded my daughters Jimny back box over the weekend. The tail pipe part fell off and when disconnecting the boxes front flange I found the flange had rotted away from the box So I made a flange out of mild steel and welded that in place on the box and made a infill bit of mild steel pipe from a new exhaust I had and used that to reweld the remains of the rear outlet to it. I stick welded it no problems.

 

[gt6s]

Only the joining Collar is Cast Iron the rest is just normal exhaust stuff

Not cast but is steel. Cast that thin would never stand the bolting up process.

Good luck have fun.

Laurence