Need help welding stock headers
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 200
Likes: 15
From: shreveport Louisiana
Need help welding stock headers
So on my 81 I've got the short factory headers/tube manifolds And they got some small cracks around the welds and the flange that the exhaust bolts are on broke. Does anyone know if the headers are 304 or 308 stainless or something different?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 200
Likes: 15
From: shreveport Louisiana
Well from what I've read they were pretty notorious for that. Mine happened to be a little self inflicted when I was bolting the exhaust back on. At least on the driver side. As for the passenger side I haven't got to pull if off yet but I can see someone has put some kind of tape around it so I figure it has a crack something. So far on the driver side header there is no crack on the welds just the flange that bolts it to the exhaust. When I originally posted the guy who we bought the car from had a set I could have but there were some cracks on the welds so I just assumed mine had them to because I know I've had a leak and that was before the flange broke off.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Los Angeles CA
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 200
Likes: 15
From: shreveport Louisiana
Well on mine the flange that has the 3 studs that bolts the header to the exhaust broke on me. When I inspected it the welds were pretty crappy at best. there was no penetration on on the welt just stuck on there and there was rust in between the welds and flange
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,022
Likes: 30
From: Los Angeles CA
to my surprise when i was able to remove or loosen all the top bolts
i thought I would have a fit to "separate" the headers from the head, but the headers simply "fell" away from the heads and i was able to drop the gasket sections in without further ado
perhaps instead of welding, you may source a used one on ebay?
or if you live in a state that allows go for a set of "real" headers?
Last edited by slickfx3; Jan 23, 2016 at 12:46 PM.