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Cracked Kooks header (swaintech coated)

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Old Sep 16, 2006 | 01:13 AM
  #1  
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Default Cracked Kooks header (swaintech coated)

The air tube on my Kooks header just got blown out completely of the primary tubing. Now there's a big gapping hole in it.
This header has less than 5000 miles in it although they were purchased a few years back as part of Kooks group purchase through this forum. I drove the car maybe 2-3 times a month.
Anyone else has this problem ?
I was thinking of taking it to the muffler shop for a weld job but with the swaintech coating don't know how that's going to work out. The stuff is EXTREMELY HARD to gring out.
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Old Sep 16, 2006 | 01:59 AM
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Originally Posted by boblackhardtop
The air tube on my Kooks header just got blown out completely of the primary tubing. Now there's a big gapping hole in it.
This header has less than 5000 miles in it although they were purchased a few years back as part of Kooks group purchase through this forum. I drove the car maybe 2-3 times a month.
Anyone else has this problem ?
I was thinking of taking it to the muffler shop for a weld job but with the swaintech coating don't know how that's going to work out. The stuff is EXTREMELY HARD to gring out.

Did you have the air tubes connected? if not, kooks directions say you should cut off the tubes, and weld in a piece to block the hole due to harmonic vibration. My obsolete tuner laughed when I asked him if he read the directions, and said he never does, when I told him mine broke off. He didn't offer to reimburse me the $ I paid to have them welded. My welder did it with the header still installed.
Good luck,

JB
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Old Sep 16, 2006 | 09:34 AM
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Is yours coated ?
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Old Sep 16, 2006 | 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by jbsblownc5
Did you have the air tubes connected? if not, kooks directions say you should cut off the tubes, and weld in a piece to block the hole due to harmonic vibration. My obsolete tuner laughed when I asked him if he read the directions, and said he never does, when I told him mine broke off. He didn't offer to reimburse me the $ I paid to have them welded. My welder did it with the header still installed.
Good luck,

JB
Did you take the headers off to weld them?

Shahram
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Old Sep 16, 2006 | 10:28 AM
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Originally Posted by LRD VDR
Did you take the headers off to weld them?

Shahram
End of the paragraph..
The tube is on the top where it is accessible... So I would think most shops could do it with the header still in place....
-=Rick
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Old Sep 16, 2006 | 11:42 AM
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A competent welder should be able to do it in place. However the welder needs to grind off the coating before he can properly weld it. Also if my poor memory serves me right these headers are stainless steel, of what alloy I don't remember but I doubt they are 304 or 316 as both are too hard for exhaust tubing, its probably a 409 alloy. The welder needs to use a SS weld wire to make a proper repair, otherwise its going to rust in that area, that means he has to use the proper shielding gas as well. I fixed one the other day that a customer carried into the shop. I made a SS washer that fit the hole and TIG welded it in place.
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Old Sep 28, 2006 | 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by boblackhardtop
I drove the car maybe 2-3 times a month.
thats the problem..you dont drive it enought and it got pissed!
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Old Sep 28, 2006 | 02:11 PM
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Same thing happened to me...




My expensive solution... new Kooks race headers w/o air tubes ceramic coated turbo black

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Originally Posted by tjwong
A competent welder should be able to do it in place. However the welder needs to grind off the coating before he can properly weld it. Also if my poor memory serves me right these headers are stainless steel, of what alloy I don't remember but I doubt they are 304 or 316 as both are too hard for exhaust tubing, its probably a 409 alloy. The welder needs to use a SS weld wire to make a proper repair, otherwise its going to rust in that area, that means he has to use the proper shielding gas as well. I fixed one the other day that a customer carried into the shop. I made a SS washer that fit the hole and TIG welded it in place.

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