Welding a cracked header
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 551
Likes: 19
From: Morgantown WV
Welding a cracked header
My headers are several years old. There is a brace down near the collector that is cracked at the weld on one header and leaking exhaust. I plan to have it welded on the car and am wondering if there are any precautions I need to take to protect the electrical system before someone strikes an arc on this job. I assume it would be wise to disconnect the battery. Any other suggestions?
Last edited by AJay; Mar 27, 2013 at 06:50 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Very small job if the cracked area is easily accessable. If you disconnect the battery, (mainley the NEGATIVE cable) and have the welder NEGATIVE lead clamped on to the header, there is NO need to disconnect the PCM!
The welding job (If the damaged area is acessable) will only take 10-15 min.
I have Stainless Works headers. If you are talking about the bracket that connects the outlet pipe to the bracket on the bottom of the bell housing, Unless the header pipe its self is cracked and leaking, I wouldnt worry about it. Connecting that bracket to the header really doesnt matter.
The welding job (If the damaged area is acessable) will only take 10-15 min.
I have Stainless Works headers. If you are talking about the bracket that connects the outlet pipe to the bracket on the bottom of the bell housing, Unless the header pipe its self is cracked and leaking, I wouldnt worry about it. Connecting that bracket to the header really doesnt matter.
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Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 377
Likes: 3
From: Cudahy WI
If it gets TIG welded on the chassis I would disconnect anything I wanted to keep working, the high frequency starting arc can really play hell with the electronics. Or you can ask the welder to "scratch start" the arc and turn off the high frequency. If you have it welded with a MIG (wire feed), disconnecting the negative wire should be fine.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 419
Likes: 3
From: North Lauderdale FL
With electronics, the thing that kills them is the differential voltage between the positive and negative(ground) - especially if it is reverse polarity. What you might want to do is when you disconnect your battery cables from the battery, connect them together so there is only "one" voltage rail for both polarities.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,454
Likes: 412
From: Portland OR
Wouldn't you think that if the ground were connected as close to the weld as possible on the header, that the potential difference would never be seen by the cars electronics?
If really worried about all of this, just remove the header. Probably do a better weld then anyway.
Ron
If really worried about all of this, just remove the header. Probably do a better weld then anyway.
Ron
