Muffler welding question

[rotorhead]

I am considering replacing the stock muffler on my P-Car. I have upgraded the turbo and wanted to allow it to breathe a bit better.

I would like to asemble the muffler myself as a project but I have no welding experience or equipment(yet)

How realistic is it for me to purchase a welder and have the lengths pre-bent then assemble the muffler.

What sort of welder would be best MIG/TIG/ARC? I don't need a stainless system.

[addictionMS]

do a search on welders there is a lot discussed here.

how hard it is depends a lot on you, for some it is a walk in the park for others it remains a mystery, pretty much depends on how mechanically inclinded you are and how quick you can learn. It is a learned skill not an art, atleast when it comes to what you are looking at.

MIG is the way to go, easy and quick.

Jim

[Tommy P]

Make em like this.....

[addictionMS]

ah, he said turbo.

Jim

[rotorhead]

Alright!!!!! thats what I'm talking about.

I know it would be quicker, easier and cheaper to buy one or have a shop assemble one, but I want to be able to to this. I will get a MIG and give it a go.If I have problems I'll enroll in a welding course.

[jpahemi]

Tom:
What mufflers are you using? That's a real nice set-up!!
j.p.

[Tommy P]

J.P. A friend made them up for me. We initially copied some 1" 3/4Bursche headers. the bends are slightly more radiused, so end up approx 25mm wider and 10mm lower when fitted and the offsets were left out. The mufflers, he just made up to fit the length we had left upto the rear bumper. They are a bit loud just yet and need some adjustment (100db on a drive by), but they doo sound good.

[Tommy P]

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Tommy P
Make em like this.....

sweet Bongs!!!

[mb911]

Tig is the way to go And should be done by someone who knows what they are doing.

[61sktnbug]

exh is more of a art than a skill , the guy in our shop has been doing it for 20 years !

[rotorhead]

Hmmm I just wanna weld a gosinta and a goesouta on a borla..... I didn't think I needed to be a TIG artist. The headers pictured above should be hung on a wall or moulded to the back of an adonis statue.

You can always count on this forum to come up with the $1000 solution to the $10 problem.

Having said that I still wish I could come up with something 1/2 as good.

[Tim Hancock]

Steve, a mig welder is the cheapest to procure and the easiest to learn how to use. It will obviously weld the components together (most chain store muffler shops use mig exclusively).

That said, I use a tig welder for all thin wall steel tubing for both looks and the added quality and controllability it produces.

If all I had was a mig welder, I would not hesitate to use it. FWIW oxy/acetylene will work also (though it is not as easy to learn as mig).
Stick/arc welding while theoretically possible, is a poor choice when it comes to thin walled tubing, don't even waste any time thinking about it.

(I understand your frustration concerning the "$1000 dollar solution to the $10 problem". The neat thing about this forum is that there are all types of mechanically minded vs non mechanically minded answers to problems posted.)

[61sktnbug]

1000 dollars? i wish we charged that much! take it a good exh shop that has atig , and i sure it will be no where near 1000 bucks
!

[BGCarrera32]

Originally posted by mb911
Tig is the way to go And should be done by someone who knows what they are doing.

Ditto. Not trying to discourage this guy from putting his own muffler together, but the soundest and most accurate of the two processes is TIG. Not only can you precisely control your heat, you can move at whatever speed you want (relatively speaking). Once you squeeze the trigger on a MIG, you're committed. TIG is especially suited to thin gauge materials precisely because of the heat control factor. Obviously a TIG unit is much more expensive intitally but I found that once I bought mine I probably use it once a week now for the last 3 months.

MIG may be the easiest to learn in first thought, but its actually is more difficult to do correctly. Anybody can squeeze the trigger and stick stuff together, but give it a few exhaust heat cycles and vibration and you may not be so lucky with your muffler. Whatever process you decide to try, do much reading, much practice, find a mentor if you can, and give it a go. I would not start welding your bent up pieces after 5 minutes of practice, do a lot of test welds and try to break them. Record your settings.

The $300 Lincoln MIG welders available at Home Depot...you get what you pay for. You could find a better deal used.

Get the book "Performance Welding" by Richard Finch. Good place to start and has a lot of car related info.