Bought some old heat exchangers looks like left side flanges were machined. Trouble?
 

I bought a pair of heat exchangers off of an older car to try on my 3.2. They are the ones the SSI are styled after. I got them cheap and the owner said if they wouldn't work he'd refund the money. The problem is, it looks like one side might have been thick flange and someone machined them down. Is this normal? I'm basing this on the fact that the right side has a raised ring at the pipe opening. Will this cause a seal problem?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1436815549.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1436815635.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1436815674.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1436815760.jpg

That's what mine looked like. It would be a good idea to use a straight edge to check to make sure the flanges are flat and true. Ask me how I know.

So do I do anything with the other side that has the lip? Or just get gaskets and put them on?

The insert is held in place with 3 welds. The 80 to 83 has smaller inserts than Carreras.
I'm not against removing the insert from a Carreras box and using it on an SC with SC exhaust gasket.
Bruce

So those lips are actually inserts that I could remove?
I was planning to put these on as a cheap SSI upgrade. They need some work on the covers for the heat but I figure I'll fix them up, put VHT paint on or if I get them patched well enough I might have them ceramic coated.

If the "lips" has been shaved flush with the flange, you may have some movement (the lips were tapered for a good friction fit) as well as leakage as normally the lip would go inside the port.

One of the post from the link below would give you a definitive answer or what to do;

https://www.google.ca/search?q=thick+flange+ssi&biw=1067&bih=469&source= lnms&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAGoVChMIl-LN0oDbxgIVFxKSCh1K8wMH&dpr=1.8#q=thick+flange+ssi+ site:forums.pelicanparts.com

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1436890188.jpg

Early heat exchangers were all thin flange and did not have an insert that fitted in the exhaust port and have therefor not been shaved.

To me, the raised ring looks like the crushed remains of the old gasket centre. At least some makes of the exhaust gasket have a central ring of metal embedded in the gasket to give more reliable sealing. I would have a pick at it with a sharp blade and check.

As an aside, it was mainly US delivered late SCs that had the thick flanges like a 3.2. ROW SCs that retained the air pump and had no Cat stuck with thin flanges to the end.

Mark

Mark,
That's what I thought they were but if that is indeed the remainder of the old gasket it's fused pretty damn solid. I used a chisel and a hammer and they will not come off.