Moosepuck

Fighting a losing battle with an exhaust leak and was wondering if anyone has welded them up. They would have to come out to weld them and I'm not even sure they would even fit back in if they were welded together or not, assuming they wouldn't fit because why else would they make them slip fit.... thought I'd ask anyway. Any other ideas?

JoeNobody

Slip fit is much cheaper to ship, because it fits into smaller box. Plus less welding work, and lower physical geometry tolerances can be allowed.

bolt the headers up and try physically fitting them in - or try taking out already installed, but gotta keep individual pipes from moving out of place.

I'm sure there exists a way to get them installed after welded up.

T9ja

Any sound or video clip of your leak. Mine was leaking too until i found out that one of the pipe wasn't tightened down enough to the engine block. No more leak for me now.

Moosepuck

No sound clips but I can get under there while it's running and feel it, as well as see the soot from the exhaust. I have the collectors off again and can see that one of the four pipes on one side sits back about a quarter of an inch where I'd think it should be flush with the others. I can only guess it's not bottoming out in the collector where it tapers down like the other three, not sure what I can do about that. It doesn't look or feel like I could get them in and out if I had them welded, looking at pics of MBH(non-slip fit) headers online, they seem quite a bit more compact up top. I'll stick'em back in next week and try to pretend it's not there again. It's not horrible, my friends don't notice it but I know it's there, laughing at me hysterically. Those b@stards.

StarvingArtist

Can you cut that one pipe in a straight section and add a 1/4"?

Moosepuck

I thought about it, but that would take a little more equipment and stainless welding skills that I lack to get it perfect. Then I'd be worried about making it worse. I've read some good reviews about this stuff on other forums:

There's really not much of a gap to fill. People claim it holds where regular high temp rtv just burns off and blows out. I'll put a little around the tubes when I put it back together and see if it lasts. I'll post back later after I get her back together and get some miles on it.

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

Do these headers have a spring holding them together?

Moosepuck

Nope, two bolts per side

StarvingArtist

That stuff is brittle but it can take the heat. mix it with fiberglass to keep it together. Make a paste with insulation or wet out a strip of cloth and wrap.
How about brazing it in place, then just heat to remove. Not sure how hot a collector gets in use.

mkiv_tdi

My STI had slip-fit headers as well...

Do they leak when HOT? Cause, the premise is that they'll expand once at temperature and seal appropriately.

I tried (as have other people that I've spoken to) to use all sorts of pastes, gaskets fillers, etc... none of which help up for very long.

What I should have done from the beginning was spot weld them in a several spots, drop them from the car, and then give them a proper weld.

Again, not on an E55. But my experience with slip-fit joints.

Moosepuck

Adding fiberglass is an interesting idea,maybe some exhaust wrap strands will do...

Yes, they leak when hot, just a little less..... I too have tried almost every type of paste and rtv out there.... haven't tried the latest one above though, i have high hopes. I did also find a small hole in my h pipe from when i had it done, hopefully i was hearing that too.... ill have her back together by the weekend.