Basic info: Welding?

[BoostedSN95]

Hey guys,

I need to do some basic welding on my tubular exhaust. I plan to by a simpl welding unit located here: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44567

I know it may not be the best product but I think it will serve me for my purposes.

This is the product: +
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44567


I can not take my exhaust to be done professionally or else I would. Also, if you have information (websites, forums, etc.) please let me know.

I basically need to weld an O2 sensor bung, and possibly cut and join a piece of the stainless steel exhaust system. I am not sure of the thickness, I think it 1/8 inch. That is basically a guess, I guess it would be the typical thickness of aftermarket exhaust system.

Let me know if you have any helpful info:

The welder is gasless btw.

 

[MikeC]

The links don't work for me. Most exhaust pipe is 16 to 18 gauge. Make sure you can get stainless steel flux core welding wire if you doing stainless pipe. You can use regular steel wire but the weld will rust.

 

[BoostedSN95]

I redid the link I am not sure why it was not working. It is basically the cheapest welder I could find.

 

[BlooDReigN]

Flux core is terrible for welding exhaust. If you wanna do exhuast, buy a machine that can use gas and solid wire.

And yeah...you CAN weld stainless with wire designed for mild steel, but its weak as hell and will easily break if there is any kind of stress put on it. Get the proper wire for the material you are welding or your weld will be weak.

 

[jozan]

by the time you spend the money on the welder you could go to the muffler shop
that welder is going to be pretty useless dont want to slam you i do alot of welding
and flux core in the little welders suck

 

[bynummustang]

Either go to a muffler shop, or spend the money on a good welder that won't max out the duty cycle in 5 minutes.

 

[Roland69]

you will need a lot of practice on a flux core welder to do a nice weld.....but I would just go to the shop and have them do it for you and maby later on buy your self a gas mig....I

 

[Snikt89GT]

I would probably avoid harbor freight if you want something that works too.

 

[millhouse]

Do some searching here... http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/

And read up on the process here... http://www.hobartwelders.com/techtips.html

 

[BoostedSN95]

Hey guys thanks for the information:

Points I left out:

1. The exhaust shops will not touch my car because of emissions. They say they will get fined for "tampering" with the system.

2. I just need to weld this one time and may never need to welder for a while.

3. I am not going to buy that cheapy after all. I am borrowing my father in law's Lincoln. That seems to be a similar style: no gas, 30-80 amps,

All I need to do is relocate an o2 sensor. If these machines can not do that I will be very suprised. Does it get much more simple than that?

I still am trying to figure what current setting to put it on and if I have the proper wire on there. The wire is NR-211-MP or something like that.

 

[jrichker]

Your best bet would be to get a piece of chalk and mark the H pipe where you want the bung installed. Then remove the H pipe and go to a regular welding shop and have them weld it. Most of them could care less about the EPA and smog requirements.

A note about marking exhaust pipes: use chalk or soapstone. If you use a pencil, it leaves behind a carbon track. The pipe will tend to crack along the pencil mark because the carbon reacts with the heat when the pipe gets heated cherry red from the exhaust.

 

[BoostedSN95]

For some reason the places I have gone here have told me the same story. They must be strict in this town.

I am sure part of it is they don't wanna screw with some custom stuff too.

There is one place down the street that might have a welder so I will check them out. Maybe I can get lucky.

keep ya posted..

 

[Roland69]

trailler it to a shop and have your plates off and say it's a track only car