new decat Y piece
Discussion
Hi all
Just thought I'd share my latest exhaust mod. A while back I bought a cheapish mig welder and built a new exhaust for my chimaera, not the prettiest welding but I was quite pleased with it, definitely a art to get a good looking weld and I for one am no artist. Anyway I thought id give building a stainless steel decat Y piece a go and today I finished fitting it. As I said my welds are not pretty so I figured best way to disguise ugly welds on a exhaust is to heat wrap it and claim its for performance reasons. Horrible shape to wrap and if you ever handle exhaust wrap wear gloves, otherwise you'll have tiny glass fibres itching your hands and a incredibly moany girlfriend who you asked to help who now has very itchy hands!
I know the pro's would have made a much nicer job however there is something much more satisfying when you do all the crafting yourself.
I'll post pictures when I remember how to, if anybody is interested.
I'll do another video clip again too, again if anyone wants to hear how it sounds.
Next it to get those pre cats out.
Rich....
Just thought I'd share my latest exhaust mod. A while back I bought a cheapish mig welder and built a new exhaust for my chimaera, not the prettiest welding but I was quite pleased with it, definitely a art to get a good looking weld and I for one am no artist. Anyway I thought id give building a stainless steel decat Y piece a go and today I finished fitting it. As I said my welds are not pretty so I figured best way to disguise ugly welds on a exhaust is to heat wrap it and claim its for performance reasons. Horrible shape to wrap and if you ever handle exhaust wrap wear gloves, otherwise you'll have tiny glass fibres itching your hands and a incredibly moany girlfriend who you asked to help who now has very itchy hands!
I know the pro's would have made a much nicer job however there is something much more satisfying when you do all the crafting yourself.
I'll post pictures when I remember how to, if anybody is interested.
I'll do another video clip again too, again if anyone wants to hear how it sounds.
Next it to get those pre cats out.
Rich....
..." if you ever handle exhaust wrap wear gloves, otherwise you'll have tiny glass fibres itching your hands and a incredibly moany girlfriend who you ...."
I am very glad that ended the way it did!
You have to be very careful with that stuff... Not so much nowadays I suppose, but respirator and good gloves as a minimum I would recommend. At Uni we had a chap in our halls who on the way back from a club ducked into a building site for a number two. He grabbed what he could to wipe with and as it turned out it was matting to lag the boiler pipes - this did not end well. He spent the next 3 days in hospital in a very compromising position whilst various experts decided what to do. To make matters worse for him, this was a teaching hospital and most of the totty this 6 foot something rugby playing architect-wannabe was trying to impress were the student doctors asked to come and look at his... problem.
Pics please!
I am very glad that ended the way it did!
You have to be very careful with that stuff... Not so much nowadays I suppose, but respirator and good gloves as a minimum I would recommend. At Uni we had a chap in our halls who on the way back from a club ducked into a building site for a number two. He grabbed what he could to wipe with and as it turned out it was matting to lag the boiler pipes - this did not end well. He spent the next 3 days in hospital in a very compromising position whilst various experts decided what to do. To make matters worse for him, this was a teaching hospital and most of the totty this 6 foot something rugby playing architect-wannabe was trying to impress were the student doctors asked to come and look at his... problem.
Pics please!
Only gave it a quick test drive home from my parents house but it seems to sound a little louder and rumbleyer, maybe even a tat quicker and free to rev with no cat in there... but that could be just the usual modifiers imagination!
I like it and I think it was worth doing, it was a pain to build but I would kind of like to build another just because I think I could make a much neater job second time around. All the pipe work, v band flanges, heat wrap cost around 100 quid although a rethink of the design I reckon I could bring the materials cost down a fair bit too. Could have easily recouped that cost by just having a swear jar near by!!!!
Do remember though that this is only the second time I've ever welded anything. If I remember I will do a quick video clip at the weekend like my diy cherrybomb vid.
Thanks for your interest, I was pretty pleased with it....
Rich
I like it and I think it was worth doing, it was a pain to build but I would kind of like to build another just because I think I could make a much neater job second time around. All the pipe work, v band flanges, heat wrap cost around 100 quid although a rethink of the design I reckon I could bring the materials cost down a fair bit too. Could have easily recouped that cost by just having a swear jar near by!!!!
Do remember though that this is only the second time I've ever welded anything. If I remember I will do a quick video clip at the weekend like my diy cherrybomb vid.
Thanks for your interest, I was pretty pleased with it....
Rich
Hi there
You can find all the bits on ebay. Most expensive parts were the 4 inch pipes and 4 inch v band flanges rest is relatively cheap. I did it all in stainless, only as I couldnt find 4 inch pipes in mild steel, generally speaking I found that stainless steel is nearly twice the price of the same thing in mild steel. I wouldnt have thought rust would be much of a issue under the bonnet to cause much problems but im sure die hard fans of stainless will chime in and put me in my place!
I used...
2x 4 inch 90 degree bends
1x4 inch to 3 inch reducer
1x 3 inch 90 degree bend
1x 3 inch 45 degree bend
2x 4 inch v band flanges
I joined the Y piece to the existing exhaust using a 3 inch joining clamp instead of reducing the end of the Y piece to slide inside like the stock design, hoping that will make it easier to swap back come mot time.
Looking back at the list I think I spent a little more than first thought. Like I said though a change in design slightly I reckon costs could be reduced a bit.
You can find all the bits on ebay. Most expensive parts were the 4 inch pipes and 4 inch v band flanges rest is relatively cheap. I did it all in stainless, only as I couldnt find 4 inch pipes in mild steel, generally speaking I found that stainless steel is nearly twice the price of the same thing in mild steel. I wouldnt have thought rust would be much of a issue under the bonnet to cause much problems but im sure die hard fans of stainless will chime in and put me in my place!
I used...
2x 4 inch 90 degree bends
1x4 inch to 3 inch reducer
1x 3 inch 90 degree bend
1x 3 inch 45 degree bend
2x 4 inch v band flanges
I joined the Y piece to the existing exhaust using a 3 inch joining clamp instead of reducing the end of the Y piece to slide inside like the stock design, hoping that will make it easier to swap back come mot time.
Looking back at the list I think I spent a little more than first thought. Like I said though a change in design slightly I reckon costs could be reduced a bit.
Thanks mate, It was my first stainless welding attempt, with a cheapish machine mart mig welder. It wasnt pretty, I didnt take any pictures of it unwrapped probably for the best, but it works.
I have read a few of clive f's posts and seen some of his welding creations and well lets just say my welding in comparison looks like It was done while on a roller coaster.
Still.... it works!
I have read a few of clive f's posts and seen some of his welding creations and well lets just say my welding in comparison looks like It was done while on a roller coaster.
Still.... it works!
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