Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

I have a set of long tube Patriot headers in my 383. They developed a leak at the flange. Originally thought it was a bad gasket but can clearly see a crack around the tube where it meets the flange. Can this be welded with any success? I just would hate to pay an exhaust shop 100 bucks or so and it not hold up. Too bad they are two months out of warranty. Any opinions?

Looks like mild steel. I've welded cracks up with my mig on rusty used shortys that lasted yrs until I took them off. Actually looks like it's been matched at the ID some, normally I weld the outside before I grind the ID/flange on set.

I don't know what welders charge but I'd call around for an estimate before I just go to some exhaust shop. I use to know a guy who would tig that kinda stuff for $5-20 before I finally bought a mig. They weld a lot at muffler places but they don't gotta be good welds. Took my truck in to guys that I've known who worked at this one for many years and had to reweld it myself not long after LOL

If you put a bead on the other side of the flange it should be beyond the thin matched area where the pipe was formed to fit the flange hole, may need to be ground a bit on the inside after. At the most you'd need two beads and I'd run it. Is $100 because your gonna have them all welded up before any others crack?

c1500sbc wrote: ↑Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:50 pm I have a set of long tube Patriot headers in my 383. They developed a leak at the flange. Originally thought it was a bad gasket but can clearly see a crack around the tube where it meets the flange. Can this be welded with any success? I just would hate to pay an exhaust shop 100 bucks or so and it not hold up. Too bad they are two months out of warranty. Any opinions?

Oxygen/Acetylene gas welding, (not brazing), done correctly will hold-up the best.

I remember reading an interview with Jere Stahl some years back saying he always silver brazed not brass rod brazed the tube into the flange . he said it handled the heat cycle expansion/contraction and vibration the best he found .That's what I remember anyways . Dan