Header Cracks

[timothydog]

I have a welding shop here in town that will weld my driver side header for about 35 bucks.

Are there any tips that you all can give me about the best way to get it off the car? what kind (if any) of gasket to use when putting it back on? torque pattern?

Thanks.

 

[Buick T]

First when the dude welds it make sure it's bolted down to a head or something to keep it from warping. It's a low grade stainless steel part. Do some searches and you can find some pics of adding gussets to it to help prevent future cracks. If it does not have gaskets now you should be able to put it back on without as this was factory. Mine worked fine. Drop the crossover on the driver side and take the bolts out of the header. Little bite of fishing it around and it comes right out the top.

 

[Ellis]

How well does thermal barrier coatings help prevent cracks? Some, none, a little?
I am on the fence about having my headers coated while everything is apart after they are repaired.

 

[UNGN]

TBC won't reduce cracking unless it is applied thickly internally. Aluminide coatings such as "jet hot" would actually be slightly more prone to cracking for three reasons:

They diffuse into the parent material, reducing its strength

If applied extenally only, the internal metal temperature will be higher than if it was left uncoated resulting in additional thermal metal fatigue.

Aluminied is a relatively brittle ceramic that is mechanically bonded to the metal. Stress cracks that form in the brittle ceramic (from impacts or strain) can easily propogate into the parent metal.

These coatings will reduce corrosion, however, so cracking from corrosion will be reduced.