Cracked driver's side header

[87TurboTrex]

Well I removed my cracked driver's side header today. I have ordered the TA stock replacement, but they are on back order and they can't even provide an estimated shipping date.

I want to repair the stock unit, even if it is only on the car temporarily, so I can continue to work on my tune and traction issues.

I would like to know, based on the attached pics, if this header can even be repaired. The crack goes about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way around the #5 pipe seam.

 

[yuh8tng]

I had mine repaired at a local muffler shop and asked them to weld a gusset between 3 and 5 ports.

 

[KC87]

Ha, amazing what a good welder can fix, go for it.

 

[grass doctor]

x2 on the triangular gusset .. tell the welder it is mild stainless steel ..totally repairable .. jack cotton is so good he doesn't even need the gusset LOL .. id send it to him or find a great muffler shop or welder local.. knowing the type of metal is key

 

[grass doctor]

tell them tig weld the repair and gusset with an iconel rod .... The stock 86-87 headers are 410 grade Stainless. the best weld repair is done with Inconel rod ... you just have to watch the post weld heat to keep the weld from cracking. Using a backing gas or not has shown no impact on the thin wall tubing of the headers. The biggest factor is in keeping the headers from recracking is post weld stress relieving in an oven at 1200 degrees for 1 hour and control cool over the next 4-6 hours. not likely in most shops LOL ... or to cool it in sand just my 2 cents

 

[KC87]

tell them tig weld the repair and gusset with an iconel rod .... The stock 86-87 headers are 410 grade Stainless. the best weld repair is done with Inconel rod ... you just have to watch the post weld heat to keep the weld from cracking. Using a backing gas or not has shown no impact on the thin wall tubing of the headers. The biggest factor is in keeping the headers from recracking is post weld stress relieving in an oven at 1200 degrees for 1 hour and control cool over the next 4-6 hours. not likely in most shops LOL ... or to cool it in sand just my 2 cents

Wrong wrong wrong, never cool in sand, only Kentucky Blue Grass seed! I'm surprised at you.

 

[grass doctor]

how bout the ashes of a phoenix ... reborn to ride again !!

 

[KC87]

how bout the ashes of a phoenix ... reborn to ride again !!

That does sound impressive. I'd be more worried about breaking a bolt off in the head if they've never been off before.
Back when I was 16, a few years ago, the one header (JR Mfg) pipe on the gto was broken and a massive gap. Took it off and used a couple of small bolts for fill and brazed it all up. Lol, it lasted a long time and was still good when I replaced them with some Cragers.

 

[grass doctor]

Buick headers are not as bad as others actually most studs come out ok with proper prep.. ... now the turbo bolts are a different story 9 times out of 10 gonna break .... now when you were 16 that's when you could braze with coat hangers they still had real metal in them

 

[87TurboTrex]

The header was removed with no major bolt issues. I had the crossover pipe out recently and had high-temp anti-seize on those bolts. Header bolts came out fairly easily. Used some Kroil on the dipstick tube nut as it felt like it was a little seized on the stud.

I just wasn't sure that one cracked this bad would be a candidate for a proper repair. I would say it's been cracked for a while. Me and some friends were out kicking it one day and the factory heat shield fell off when we got ready to head back to the shop. We retrieved it and when we got back, we realized why it fell off.

 

[Jerryl]

tell them tig weld the repair and gusset with an iconel rod .... The stock 86-87 headers are 410 grade Stainless. the best weld repair is done with Inconel rod ... you just have to watch the post weld heat to keep the weld from cracking. Using a backing gas or not has shown no impact on the thin wall tubing of the headers. The biggest factor is in keeping the headers from recracking is post weld stress relieving in an oven at 1200 degrees for 1 hour and control cool over the next 4-6 hours. not likely in most shops LOL ... or to cool it in sand just my 2 cents

Agree. No "muffler shop" around here will remotely be able to understand and do that though. They probably never heard of inconel either. Lol (incowhat???)

Weld Repair of Factory Headers

OK... I'll kick this section off....:) only I'm going to ask, not post, a "how to"..... With little result, I have spent CONSIDERABLE hours, searching high and low, thru ALOT of archives, covering MANY years of turbobuick sites, forums, mailing lists, etc., looking for definitive...

turbobuick.com

 

[grass doctor]

also 87TurboTrex ... make sure you stick a shop vac in the crossover pipe .. before re-assembling to suck any party poopers out ..or they will meet your turbine with unfavorable results

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Call Jack. Send it to Cotton's. Brian will handle that for you.