Can you tack weld stainless steel tubing with a mig welder?

[welder4956]

If all you're doing is a few tack welds, I would not go to the expense of a full bottle of tri-mix that probably won't get used again. No doubt that is the proper gas mix for sound mig welds an stainless steel, but a few tack welds on an exhaust pipe does not warrant the expense. 75% argon/25% CO2 will make a tack weld that will hold till it can be tig welded without causing a big rust issue on the finished tig weld.

 

[Carchie]

Overthinking at its finest! Just clean the pipe and zapped it with whatever wire is on that 15-year-old spool. It’s a 220k-mile Subaru exhaust, it’ll outlive the rest of the car anyway!

 

[atikovi]

Is this too big a gap to weld?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Any gap can be filled but the piece you’re holding is adjustable. A pipe in each end would allow you to bend it to fit better. The less “gapage“the better.

 

[manwithtools]

If you want that TIG welded, get out your wallet. If you can even find someone willing to deal with that fit-up!

 

[sqznby]

Time to pull out the metal stretcher
Is it too big, naaahhhh, easy money.
Any competent welder could zip that up. But, like manwithtools said, finding someone, that's a different story.
Personally, I'd blast that with a squirt gun and be done with it. Make a trip down and I'll take care of it for yah

 

[LS1-IROC]

Those bellows need to stay in as much of neutral stress state as possible to make them last. Yes, that gap "could" be filled but it's not ideal. I'd cut out that remainder stubby pipe on the right side and source a longer piece to close the gap, then weld.

 

[atikovi]

OK, plan B is to use the flex pipe in post #13

 

[atikovi]

Welded the whole thing myself. Not pretty but but my first real welding job.

 

[whateg01]

Welded the whole thing myself. Not pretty but but my first real welding job.

Is that welded in backwards?

Just kidding. Looks like it'll hold

 

[Old Man Roger]

Lol

 

[LopezBart]

just saw this thread... btw you can also weld stainless w/ an oxy acetylene torch w/ stainless wire (I used safety wire; it's all I had at the time) as filler metal...

 

[sqznby]

That wasn't so hard haha
Doesn't have to be pretty to hold.