Fun project for me...

[Daddy454]

After much research,and a semi incompetent fab shop,I decided to try to weld my own exhaust system upgrade.I wanted to get a Y pipe,and new muffler installed.After a day at the shop,dude calls and says it ready.I arrive to find the muffler installed and the Y in my back seat.He said I didn't need it due to the muffler was already a dual exhaust!Uh,yeah!......it was to replace the stock,restricted,Y pipe.Nonetheless,I figured I could use my little flux core wire feed and do it myself.It has taken me most of one day already,just to measure/cut/grind/measure/cut/grind,and on,and on,and on.Anyway tomorrow I am going to hopefully do all the finish welding,and get it back in.Any tips or comments,fire away.Not too many pics,but a few.

 

[uniballer]

Nice jig, I never thought of repurposing clamps like that.

 

[CNGsaves]

So what vehicle is this exhaust going on??

Does it have any kind of headers or cast iron exhaust manifolds??

 

[Daddy454]

Nice jig, I never thought of repurposing clamps like that.

Yeah,I had to get pretty creative more then once.You should have seen me trying to figure out how to get a nice clean,straight cut on the main 3" pipe on my chop saw.I was super nervous about cutting into what I imagine is a pretty expensive set-up if I botched the job.

 

[Daddy454]

So what vehicle is this exhaust going on??

Does it have any kind of headers or cast iron exhaust manifolds??

It's for a 2010 Dodge Ram.This is just a cat back set-up I'm working on.

 

[blackz26]

You're having a y pipe one dual exhaust? That's not dual exhaust... unless I'm understanding wrong..

 

[Daddy454]

You're having a y pipe one dual exhaust? That's not dual exhaust... unless I'm understanding wrong..

The Y is for where the two head pipes come together.The stock Y is very restricted.The 3"pipe leads to a SI/DO muffler.Not doing duals all the way back.

 

[blackz26]

So.. "dual exhaust" but not Dual exhaust?

 

[justanengineer]

You're having a y pipe one dual exhaust? That's not dual exhaust... unless I'm understanding wrong..

The OEMs would beg to differ on that definition. Not arguing myself, just pointing out the stock systems that are like that.

 

[blackz26]

The OEMs would beg to differ on that definition. Not arguing myself, just pointing out the stock systems that are like that.

O I get it. I know there's X and H dual exhaust but to me dual exhaust means each bank has it own set up with no crossing...

 

[Daddy454]

So.. "dual exhaust" but not Dual exhaust?

How 'bout not "true" duals.Nonetheless,it's got duals out the back,and the gist was more about the "Y"pipe install.

 

[blackz26]

How 'bout not "true" duals.Nonetheless,it's got duals out the back,and the gist was more about the "Y"pipe install.

Sorry didnt mean to jack the thread...

 

[e-tek]

Way to man-up and DIY. Mommy would be proud.

Doesn't it feel good?

 

[Daddy454]

Way to man-up and DIY. Mommy would be proud.

Doesn't it feel good?

Hell yeah!I kinda wish I woulda done the muffler too now.As far as Momma goes,she just wants it done so she can get her car back in outta the rain

 

[pipsters]

I went to a local hole in the wall place to have a crack welded in my exhaust. Cost me $40 which was 1/3 what Midas had wanted. Guy used a HF 90 amp flux wire welder, I should take some pics he did a good job I felt. I tried a few months later on another part of my exhaust with a $1400 Miller and...well...suffice to say no pics will be shown of my work.

It's not the machine it's the guy behind it...

 

[Daddy454]

Well I finished.Took quite a bit longer than I had planned,but it's done.Was fun nonetheless.A buddy of mine has the same truck and wants me to do his.I probably wontAnyways,I took a few more pics,not many 'cuz I was just too busy.Not many close-ups of the welds,because they are NOT pretty,but they are functional,as they did not leak.Whew!

 

[CNGsaves]

Looks good on the Y pipe to take out some restriction there.

What Size is pipe after the Y??

Where's the muffler(s) and any remaining tailpipe??

 

[Daddy454]

Looks good on the Y pipe to take out some restriction there.

What Size is pipe after the Y??

Where's the muffler(s) and any remaining tailpipe??

3" after the Y.Didn't grab any pics of the back end.I just ran into the existing pipe,and had already had a Magnaflow 18" muffler installed.Now I think I coulda done that as well.

 

[Davo J]

Always good when you can pull off a job yourself.

With your welds you need more amps/heat into them and maybe a touch less wire feed.

Dave

 

[Josh_C]

Always good when you can pull off a job yourself.

With your welds you need more amps/heat into them and maybe a touch less wire feed.

Dave

Hey, Davo. Not picking, I just wanted to correct your statement real quick. You don't adjust amperage on a "mig" machine. You adjust voltage. The WFS accounts for the amperage. GMAW and FCAW are done with a CV power source and the stickout length and wire feed speed is what controls amperage.

 

[Daddy454]

Always good when you can pull off a job yourself.

With your welds you need more amps/heat into them and maybe a touch less wire feed.

Dave

Thanks for the tip man.I tried various different settings as I went.Certain ones worked in some instances,but not always?Some welds were good,some not.Seemed with more heat,I would burn through more.Probably just need more practice....but I'm impatient,and went for it.

 

[Daddy454]

Hey, Davo. Not picking, I just wanted to correct your statement real quick. You don't adjust amperage on a "mig" machine. You adjust voltage. The WFS accounts for the amperage. GMAW and FCAW are done with a CV power source and the stickout length and wire feed speed is what controls amperage.

Not sure if I understand this completely,but it did seem to weld better when the wire had more stick out length.Conversely,it was harder to weld the further I got away from the material with the gun,and when I stopped the bead,I'd have about an 1 1/2" of wire sticking out?

 

[ert01]

Take a look on YouTube for welding exhaust tricks and tips.

One that caught my attention and that has worked well for me is to crank the voltage way way up (I had mine cranked to full on my miller 211) and use a medium wire feed speed. Then just do a series of overlapping tack welds all the way around the pipe allowing the pipe to cool for a second between each tack. You end up with good penetration and a very flat profile weld that is quite wide. I was using 0.035 wire and galvanized exhaust. No leaks and it looks decent. I wouldn't use that technique for anything even remotely structural, but for exhaust it works fine.