Exhaust header / manifold repair (m42)

Post Sun Jul 16, 2006 11:26 am

Just found out that my exhaust manifold has a crack on the weld by cylinder no 1 on my 318is M42.

This is a tubular manifold, how easy is it to repair?

Will any type of weld does it need, any?

Thanks

Post Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:00 pm

talk to tylerma he has one for sale

Post Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:18 pm

i think malcs is for the 318 not the "is" model. Worth asking him tho.

Post Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:55 pm

Yup I think its for a 318i, completely different to 318is manifold.

I don't want to pay any more than Ã‚£20... Its all oiled and ready to come off!

Post Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:15 am

some pics (not that clear.. ) looks liek someone has tried before!

Was seriously easy to take off, took about 45mins!

Post Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:32 am

it's apparently stainless steel so I think the tools you need are a) an oxyacetylyne (SP!!!) welder and b) some stainless rods. I've got a spare manifold but it too is cracked so it's probably worth finding somewhere with a welder to do it and get them on the case.

Post Mon Jul 17, 2006 1:36 pm

Is that something that any old garage would have?

Post Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:55 pm

Any old garage will have oxy acetalene but these days not every spanner monkey can use it for anything other than burning the sh!t out of bushes or removing bolts!

You should really go to a DECENT welder/fabricator. You can spot them a mile off. About 60, bit of a yellow/white beard, sunburn on their face and a pipe.

Joking aside, manifolds are a sod to weld (even stainless) becase the cyclic heating causes the different metals in the weld to expand and contract at different rates and re-crack. What they'll need to do is weld with a similar material (hence stainless rods) and treat the area around the weld with heat so the grain structure of the fresh material and the existing material is similar.

Experience is the key, hence the pipe smoking 60 year old comment! (apologies if you are a 20 year old health freak and can weld like a god

)

Good luck, and if you find a good fabricator/welder in the Coventry/Midlands are let me know! I have an S50 manifold that'll soon need welding/changing.

Jai

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:44 pm

Cool thanks Jai.

Anyone know of a good welder in North East London?

Not getting very far at my local garages....

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:04 pm

I'll take the challenge.

Grind out that snot, reweld and then normalise the whole assy.

get it in a box and on its way mate, I'll warm the welder up

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:13 pm

what a manifold folks, standard that puppy is!

eat that m20 boys who shell out 600 pounds for peices of monkey metal!

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:47 pm

my uncle is an old school welder/fabricator by trade and could do that in his sleep! 55 is he old enough?

had the same prob on my old iS it also had a crack on no.4 aswell as no.1

2 options now gwynley!

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:19 pm

318-is wrote:what a manifold folks, standard that puppy is!

eat that m20 boys who shell out 600 pounds for peices of monkey metal!

Tis a beauty!

Thanks guys, will send you pm's!

TA

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:23 pm

Bob_S wrote:it's apparently stainless steel so I think the tools you need are a) an oxyacetylyne (SP!!!) welder and b) some stainless rods. I've got a spare manifold but it too is cracked so it's probably worth finding somewhere with a welder to do it and get them on the case.

Can't you TIG weld with stainless rods? Or am I going mad?

Post Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:32 pm

I dunno chris, my mate did mine for me said he would sort out some rods and give it another bash like

Post Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:20 pm

Simon.. Do you think he'd do my s50 manifold at a decent price?

Jai