Kooks or Pypes LT Headers

[eighty6gt]

Don't weld or paint them for God's sake

 

[deezdrama]

Don't weld or paint them for God's sake

We were discussing welding ebay kooks/pypes LT clones.

 

[eighty6gt]

Yep

 

[deezdrama]

Why do you say not to weld them?

Ive been welding 20 years 40-60 hrs a week stick,mig, and tig and trust my welds not to crack over a chinese kid who learned to weld last week.

I mentioned paint because im not sure what grade of stainless these are or if they will rust. The look of rust isnt an issue to me its holes/cracks in the headers a few years down.

 

[eighty6gt]

They're already welded!

Maybe yours aren't, mine are seal welded on the inside and tacked on the outside to the flanges. Trying to weld this thin crap will probably cause more haz damage than it's worth

 

[deezdrama]

In an earlier post I said one of my headers has decent welds on inside and the other header had crap rookie blindman alcoholic with shakes welds, worried about them cracking so thought about welding outside of flange with tiny .025 ss hardwire.

 

[travelers]

That's where an experienced welder know how to weld thin and thick metals together.

 

[06JET]

deezdrama, it looks like you are an experienced welder and can weld it if you so choose. I would enjoy peace of mind and weld it myself if I were you. No need to go thru all the installation and have to go back and fix something that could have been done right before installation. For me all this going back and forth about fit and weld issues would have been solved with a pair of Kooks in the first place. But.....each to his own. Good luck and I'm sure they will work out great and perform just the way you wanted after installation. Make sure to set a straight edge on the mating flange after welding and if needed get them machined flat if they have pulled/bowed after welding. Sounds like you know what needs to be done. You just need to do it.

 

[deezdrama]

yeah, I havnt decided yet. I realize that since im a lifelong welder that Im critical about any welds I see when in reality they are probably fine. But like you said...an hour or two work before could potentially save a day or two of work later.
Ill have a machinist at work face them off if the flange pulls if i do go the route of welding the outsides.

On another question...... My LTs came with bolts and some were loose in the box and im sure some missing. Im sure im better off buying all new grade 8 bolts anyway, anyone have a bolt thread/length list of whats needed? Are they all just hex heads or are some studs?

 

[ghunt81]

They are M8x1.25, I wanna say 30mm length? Been so long since I bought bolts I can't remember. There are some spots where a small-head header bolt will fit without issue but you'll have problems with a regular bolt.

I've always used all bolts on mine. If your headers have slotted flanges it makes that even easier.