Mig welding headers?

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wetwilly

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2011
Messages
51
Location
Kodiak, AK
Burn me if you will, I have looked and have got no true answer! Can I Mig a set of headers or should I pay to have them Tig welded. I dont care about cosmetics I just dont want cracks. Thanks or please show me the other threds with this same question!
 
Sure you can Mig 'em if you want to. I have a friend who did an expensive custom race set from a kit, and he did it with his 110V Mig. (Mind you, he's an expert welder, so he could do it with a propane torch and a wire clothes hanger if he had to).

Tig is great if you want pretty stuff, and I think it's easier to do tubing with a Tig, but a good weld is a good weld regardless what process you use.
 
Ive use my Miller mig to build a few blockhugger style BB Mopar headers with no problems. 5/16 flanges and medium wall tube.
 
The majority of store bought headers are Migged, not tigged. They couldn't take the time needed to tig every set they make. My Kid is getting ready to start on a new set of headers for his rpu and they will be migged. The welds are generally done on the inside of the flange and then ground smooth or nearly smooth.

Don
 
You could tack everything up after you fit it and take it to a muffler shop. Some of those guys can do some decent welding with a mig. Maybe you can find someone who appreciateds hot rods and give you a good price.
 
If your really adventurous, Ive brazed the front openings of the flanges around the tube, adds a little strength and the visual contrast between steel and braze looks pretty cool.
 
I live on an island in south central Alaska (BFE), there are no muffler shops! shipping is just as much or more than what I ordered, UPS 2nd day takes a week. I think I will build my own! Thanks for the help
 
I'll throw my 2 cents in here. I had a freind tig weld the joints on my headers so I could grind them smooth. Mig welds are much harder to gring down. As far as the flanges and collector I used my mig on those. I have quite a few photos in my build thread "Another fenderless 53".
 
jakas66 said:
If your really adventurous, Ive brazed the front openings of the flanges around the tube, adds a little strength and the visual contrast between steel and braze looks pretty cool.
Click to expand...

jakas66, I agree... If you want them to last, braze in the tubes after you weld them. The space between the tubes and the flange needs to be filled to prevent cracks in the welds. If you weld the tubes in from the outside, the braze will also keep exhuast gasses from entering that space.
 

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