Where do you find the sweet ball joint couplers for reasonable prices?
Where do you find the sweet ball joint couplers for reasonable prices?
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to DeadSkunk: You are wise! Now we need a list of things that came with stainless exhausts!
My 1996 and 2001 Chevy Astros both had stainless systems. I ASSume most Chevy trucks and vans do for the last 20 years. Stainless must be in pretty common use by now. Take a sawzall and a magnet to the junk yard and check before you cut.
The later (last facelifted version) Ford E-Series had Stainless exhaust piping - diameter was 2.5", if I recall correctly. I believe the F-series trucks from the two most recent generations do too. I can't comment to the older versions, don't have first-hand experience with them.
93gsxturbo wrote: Come on - this is GRM. No one here can afford Burns Stainless money.
This is false. Just so you know, according to our last reader's survey, 53% of GRM readers have a household income of more than $100K. 11% make more than $200K.
Once again.... GRM does not mean cheap. As stated in this thread, there are many options, some inexpensive, some more costly. The benefit of using a company like Burns Stainless (who has been a long-time supporter of GRM by the way) is that you will get a top-notch product that will fit correctly, take less time to install, and last for a long, long time. The bonus is that their stuff also is finished like jewelry--- and that's nice.
www.Burnsstainless.com
Go the inexpensive route if you need to, but don't discount the higher-end solutions for the rest of GRM readers, as many can afford them.
As was mentioned, Vibrant Performance is also a good choice. (although they aren't currently advertising in GRM) We've worked with them in the past. They are good people to work with, and have quality products.
www.vibrantpower.com
Is stainless worth it over aluminized steel?
In reply to mikeatrpi:
Stainless doesn't rust or corrode, looks nicer and lasts longer so ... on a "nice" build you are keeping, showing or selling it's the way to go.
For a race car that never sees salt ... Aluminized is often lighter, always cheaper and not as brittle (also does not work harden) so if you solid mount it and then go baja style across the bumpy grass it's (slightly) easier to un-bend and fix.
DeadSkunk wrote:Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to DeadSkunk: You are wise! Now we need a list of things that came with stainless exhausts!My 1996 and 2001 Chevy Astros both had stainless systems. I ASSume most Chevy trucks and vans do for the last 20 years. Stainless must be in pretty common use by now. Take a sawzall and a magnet to the junk yard and check before you cut.
I believe GM used SS on most vehicles starting in the 90s. 93-02 Camaro/Firebirds, Big GM FWD cars and trucks all could be donors. Usually you can tell by seeing if the pipes have rusted or not. But this may only be true outside the rust belt.
I built the exhaust for my El Camino from a Jegs exhaust kit (pipes only no mufflers). Worked out quite well as I had a panhard bar on it and had to custom make the tailpipes. For my 81 Camaro, I used exhaust pieces from Speedway Motors.
I thought about doing a stainless exhaust for the Focus (before I got The Answer), since I always just get the "cheapo" stuff from the local hot rod shop, but I wondered about the welds, since my wire feed welder (also cheapo) is just a flux core (no gas).
Since I'm not sure they make "flux core stainless", would the regular stuff cause issues at the joints?
I thought about replacing from the cat back on the Miata, but the CW is exhaust doesn't do much, and it takes me forever as I cut/fit/reposition/tack/reposition/tack again underneath the car(s).
If your welding with plain steel filler wire or rod why use SS as the welds will rust anyway. If you get some SS wire or rod then it makes sense to use SS.
Also not all SS is created equal. 304 SS alloy is not worth polishing and it's what most OEM's use. It won't rust but will tarnish over time so if you want to keep it shiny you'll have to re-polish it over time. 316 is preferred for a blingly exhaust. 321 is easier to weld and less prone to cracking.
jimbbski wrote: If your welding with plain steel filler wire or rod why use SS as the welds will rust anyway. If you get some SS wire or rod then it makes sense to use SS. Also not all SS is created equal. 304 SS alloy is not worth polishing and it's what most OEM's use. It won't rust but will tarnish over time so if you want to keep it shiny you'll have to re-polish it over time. 316 is preferred for a blingly exhaust. 321 is easier to weld and less prone to cracking.
Also, if you're MIGing your stainless, you'll need to use trimix(ArHeCO2 mix)otherwise you'll end up with the same oxidization on your welds as plain old 75/25.
There are a few shops around who have pipe benders, should be able to make custom pipes.
(Somewhat of a dying art due to exhaust systems lasting a lot longer...)
10' lengths of pipe, a big torch that can get the pipe cherry red, a tailpipe expander to make swedge joints, and stainless plumbing drainage clamps minus the rubber gaskets. You can make just about any bend in exhaust tubing if you heat it enough and chase the cherry red down the bend as you apply force. Swedge the ends of the pieces so that they slide into each other and clamp together with $8 stainless plumbing clamps. Been building exhausts this way for years. I hate standard exhaust clamps because you can never get the things apart. The stainless plumbing clamps do, and they don't add extra ground clearance issues.
tpwalsh wrote:jimbbski wrote: If your welding with plain steel filler wire or rod why use SS as the welds will rust anyway. If you get some SS wire or rod then it makes sense to use SS. Also not all SS is created equal. 304 SS alloy is not worth polishing and it's what most OEM's use. It won't rust but will tarnish over time so if you want to keep it shiny you'll have to re-polish it over time. 316 is preferred for a blingly exhaust. 321 is easier to weld and less prone to cracking.Also, if you're MIGing your stainless, you'll need to use trimix(ArHeCO2 mix)otherwise you'll end up with the same oxidization on your welds as plain old 75/25.
No gas on my unit - and I don't know that they make "non-gas" stainless weld material (I thought was referred to as "flux core").
Keep in mind, in southern Arizona, rust is not really much of a problem - I do wonder at the dissimilarity of the materials though.
Ok two points:
V bands are not all they are cracked up to be. I'd rather do slip joints with springs after having experience. You will warp the mating surfaces, or if you are unlucky enough to have two v-bands on a rigid section, they won't mate up perfectly after welding. I'm sure everyone here made it work just fine, but I spent a good amount of time and effort TIG welding stainless v-bands and was always a little upset that it didn't seal perfectly.
Burns stainless is more expensive than columbia river mandrel, or some of the other guys. I get that half of us make over $100k- I'm one of them. But there's a reason I am not car-poor, and it's because I seek out deals. Burns is undoubtedly premium E36 M3, but you pay for it. I've bought bends and collectors for 2/3 price and have been very happy.
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