welding exhaust manifold

SpcyOrngMSP

Member
:
03 Mazdaspeed Protege
my manifold is cracked and i was wondering if i could get it welded... i tried searching but couldnt find anything... help me out please!
 
SpcyOrngMSP said:
my manifold is cracked and i was wondering if i could get it welded... i tried searching but couldnt find anything... help me out please!

Mine is getting some hairline cracks too...it sucks because if you have to replace it there are almost no options for getting an upgraded performance manifold.
 
They can be TIG welded using a Stainless Steel rod. The crack has to be V-grooved and drilled out with a Bit a tiny-bit larger than the crack itself at each end to prevent it from further spreading.
 
CustomMSP said:
They can be TIG welded using a Stainless Steel rod. The crack has to be V-grooved and drilled out with a Bit a tiny-bit larger than the crack itself at each end to prevent it from further spreading.

would this be a cheaper solution than buying a replacement?
 
Dim said:
Wasn't Focus making direct replacement manifolds? This was recently, IIRC.

yea i heard about that but i'm looking to get thru this wasting as little of my funds as possible (college student)(hand)
 
depending on where you take it the fix should not take more than an hour to do. So it should only cost an hour worth of labor at most.
 
put some electrical tape over that b****. Get your peoples to loan you the cash for one of the two aftermarket manifolds available.

This is a chance to upgrade. I know if mine ever cracks I'm going aftermarket, and I feel you on the money s***, I'm broke most of the time.lol. I need a job I never have more than $100 lol. Except at the moment I do for once, haha.
 
manifold welding

Take your manifold off and take it to the welding shop at your college or the nearest trade school or JC. There is a good chance you can have a student fix it for free with the instructor over his/her shouder. Im in welding school at the moment and would love to have someone bring a manifold to me to weld just for the experience (I cant wait for my own manifold to crack). You could probably talk the automotive class into taking your manifold off, too.
 
i dont know how long a weld will last tho. When mine cracked i just took it to my local mod shop and he made me a tubular for like four hundred. Maybe get it welded for the mean time but i would def upgrade especially if you plan on any other mods
 
The problem with the stock exhaust manifold is that it is a cast Iron. Hence any welding to be done will have to be done with, the proper preperation already outlined, (v-groove and drilled to stop the crack). Then a nickel filler rod will need to be used by the welder to ensure that the weld doesn't become brittle and more prone to another break. Ideally a replacement will eventually be needed, though not immediately.
I also did mine wrongly, then realised after fitting it back together.
 
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