From: jmiller@brew.asteroids (Jeff J. Miller)
Newsgroups: alt.autos.rod-n-custom
Subject: Re: Welding different metals for headers?
Date: 19 Nov 92 16:13:41 GMT
Reply-To: jmiller@network.com
Organization: Network Systems Corporation

First, thanks to everyone that has commented on this.  I have sent responses
to mail I received but I have been neglagent in responding to items here in
this news group.  Since this posting asked specific questions, I thought it
was about time for me to reply.

In article 722177809@einstein, ausdal@ece.scarolina.edu (Thi Van Ausdal) writes:
>I welded a bit with a MIG last year at a race car shop (a SMALL race 
>car shop you've never heard of) and from what I could gather, you
>can weld mild steel on mild steel, you can weld stainless to stainless
>but at a higher heat setting.  You can do it fine, but I don't know 
>how it'll last.  Is this for the street? Are you going to drag races?
>If you're racing, it'll be okay because you'll be tech-ing the car 
>every weekend anyway.  It's more of a hassle for a daily commuter
>to crawl under and check it periodically.  I recommend practicing on
>some scrap tubes of stainless and regular steel, and see what heat 
>setting works best.  You ought to do well with it.
>
>What about the flange-to-pipes connection?  If you were going to use
>mild steel there too, you're in for more fun.  Of course, if you can 
>get stainless tubing, you can find some 3/8" plate to cut a flange 
>from, too.  What application is this for?  Headers by Ed (a lot of 
>different apps. for Detroit iron; others, too) or Stahl Headers (many
>US, imports; top quality stuff) could supply you with a precut flange,
>although I don't remember if either have stainless.   
>
>Good luck.

The application is to correct the intake and exhaust on a '36 Buick
straight-8 that I have in a resto-rod that I've been working on for
the last 3 years (labor of love).  Since this is such an odd beast
it is impossible to find parts and I end up doing custom stuff to
increase the performance.  The car is not intended for racing but
simply as a nice car to cruise in.

Since this engine was originally an economy stump puller I don't expect
to make it into a monster power machine but I still think I can pull its
horsepower up some with better carb and exhaust setups and HEI.

I plan on using a straight piece of metal (stainless) that will be drilled
to except exhaust and intake tubes.  In cruising through my local scrap
dealer I saw some nice stainless tubes from handicap access rails that had
a nice bend to them and also happened to look nice because they were stainless.
I wanted to cut them up appropriatly and attach them to the straight metal that
matches up to the engine.  Left over strait tubing would then be used in a
similar manor to provide a mounting point for 4 side draft carbs.  The ends
of the exhaust would go straight down into a large collector and then out to
the muffler etc.

The setup might look something like this:  (sorry for the ascii)
 
  || || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||
  || II ||| II ||| II ||| II ||
  ||    |||    |||    |||    ||
 _||____|||____|||____|||____||_
|                               |______________
|      collector                 ______________  to muffler
|_______________________________|

The II represent carbs and I gave up trying to represent the metal that connects
to the head.  Hopefully you get the picture.

I know the 8 into 1 collector is not the best but it certainly is better then
the current 8 into 1 that has varying lengths with a max of about 15" and a min
of about 2".  My tube lengths will be equal and about 24" in length.  I want the
collector to be fairly large (I was thinking 4" but maybe thats incorrect??).
Exhaust pipe and muffler will be 2 1/4" types.

Carbs will be fairly small but all four actuall add up to quite a bit more then
the stock carb.  I looked at theoretical volumes and such and it looks like a set
of 32mm carbs (probably motorcycle carbs) will meet my needs.

All in all, I expect to get better performance then stock out of this setup
but I also am looking at an improved look under the hood.  I kind of like the
idea of 8 shinny tubes with equally spaced carbs sucking air.

--
Jeff Miller                 Network Systems Corporation
Internetwork Group          7600 Boone Avenue North
jmiller@network.com         Minneapolis MN 55428   (612)424-4888