Patent ID: 7547859

Claim:
A method for repairing header to tube attachment damage, comprising: providing an access window in a header opposite the attachment damage location; removing the attachment damage; inserting a tapered stub tube into a header penetration centered axially immediately over the tube; effecting a profile weld between the header and the tapered stub tube at the header penetration from the inside surface of the header; welding the tapered stub tube to the existing tube through the header inside diameter; welding shut the header access window; and completing a post weld heat treatment of all welds; wherein said providing an access window in the header opposite the damaged header to tube attachment location comprises: mounting a-base plate to the header to position tooling, about 180 degrees away and centered axially along the header from the header to tube attachment damage location; mounting an EDM assembly to the base plate; removing a plug from the header, about 180 degrees from the attachment damage location, that is greater in diameter than the stub tube; and realigning the base plate with a centering alignment plug and centering ring.