can you weld headers with an aluminzed coating?
 

i got a set of hooker super comp headers that came with a blower motor i bought on ebay for my 48 anglia. i need to cut and modify them to fit. if i cut them and grind off the aluminized coating where i need to weld them, will i be able to mig them ok? im going to use mild steel tubing for the tubes i have to modify for clearance. thx for any advice, rm

I've done it but its tricky, you really have to make sure the coating is all removed. you will also need to have the coating re done or it will rust.

thx dave, i was just gonna spray bomb hi temp black them for now, down the road i plan to have a set of chrome zoomies made for it..

Clean the inside and out till you get to good base metal. Youll know when you get past the galvanize, you will get sparks, and more sparks. Mig will work fine, not the flux core stuff, the gas shielded kind. I prefer to tig weld them, but thats why god invented grinders. :lolhit:

Weld it every day wire feeds burns right through just touchup with spry bomb .

you're saying i dont need to grind off the alum coating? just hit em with 80 grit to clean em up first? thx, rm

same here,,the mig will butn through the aluminum coating but it will contaminate your weld and look s hitty..grind it orr and weld it up,it will look better..when we build our own headers for the race cars this is how it starts and weld it together..you can but the kit and do it your self,,time consuming but its worth it..here is one of our old sponsors kits..http://www.stainlessworks.net/produc...lder-kits.html

i have built several sets of headers, it just that im in colombia and want to get it running asap. it would take amonth to get all the header parts here. i will probably build a set of zoomies for it later on when i have time... rm

It depends on your skill. Based on the question I suggest you clean the **** out of the weld area. Bust off all the coating with a wire wheel and get the metal shining bright. As I am sure you know....welding is 99% prep work.

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if you back purge the weld will also turn out alot better.

how do i back purge, run argon /co2 inside the tube while welding the outside? thx

Yes, tape the far end and run an argon purge in the open end, tape around the hose. Make sure you poke a hole in the far end so it pushes the oxygen out. We do it all the time while welding stainless, inconel, ect.

It has been my experence that the steel will melt before the ceramic in the coating. The best thing to do is go to a pool supply company and buy a gallon of muratic acid. Break thru the surface coat with your 80 grit sanding wheel, then dip the part to be welded in the acid for a few minutes. This will pull the coating out of the pores . Rinse the part off with water, blow dry with air .. and it will weld just as clean as new metal.
This also works well on getting the cad plate off of grade 8 bolts .
Be careful of the fumes ... wear a resperator

will the fumes make more hair grow on my chest? or kill me?

Not to jump in anybodys bowl of fruit loops of how to do this repair but this is what I do we build custom headers end exhaust so I have I bit of a clue of what im doing some days keep your comments to your self dave haha.
Grind were you are going to repair clean as good you can weather its ceramic or powder or paint it needs to be as clean as possible and if at all possible tig weld not mig you will get a nicer more controlled weld but if you mig remember thin tube it will burn away easy.
Remember the cleaner you get it and the better your fitups are the easyer the job will be have fun good luck.
Also the acid is a good idea we also do that sometimes if we are repairing old dirty stuff make it clean is the key and if you mig don't use flux core wire.

i have had my mig welder almost 30 years, so im much better with the mig than the tig machine i just bought. i have never needed to weld previously coated headers. the headers are in great condition, just gonna grind off the coating and have at it....thx for your input guys...rm

So they are ceramic coated..?? Not alumnized tube..? I'd be positively sure it got ground to base metal before welding. Regardless of the process.

Practice that tig, if I have a choice ill tig it every time.

Cardinal rule with welding, cleanliness is next to godliness.

i hads some local bozo come over a few days ago to give me some tig lessons... the bonehead could not weld one thing together with the tig... zero, zip... i threw him out in about 20 mins... looking for another guy that tigs everyday to come over and work with me a bit....

Cant really speak to your folical delema .. and I would imagine if you could stand the pain of inhaling hydrocloric acid fumes long enough .. then yes I would think it could kill you . But then you'd really have to be pretty brain dead to just stand there ...

Not cordinated enough to TIG weld ... maybe you been hittin the pool store already .. ;)

i dont think its a coordination thing with the tig, nothing wants to stick together, i cant get the alum to pool at all when i put some heat to it. i know some of the argon is contaminated here. one guy i know that tigs a lot, hook up every bottle when they deliver it and runs a bead to make sure its good gas or he refuses the tank...

http://youtu.be/UNAAhwieNhU This guy makes really good videos. If you get some time check it out.

DO NOT USE ANYTHING CHLORINATED TO CLEAN WITH!!!!!!
Everyone who welds any thing should read this article. http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm


This tubing you are welding is ceramic powder coated(Jet Hot) mild steel? Correct?
You said you couldn't get the aluminum to puddle. Aluminum is welded on a/c high frequency. Mild steel is welded on electrode negative d/c. That may be part of your problem. What wire, size wire, tungsten type, tungsten size, and amperage are you running?

so far i have tried to tig alum and ss steel. what tungsten do i use for mild steel and what rod. 90% of my welding is mild steel, im building a pro street 48 anglia right now, and will be starting on my pro touring 67 camaro in a couple of months when i import it.... thx, rm

what angle do i want the torch to be in relationship to the work piece?

I use 2% thoriated 3/32" tungsten. Figure 45* angle on the torch. Position and the situation will vary your torch angle sometimes. Stainless is tricky to weld, especially if you are learning. Er70s-2 wire for mild steel.

Using muriatic acid to remove coatings from the surface and within the pores of steel, does not have the same "after" effect as using that wonderful EPA approved brake cleaner that sell at Advance / Pep / etc.to wash parts with. It's good you posted that warning. It's been common knowledge few a few years now .. And I don't care how many cans you spray at a coated header tube or a grade eight bolt .. the coating just ain't comin off .. ;-)

The settings, tungsten and filler rod mentioned are spot on. for buut welded header tubes such as these .049 (18 ga) stainless 304 tubes I will move down to a 1/16 tungsten and use a .035 , 308 rod with either solarflux B or purged with stargon ...


http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...eCarz/9113.jpg

On this swimstep for my cat , I used a 1/8 th tungsten and 3/32 , 5356 filler rod ...


http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...d/IMAG0490.jpg

what tungsten should i use for mild steel, and what should i use for stainless? thx

The same, 2% thoriated, like Tubecarz said, you may need to vary your diameter of tungsten for what your are welding. The settings that I gave you will get you headed in the right direction.

Just cause im curious, what kind of machine do you have?

miller econotig, cc/ac/dc power supply