Fabricating exhaust parts is not something that you will always need to do but when you do need to, it’s good to have the right tools and know how. In this video I fabricate the ‘A’ pipe on my 1993 Acura Vigor. The OE part is no longer available and if it was it would be VERY expensive. I could not find the part in the aftermarket either. That meant that I had to make my own pipe. Through a combination of cutting, grinding, heating, and welding, I was able to make it happen. It may not be pretty, but at least it’s quiet. With a little more practice with my welder I think I’ll have this. No matter what, I hope the information in this video can help you if you’re confronted with a similar situation. If not, I hope you’re entertained by the video as you watch me learn how to weld exhaust pipes.
Camera: Brian Kast
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This man is very professional with all kinds of tools , speaking very good English, his career should be a TV star instead of a fabricator.
awesome video Eric I have learned so much from you along the years
No more rusty old cars
I bought a junk yard car about a year ago.b it's builds like these that really expand yoyrnprobl solving skills. Trying to solve a problem for as little money as possible. Normally on higher value cars I would (I am sure you would as well) actually replace the parts with the proper parts. However when you have a cheap/lower value car you don't want to spend the money for the "bolt on" parts.
Something I learned is to check for alternative parts that will also fit(,not just exhaust) like from different cars. One example of this could be, struts for one car could be $300 each but ones that physically fit but have slightly different valving from another car cost $80 per side. When it's a cheap/low value build the $80 per side looks a lot better when you only paid $500 for the car.
My cheap build had exhaust leaks, a trip to local auto parts store to the exhaust section and a couple hours of work and now it's quiet for a ton less, much like what you did.
Mans used every tool in the shop to do this haha, could have only used like 3 tools total!
Clean spot to weld doesnt only mean make a shiny metal spot , it also means no oils or other contaminants .. you might not even be able to see any best thing to do is wipe down the surface with a good cleaner that leaves no residue cause residue can also lead to bad welds
Sawing, smashing, and grinding… that’s what working all of the cars I’ve ever owned is like haha
eric the humble guy after all that.
I took much of value away from this. Thank you for sharing.
14:10 i think your cat is on the rag…
A very enlightening video. I've got a leak in my muffler. I just might try this with my Everlast welder.
Show those southern boys what a hot wrench can do to rusty bolts!!! Not everyone has the skill or finesse to take apart that rusty sh*t without snapping/ breaking stuff. Nice job!!
That was by far the most intelligent and logical way to tackle this, great job!
Just use exhaust manifold putty to seal up the small leak around welds
Really nice work. Fun to watch a prj turn out so well.
I know you have thought about this… You could have relieved some pressure on the flex pipe, by fitting before you welded the 2 hole flange to the flex pipe. Had that been in the car and you tack welded the flex joint there… you would have loved the reduction in pipe pressure at bolt in time. its likely the higher pressure on the flex pipe will create a sooner end of life for the flex. 🙂
Stellar work! Great job.
great job Eric…..like ur work!!!
Would it be possible to cut a new flex pipe and just wrap it around the old flex pipe, then clamp it together? Also how about the flex pipe from a plumbing kitchen sink water intake? Could you fix a small hole in the flex pipe with that?
How do you feel about Samcrac patching the undercarriage damage in this Ferrari: @pToU
Double wall pipe LOL
Get yourself a gas blower for your shop floor, best broom i've found, thanks for the video
rather pay a muffler shop and go have a beer till they're done
Length doesnt matter. Girth does……or so i hear
I just saw this video and It,s good intentions. Point1, the double walled front tubing is an issue. I have seen many Suzuki swift catalytic converters destroyed because people had only welded to the outer. Both need to be welded together or the inside may vibrate, fracture and bore through the cat monolith. Point2, an armoured bellows flex is designed to work in a straight line only…cutting the rear tubing at an angle to suit may have negated stress and cat clearance issues.
Point3, Even a SLIGHT LEAK IN FRONT of the cat can cause air to get in, be burnt and overheat / destroy / MELT THE CAT ceramic monolith (internal honeycomb block). As a side note, the flex in that kind of size in Australia retails for around 100 DOLLARS AUSSIE AND FLANGES A RE AROUND 13 DOLLARS AND GASKETS 7 DOLLARS. Why do the US guys get stuff so darned cheap. As of March 31st 2019. I,ve ben a professional exhaust tech since 1982 but good for you giving it a go. Cheers from the land of Oz.
This is a true video and the problem you can encounter when doing the exhaust good job Eric
Good work Eric the car guy mate nice I all way watch your video. Please Eric make video on astra j 12 plate 1.7cdti any thing
push not pull …… ? that,s what Mr Tig said ?
33:10 felt like I just turned on my car, watched this whole thing through. Awesome work!
My 98 Camry has alot of leaking on the flex pipe and its a small flex pipe so its probably rusted out inside on mine. Blows hot exhaust gas through the mesh and needs to get replaced.
all the gear but not got a clue how to do a simple job
Eric Thanks for all you do. I know that you take a lot of time to do this without a lot of money! You have inspired many including myself to at least try to DIY.
Only power tool you needed for all this was the grinder.
Good job on your welding Eric. Can't imagine how many people need to practice there welding just to be as good as yours. One Question. How did you not set your rag on fire on the flange weld???:??????
I have a 2000 Passat that needed the flex pipe replaced , the old one had an inner pipe running through it but the replacement did not have that ,and now I'm getting a lot of noise