12 replies to this topic

[SmacT]

I have a set of Castle Headers on my LX, and they fit okay in a tight space, but I am wanting to bend them 5mm here and there for better clearance (p/s crossmember bolt, steering cotter pin on D/S) so I can start on the exhaust. Taking them out means half pulling the engine out, so I want to do in situ, also to make sure I am bending right.

 

They are already ceramic coated unfortunately, however the coater said heating to bend is no problem, as long as I do it little by little.

 

My question is, as I don't have any Oxy set up, do you reckon I will get the heat I need from one of these Propane torches?  

 

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[RallyRed]

Hi,
My very limited experience in this is -

1. Even with oxy,it's hard to get enough heat in enough places, to effect the bend you want. i.e you may get good heat into 2 pipes but the other two cool ones will fight against your bending action.( assuming the collector ties them all together).
2. Make sure you have them bolted up to the head, as some of your bending stress may end up at the manifold flange, thus leaks occur.

If you just want to put a " dint" in them to clear a bolt head or whatever, that's pretty easy.

Lke I said, just my limited experience

Edited by RallyRed, 20 November 2023 - 12:32 PM.

[yel327]

Thos little bottles and heads are one of the best investments you'll ever make, but as Col says may not give you enough heat quick enough to heat up multiple spots. It will certainly heat up individual bits well though. I have found them invaluable for stuff like soldering lugs onto big cables especially when in a trench and want to use the cable lugs for pulling a cable through a conduit using Paramatta rope (did this recently using the Ram's remote operated winch through a few pulleys). Also good for unfreezing stuck stuff, like getting the taper seat wheels off my Greenfield mower. 

[claysummers]

As above, good for soldering and unfreezing bolts and such. You can only really anneal a bit and still need quite a bit of bending force.

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[claysummers]

Mind you, steel header pipe is probably easier to get concentrated heat in to than the copper I've been playing with.

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[SmacT]

That's awesome fellas, thanks. I will just be heating/bending a two-pipe section after the main collector (not four), so it sounds like it might be worth a try at least. My other option is to just pack the car off to an exhaust shop, but I really want to do it myself for whatever silly reason. Ha ha.

 

Noted on using it for other things, too.

 

Appreciate the input.

[Shiney005]

It will have a much larger flame than an oxy for the same heat. It will be hard not having the floor hot enough to melt your carpets.

[SmacT]

Thanks Shiney, good to know - no carpets in her, so now's the time!

[Bruiser]

I remember reading someone having a go at this using strategically placed blocks of wood (or steel) in one spot
and using the twisting wire fence technique slowly with heat to get stracktors to get them to bend a bit.
Might have even been with the engine running amount of heat, but memory isn’t quite that good
Wouldn’t have been wood in that case
Sounds like putting some strain on the pipe(s) in the right spot and heating them up is the go
Hope you manage to get it done somehow

[SmacT]

Yeah, I have heard of people just running the engine until they are hot, then swinging on them with a big bar. I am hoping for a little more precision than that, but honestly, whatever works. Thanks mate.

[Heath]

Perhaps put your breathing & hearing apparatus on, strap down the front wheels, side step the clutch in third with a clamp on the accellerator and start smoking the garage out. Might be a bit hard to get a big bar into the collector when it's W.O.T. on the limiter (not sure; never tried) but at least you'll get some proper heat into the pipes.

 

The neighbours may not like this method.

[Shiney005]

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[SmacT]

😂