1970 Grabber Green Project

[Grabber70Mach 107]

Still amazed at the quality of work you are doing on your car, its going to be really nice when you get it all done.

[latoracing 256]

My project has been collecting dust for the past couple of weeks. I needed to pay it a little bit of attention to get some welding done. I gathered up all the little pieces parts that I needed for my back purging "kit" in order to get these tubes properly joined. I had an old regulator lying around (actually new in a box...) and brought home another bottle of Argon that will basically be vented to atmosphere. A few 1/4" barbed hose fittings and a 1/4" ball valve, along with my 1 3/4" I.D. cap (welded it up several weeks ago) and the purge was ready to go. 

 

Filling the stainless tubes full of argon helps keep the inside of the tubes nice, and the welds much stronger. With the cap connected to the hose, and a piece of tape over the "square" end of the tube, a small hole is cut in the tape to keep the pressure down. I was running between 4 to 5 PSI to displace the oxygen in the tube. Allowing the argon to flow for a few minutes ensures a complete purge, and it's ready to fry.

 

 

Welding each section of tubing really didn't take that long. I haven't welded smallish round tube in a while, so it took me a little bit to get back in the swing of things. I was using 308 .030" stainless filler wire for all the weld joints, 1/16" tungsten, 60 amps, pulsed. Once the tubes were cool enough, a little red scotchibrite was used to clean the HAZ and inspect my welds (as I had missed a few places... oops...)

 

 

Once all the tubes were fully welded up I needed a way to purge multiple tubes while welding collectors on and the flange attachment areas. I grabbed a piece of 2 1/2" square 3/16" wall tube and transfer punched the flange attachment holes on to it. These holes were drilled 3/8-16tpi and openings were cut for the tube openings. I made two plates to cap the ends, one with a piece of 1 3/4" tube to connect my cap to and welded them in place.

 

 

 The flange was bolted back on the car, and the tubes installed. Once everything was in place, the front tubes were tacked to the flange, and the collector was also tacked in place. Checking one more time on the car with all the tubes in place, just to make sure, it was removed, which is not fun. (I had to remove the head to get it back out, weeeee...) Bolted back on the manifold, everything was welded to stay. I think the people whom I bought these parts from lied to me. The header flange acts like it is 303 Stainless, it didn't weld very well at all. 303 has sulfur  in it, which is helpful for machining, but sucks to weld. The welds do not flow and they are quite undercut because of the non flowing condition. They will be ok, but I hate finding out material composition that way. 

 

 

The header was removed from the manifold again, to remove the tape, then bolted back down. The rear tubes were put in place, ready for the next time I get to work on it. These tubes will not be welded to the flange just yet, as the 2" secondary tubes have to be butt welded to the collectors. (can't get all the way around them) The collector will be welded in place, then all this goes back on the car. More tube cutting / fitting to come....

 

[RPM 1,190]

Following along on this thread is like golfing with partners who are better than you. I have more fun and learn a thing or two during the process. Ingenious idea using the 2" ? sq tube for the multi tube purge! Outstanding fab work Mike.

[Vicfreg 771]

Mike that square tube purge rig is way cool....

 

If you figured out how to weld that "303" Stainless, good for you. The machinists love it and the welders hate it.....

[RPM 1,190]

If everything I've read in my limited search on 303 stainless says it's not used for welding, why in the world would someone sell it as a header flange? Good luck Mike. You probably researched 303 till your eyes bled, but I did find this:

 

Welding

Alloy 303 is not recommended for applications requiring welding. If it is necessary to weld the alloy, AWS E312 filler metal may be considered.

[latoracing 256]

If everything I've read in my limited search on 303 stainless says it's not used for welding, why in the world would someone sell it as a header flange? Good luck Mike. You probably researched 303 till your eyes bled, but I did find this:

 

Welding

Alloy 303 is not recommended for applications requiring welding. If it is necessary to weld the alloy, AWS E312 filler metal may be considered.

 

As someone who lives in a machining environment, we use LOTS of 303 stainless, trust me when I say it is not fun to weld, but machines great.  For all practical purposes 308L filler wire still works quite well, you just have to feed in more rod and watch you heat input. When I bought these parts I specifically asked if the flanges were 304 or better, and not 303, live and learn. The sales person will hear of my disappointment in being misled on the flange alloy. 303 is not impossible to weld, it does help to know why it acts like lead and not stainless lol.

[latoracing 256]

Spent a few minutes cutting and fitting the remaining two pieces of pipe for the "2 into 1" portion of my header.  Once I had the first piece trimmed to fit where I wanted, it was tack welded in place.

The second piece was a lot easier as the first piece held everything in place. Once it was trimmed, it was tacked in place as well.

I stuck my under floor convertible pan supports in place, knowing that the pipes were going to run right into them, so those will not be going on the car, it should be OK without them. I would rather have the headers the way they are anyway. I'll get them back off the car and completely weld them up (some day...) 

[latoracing 256]

Took a brake from prepping the convertible to get this header completely welded. I was so close, I just had to get it finished lol. Once I got it removed from the car (that was fun) it went back on the manifold. The first section of tube (first one I cut) was welded to the mid collector. Once it was all welded up, the second tube was welded up, then the main collector was slid in place, tacked and permanently attached. 

Once the collector was all welded up, the tubes were welded to the header flange. I used a larger filler rod along with adding a lot of filler material to the weld, they came out much better.  I let everything cool down, then removed the assembly from the manifold to weld the inside of the tubes to the header flange. A little shaping of the tube to get it fit nice and snug, they were all fried. I added just a little bit extra filler wire to ensure a nice flat gasket surface, once the welds are ground flat.

I'll get all this cleaned up and put back on the car for the upcoming exhaust portion. Now all I have to do is make one like this for the other side. There are a few loose ends I have to tie up before I can get the legos back out. One down, one to go...

[SM69Mach 68]

Love the attention to detail.  AWESOME WORK!!!!

[RPM 1,190]

So darn nice Mike.

[Patriotgamez 14]

A new perspective on loong tube headers

[Grabber70Mach 107]

Man those look really great.

[Ridge Runner 1,112]

Now you are going to have to make another set ...so you can hang this set on the wall to have something nice to look at .

[latoracing 256]

Thanks for all the complements gents, I do appreciate it.

 

Picked me up a new present from me to me. It isn't new, but I have used it quite often over the past 12 years. They didn't have a need for it at work, as I was the only one who actually ever used it and it is not for "production". Got it to the house today, it is a Di Acro model 24 box and pan brake, needs a little TLC as it has been in storage for a while, but I will put it to good use. Yea tools!!!

[RPM 1,190]

Major tool envy! Very nice score Mike.

[unilec 57]

That's awesome, wish I had one at home, trying to bend plate in a vice just isn't the same.

[Vicfreg 771]

Dude, you need more tools.....you will need a bigger shop soon.....

[Ridge Runner 1,112]

I bought a 51 inch box break and stomp shear ,two of the most used tools i have .They will both do 16 gauge .That one looks like it may handle more ?

A new lathe is next 

[latoracing 256]

Took a minute here and there over the past month to attempt some more progress on the header fabrication. Had to get the column all situated and my 3/4" DD shaft all trimmed up. (made it out of some stainless round bar) With the head and valve cover installed, the mock-up on the driver's side went rather quickly. Having a little more confidence on this side I made two of the four starter tubes, which made the process a little easier. Now to find some time to start cutting up U bends (which I had to buy more of...) and get this side done. 

 

 

Looking into the rest of the exhaust system trying to figure out what to do for side exhaust.  Spintech is at the top of my list for oval tubing and mufflers. I would like to go THOUGH the frame rail and notch the rocker, right in front of the rear tire. I have issues with making  a fairly large hole in the frame rail and boxing it up. I know the web of the rail has a lot of strength and can have a hole in it, like the access for the forward leaf spring mount. Sleeving a through hole "should" restore the strength to the area, as long as it doesn't compromise the total web area. I want to be 100% certain before committing to that. Could go up, but really do not want any exhaust tubing inside the car. Guess I'll have to think outside the box...

[RPM 1,190]

So cool Mike, can't wait.

[latoracing 256]

Took the afternoon to chop up some tubing. 

 

Half way done with cutting and tacking the driver's side components. So far so good.

 

[Vicfreg 771]

_{Mike, nicely done.  I also like the side exhaust, but can't see cutting the hole through the rocker that you just installed....}

 

_{I was looking at the new model Boss 302 side exhaust tips that exit under the rocker, but the look too small.}

 

_{I also have looked at some of the NASCAR "Boom Tubes". They are cool and the right idea, but very long.  I am all about the side exhaust, so lets talk about what can be done without going through the Rocker.}

 

_{Or, the other option is to go "old school" with sidepipes.....Groovy....}

 

 

[latoracing 256]

Can't do the side pipes, just not the "look" I am after on this build lol. I am still looking at doing a rocker exit though, more to come on that issue.

 

As time is always an issue, it has taken a little bit to get the rest of the parts cut and tacked together. The routing stayed fairly close to the original model.

 

 

Much like the passenger side, everything has decent clearance and the tubes were in the 2" variance range. Also much like the passenger side, it doesn't come out in one piece, the shock tower is the main obstacle, but I will live with them. The headers would be MUCH simpler if they were not part of the equation, but easy is boring lol.

 

 

I am in the process of welding all these segments together, then back onto the car for the 2-1 segment. 

[Vicfreg 771]

These are a work of art......

[latoracing 256]

All the main tube segments are all welded together, along with the first and third tubes welded to the flange.

 

 The head has to come off for installation and removal of the tubes now as it barely fits in the hole without the head in place. Stuffing all of it back together, the lower section of tubes are cut and tacked in place. I am not 100% satisfied with the way the collector is sitting when compared to the passenger's side. Plus, the 2" tubes had to have a slight angle cut into them to sit properly. I might cut it back apart and re-configure it, well, the more I think about it, I'll give Pro Fab a call and pick up a 2" 90 degree bend to make a proper turn.  But for now...