My latest machining nightmare: The saga of the ebay rice-burner exhaust

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My latest machining nightmare: The saga of the ebay rice-burner exhaust

Posted: 7/8/2013 4:08:08 PM EDT

94 accord needs exhaust so i figured 200 bucks for header back system off ebay

was way cheaper than going to midas or some crap like that

after much fanagling and some grinding on some of the subframe crossmembers

i got the headers on, but they didnt line up at all with where the cat would be

so i spent a week or so tearing my hair out

(trying to single point flycut the face of the flange - on a slight angle so the headers would sit back towards the engine a little more

and came up with this:

a harbor freight belt belt sander clamped with strut sections and bolts to the back of the mill turret

and here are the results:

Posted: 7/8/2013 4:11:12 PM EDT

[#1]

Have you adjusted teh angles on teh exterior side where the bolt/washers will sit, so as to have even pressure on the flange?

Posted: 7/8/2013 4:34:14 PM EDT

[#2]

do u mean since its now sitting cockeyed the bolts arent going straight thru the holes?

no i didnt do anything about that except buy some wave spring washers i thought might help lol

the thing needed to sit differently so now it does

Posted: 7/8/2013 4:41:55 PM EDT

[#3]

Nice. Just goes to show, necessity really is the mother of invention. Well done.

P.S. spot-facing the bolt holes wouldn't take much.

Posted: 7/8/2013 5:10:28 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Nice. Just goes to show, necessity really is the mother of invention. Well done.

P.S. spot-facing the bolt holes wouldn't take much.

yeah i guess spot facing them wouldnt be that difficult lol i didnt think of that

Posted: 7/8/2013 6:22:07 PM EDT

[#5]

Welcome to the world of chicom / Taiwanese knockoffs of Japanese products. The shits cheap, thats about the only good thing that can be said about it. I knew a guy that sent a greddy intake manifold to taiwan to have knock off's made, It took them three tries / prototypes to get it somewhat right.

Posted: 7/8/2013 6:33:15 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Welcome to the world of chicom / Taiwanese knockoffs of Japanese products. The shits cheap, thats about the only good thing that can be said about it. I knew a guy that sent a greddy intake manifold to taiwan to have knock off's made, It took them three tries / prototypes to get it somewhat right.

It's ok though. The Harbor Freight sander is a chinese knock off too.

I have a Harbor Freight portaband saw knock off. Loud as hell (ear plugs needed), but it cuts just fine. And for the $80 it cost me, I'm satisfied.

Posted: 7/8/2013 7:43:02 PM EDT

[#7]

Oh don't get me wrong. I love harbor freight! For tools you are gonna only use a few times, or tools you intend to get screwed up, craped on, abused, etc. And basic air tools they are great. Oh and garden gnomes!

Posted: 7/8/2013 7:47:08 PM EDT

[#8]

I hope you kept your ways covered, using an abrasive belt on the mill

Today I figured out what it's like to bore and tap 9310 alloy. Super tough stuff, work hardens like crazy and makes some meaaan little chips...
But tough is good, once I get it hardened and coated, it will be containing explosions within a couple inches of my face...

Posted: 7/10/2013 9:36:21 AM EDT

[#9]

We did that sometimes with cast manifolds for a hotrod shop.
Always a pita to get the manifold secure and level on the table.

Posted: 7/15/2013 2:54:08 PM EDT

[#10]

well im thinking i should have listened to whomever told me to spot face the other side of the flange

broke off a stud in the head haha

whoopeeeee!!!

Posted: 7/15/2013 3:08:25 PM EDT

[#11]

Yeahhh, bolt's can't really hold their rated loads unless they have even head contact...

Posted: 7/15/2013 6:34:24 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
well im thinking i should have listened to whomever told me to spot face the other side of the flange

broke off a stud in the head haha

whoopeeeee!!!

I'm not so crazy now, am I?

Posted: 7/17/2013 2:53:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

I'm not so crazy now, am I?

View Quote

no you're not im just an idiot lol

i set the header up on the mill only to realize that i can reach all but one of the holes to spot face

one of the tubes veers into path of getting the long 3/4" endmill i have down in there

what about these self aligning washers ???

Posted: 7/17/2013 3:10:28 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:

no you're not im just an idiot lol

i set the header up on the mill only to realize that i can reach all but one of the holes to spot face
one of the tubes veers into path of getting the long 3/4" endmill i have down in there

what about these self aligning washers ???

http://images2.mcmaster.com/Contents/gfx/small/94007a038p3s.png?ver=25011999

View Quote

They work, but you should probably safety wire the heads on the bolts you use those on...

Posted: 7/17/2013 3:17:23 PM EDT

[#15]

Enjoy chasing header leaks.

I went somewhat cheap on a set of shorty headers on my 5.0. Takes about a month of driving for a leak to show up.

I finally went to grade 8 allen head bolts, heads are steel and not aluminum, and things seem to be better mainly because the allen head is more friendly to getting an angle on the bolt to torque it down.

Posted: 7/17/2013 3:17:23 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
They work, but you should probably safety wire the heads on the bolts you use those on...

View Quote

can you give me an example picture on how they do that?
if you havent figured it out i need it dumbed down a little bit haha

if these wont really work and if i have to come up with some crazy way

to cut the one i cant reach some other way im going to freak out

like how about a fly cutter with the bit upside down and the header engine side up

to reach underneath?

this whole thing is really becoming a problem

ok maybe i can stand them up backwards and upside down and side cut the last one lol

heeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllpppppppppppppppp

this is a cry for help

Posted: 7/17/2013 3:33:04 PM EDT

[#17]

Posted: 7/17/2013 3:43:14 PM EDT

[#18]

so do u drill thru the nuts/studs after theyre tight

to run the wire thru?

Posted: 7/17/2013 4:23:16 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
so do u drill thru the nuts/studs after theyre tight
to run the wire thru?

View Quote

No, you order pre-drilled bolts or nuts

Posted: 7/18/2013 10:08:12 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:

no you're not im just an idiot lol

i set the header up on the mill only to realize that i can reach all but one of the holes to spot face
one of the tubes veers into path of getting the long 3/4" endmill i have down in there

what about these self aligning washers ???

http://images2.mcmaster.com/Contents/gfx/small/94007a038p3s.png?ver=25011999

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I'm not so crazy now, am I?

no you're not im just an idiot lol

i set the header up on the mill only to realize that i can reach all but one of the holes to spot face
one of the tubes veers into path of getting the long 3/4" endmill i have down in there

what about these self aligning washers ???

http://images2.mcmaster.com/Contents/gfx/small/94007a038p3s.png?ver=25011999

Since there's only one that you have to deal with, you can amke an angled washer. One side is normal, the other side is ground down at teh angle you used for teh headers. Just make sure to index the washer keeping the ground down side paralel with teh new header surface.

Posted: 7/18/2013 4:12:11 PM EDT

[#21]

ok i spot faced all but the two inner holes on the nutside of the flange

and ordered some of the self-align washers ill just use them on the innies

i missed UPS to get my left hand drills but my buddy brought over a very old 45 degree mini drill

measured studs to make a drilling jig to drill out the broken stud

u guys got any advice on doing that before i screw yet another thing up?

want to drill 3 holes in a piece of bar - 2 to bolt to existing studs - 1 over broken stud

to center punch and guide bits

????

Posted: 7/19/2013 2:40:09 PM EDT

[#22]

lol guess im on my own with that one

Posted: 7/19/2013 3:36:40 PM EDT

[#23]

if stud still near surface, can weld to it.
otherwise, drill small, use extractors.
or drill big and helicoil

Posted: 7/25/2013 11:44:20 AM EDT

[#24]

made a little drilling jig

drilled thru stud with left hand drill bits

extracted broken stud no sweat!!!

never really used an ez-out before

always heard horror stories but it worked like a charm

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My latest machining nightmare: The saga of the ebay rice-burner exhaust

Armory » Gunsmithing

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us