rodd1s' ex-turbo Lanos [1349 sleeper in the making]
Moderators: daewoomofo, Moderators Group
my exhaust is also about 50mm to 52mm diameter. (i should have taken pictures to explain exactly how i did it)
at each end of the new pipe that will be replacing the silencer you need to cut 4 v-shaped notches, each about an inch long, at each end of the pipe. these v-shaped notches shouldnt be more than 10mm wide at the edge/end. then bend them inwards using a hammer, gently, cos its a lot harder to bend them back out again. roll the pipe as u hammer it to get an even "squeezing" all the way around and remember to keep checking that the new pipe does still fit over the existing exhaust pipe. once the new pipe sits quite snuggly around the exhaust then its right for welding. another thing that can be used to squeeze the pipe to a smaller diameter with the 4 notches cut at each end are the exhaust clamps that u get at halfords, but its a lot easier to do it with a hammer. the clamps are also a good idea to keep all the pipes in place until u have spot welded a few areas to the point where the pipes can support itself without moving out of line.
before u start welding too much make sure that all the bolt holes at the flanges/mounting points line up so that you can actually put the pipe back on the car again (i had to find this out the hard way, and tried mounting the exhaust with only 2 of 5 holes lining up.)
so, u wana know how arc welders work?
first of all, you'll need the welding rods, 2mm is recommended for this type of work (B&Q: about £4 for a pack of 10)
make sure uve got welding gloves and a face mask aswell, cos it will literally make u blind if u dnt use a face mask. and without gloves u will burn your hands.
the most basic of arc welders have 3 leads, one that plugs into the mains (~240v ac) one that is ur earth/ground in the form of a big crocodile clip that connects to the piece of metal you are welding and the other is another crocodile clip type thing that holds the welding rod. make sure the metal is earthed and the rod is in the croc clip before switching on the power supply.
to do the actualy welding, it is literaly just a case of touching the metal you want to weld with the rod and the magic happens. as far as technique goes, i'm not too sure as i myself am still a beginner at it, but i think "steady movements" about sums it up. if the rod stays in one place too long it can burn thru the metal. if you move it too quickly the weld might not be thick enough. most welders come with relatively good instruction manuals for first-time welders, which basically outlined that newbies should seek professional advice, so i ditched that idea and just jumped right into it.
i'd say the best way to learn how to weld is by watching someone else do it, i just remembered most of it from always watching my grandad welding when i was 6 or 7 years old (he used to make trailers for carrying cars and boats in his spare time at his holiday home - although he did have an industrial mega-welder). so here's a start:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... o+arc+weld
hope that helps.
at each end of the new pipe that will be replacing the silencer you need to cut 4 v-shaped notches, each about an inch long, at each end of the pipe. these v-shaped notches shouldnt be more than 10mm wide at the edge/end. then bend them inwards using a hammer, gently, cos its a lot harder to bend them back out again. roll the pipe as u hammer it to get an even "squeezing" all the way around and remember to keep checking that the new pipe does still fit over the existing exhaust pipe. once the new pipe sits quite snuggly around the exhaust then its right for welding. another thing that can be used to squeeze the pipe to a smaller diameter with the 4 notches cut at each end are the exhaust clamps that u get at halfords, but its a lot easier to do it with a hammer. the clamps are also a good idea to keep all the pipes in place until u have spot welded a few areas to the point where the pipes can support itself without moving out of line.
before u start welding too much make sure that all the bolt holes at the flanges/mounting points line up so that you can actually put the pipe back on the car again (i had to find this out the hard way, and tried mounting the exhaust with only 2 of 5 holes lining up.)
so, u wana know how arc welders work?
first of all, you'll need the welding rods, 2mm is recommended for this type of work (B&Q: about £4 for a pack of 10)
make sure uve got welding gloves and a face mask aswell, cos it will literally make u blind if u dnt use a face mask. and without gloves u will burn your hands.
the most basic of arc welders have 3 leads, one that plugs into the mains (~240v ac) one that is ur earth/ground in the form of a big crocodile clip that connects to the piece of metal you are welding and the other is another crocodile clip type thing that holds the welding rod. make sure the metal is earthed and the rod is in the croc clip before switching on the power supply.
to do the actualy welding, it is literaly just a case of touching the metal you want to weld with the rod and the magic happens. as far as technique goes, i'm not too sure as i myself am still a beginner at it, but i think "steady movements" about sums it up. if the rod stays in one place too long it can burn thru the metal. if you move it too quickly the weld might not be thick enough. most welders come with relatively good instruction manuals for first-time welders, which basically outlined that newbies should seek professional advice, so i ditched that idea and just jumped right into it.
i'd say the best way to learn how to weld is by watching someone else do it, i just remembered most of it from always watching my grandad welding when i was 6 or 7 years old (he used to make trailers for carrying cars and boats in his spare time at his holiday home - although he did have an industrial mega-welder). so here's a start:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... o+arc+weld
hope that helps.
Cargo cultism is a beautiful thing as long as you never fall for it.
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thanks for all the postive comments on my wheel choice... i've been putting off buying new wheels for ages because i could never find anything that clicked instantly, but when i saw these i knew they were a winner.
everyone who has seen them have only said positive things, except one of my friends who thinks i should have gotten some 17" chromes instead (he likes bling too much, where i prefer function over form). these actually weigh less than the standard alloys - so thats an added bonus.
at the moment it's impossible to carry more than 2 passengers due to the rear arches rubbing - well, its not so much the arches, but instead the bolt that connects the rear bumper to the bodywork in the arch. so i'll have to do something about that, cos it'll be a bit stupid getting narrower tyres on the rear just because of that.
everyone who has seen them have only said positive things, except one of my friends who thinks i should have gotten some 17" chromes instead (he likes bling too much, where i prefer function over form). these actually weigh less than the standard alloys - so thats an added bonus.
at the moment it's impossible to carry more than 2 passengers due to the rear arches rubbing - well, its not so much the arches, but instead the bolt that connects the rear bumper to the bodywork in the arch. so i'll have to do something about that, cos it'll be a bit stupid getting narrower tyres on the rear just because of that.
Cargo cultism is a beautiful thing as long as you never fall for it.
cheers, AborteK.
[midnight rant]
progress is gonna be going slow for the next 3 months. moving back in on campus at uni in 2 days, so i'll be away from home, my working space and all my tools
got some plans for the front bumper for when i get my next big break if im at home over the holidays... further plans/ideas may be revealed soon.
not sure what to do about engine tuning... still swayed towards a supercharger - but they're expensive, and i wont be at work much whilst at university, so not a lot of money coming in.
if i can pick up a turbocharger for cheap enough i'd tear it apart and make a supercharger out of it (heard of it done before)
[/midnight rant]
[midnight rant]
progress is gonna be going slow for the next 3 months. moving back in on campus at uni in 2 days, so i'll be away from home, my working space and all my tools
got some plans for the front bumper for when i get my next big break if im at home over the holidays... further plans/ideas may be revealed soon.
not sure what to do about engine tuning... still swayed towards a supercharger - but they're expensive, and i wont be at work much whilst at university, so not a lot of money coming in.
if i can pick up a turbocharger for cheap enough i'd tear it apart and make a supercharger out of it (heard of it done before)
[/midnight rant]
Cargo cultism is a beautiful thing as long as you never fall for it.
coming soon: 4300K HID headlight conversion.
until they're delivered and installed, i'm currently using 100w/80w "Rally" headlamps, instead of the 'road legal' 60w/55w headlamp bulbs for better night driving.
and ive bought a set of those LED driving lights, but i'm gonna be using them for either interior lighting or under bonnet lighting for when it comes to late night car shows like the one i'm going on nxt saturday. it seems my car currently has more to show under the bonnet than anywhere else. lol
until they're delivered and installed, i'm currently using 100w/80w "Rally" headlamps, instead of the 'road legal' 60w/55w headlamp bulbs for better night driving.
and ive bought a set of those LED driving lights, but i'm gonna be using them for either interior lighting or under bonnet lighting for when it comes to late night car shows like the one i'm going on nxt saturday. it seems my car currently has more to show under the bonnet than anywhere else. lol
Cargo cultism is a beautiful thing as long as you never fall for it.
Turbocharger is better solution that supercharger...Rodd1s wrote:cheers, AborteK.
[midnight rant]
progress is gonna be going slow for the next 3 months. moving back in on campus at uni in 2 days, so i'll be away from home, my working space and all my tools
got some plans for the front bumper for when i get my next big break if im at home over the holidays... further plans/ideas may be revealed soon.
not sure what to do about engine tuning... still swayed towards a supercharger - but they're expensive, and i wont be at work much whilst at university, so not a lot of money coming in.
if i can pick up a turbocharger for cheap enough i'd tear it apart and make a supercharger out of it (heard of it done before)
[/midnight rant]