Any such thing as a good exhaust patch compound?

(Doc) wrote:

>Are there any patch compounds that actually work and hold up for
>sealing pin holes in exhaust systems?

I suspect the answer will depend at least partially on where in the
exhaust system you intend to use it. Just downstream of the catalytic
converter or exhaust manifold are pretty harsh environemnts. Other
areas of the system less so. Unfortunately, it seems likely that the
pinholes are going to be in the worst areas, assuming that they
developed "naturally," i.e. due to oxidative erosion of the pipe
rather than mechanical perforation.

Steve Turner

Real address contains worldnet instead of spamnet

Steve Turner > wrote in message >. ..
> (Doc) wrote:
>
> >Are there any patch compounds that actually work and hold up for
> >sealing pin holes in exhaust systems?
>
> I suspect the answer will depend at least partially on where in the
> exhaust system you intend to use it. Just downstream of the catalytic
> converter or exhaust manifold are pretty harsh environemnts. Other
> areas of the system less so. Unfortunately, it seems likely that the
> pinholes are going to be in the worst areas, assuming that they
> developed "naturally," i.e. due to oxidative erosion of the pipe
> rather than mechanical perforation.

The pinholes were gaps in the welds the shop did, around the elbow
they welded in, just downstream of the header collector. (See my
original post) I got under the car and checked before leaving, could
feel the puffs with my fingers. So I went back in and told them I
needed them to take care of it.

The reducer was larger than my pipes, so they had used sections that
fit the reducers but were somewhat larger than my pipes. They welded
the sections around my pipes which left a gap at the bottom, that he
had filled in with weld, the major hole however was at the top on one
side, where the elbow was tight against the pipe.

When I pointed out the problem, and the manager talked to the guy who
had done the welding, who started throwing all kinds of attitude,
telling the manager my existing pipes he had welded the sections onto
were "junk". This of course hadn't stopped them from taking my money.
The pipes are solid, not particularly pitted, and previous work had
been done on them at this same shop several years ago without hearing
any noise to this effect.

This tech struck me as your typical slacker ****ed off at the world
grease monkey and I'm sure he knew he had let it go out the door with
a leak and was ****ed that I was the one customer in 100 who would
actually get on the ground and feel around instead of just driving out
fat dumb and happy.

When the manager brought the car back around, he told me that they had
used this patch compound because he claimed if they kept welding on
it, that it would just burn through the pipe. I'm admittedly not a
welder, but it seemed incredulous to me that this approx 1/4" gap
between the welded in elbow and the existing pipes could be filled in,
but somehow they couldn't fill in this pinhole.

My inclination is to go back and tell them to get someone who's
competent to weld it shut, but I also don't relish cooling my heels
again waiting for them to fool with it. If this compound really will
hold then I'll say screw it, I just won't go back there again. They
used to have some good people there but that doesn't seem to be the
case anymore. They seem to have become just one more ripoff bubba
shop.

Doc wrote:
>
> My inclination is to go back and tell them to get someone who's
> competent to weld it shut, but I also don't relish cooling my heels
> again waiting for them to fool with it. If this compound really will
> hold then I'll say screw it, I just won't go back there again. They
> used to have some good people there but that doesn't seem to be the
> case anymore. They seem to have become just one more ripoff bubba
> shop.


just have the pinholes "silver soldered"
it can take high heat.


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(Doc) wrote:

>The pinholes were gaps in the welds the shop did, around the elbow
>they welded in, just downstream of the header collector. (See my
>original post) I got under the car and checked before leaving, could
>feel the puffs with my fingers. So I went back in and told them I
>needed them to take care of it.

[snip]

Okay, clearer now. Sorry I missed the details of your first post. I
don't know of any patch compound that will be tough and heat resistant
enough to provide a long-term solution. If it were me, I'd have it
welded or brazed. A good weld will last as long as the pipe itself.

Steve Turner

Real address contains worldnet instead of spamnet

> > >Are there any patch compounds that actually work and hold up for
> > >sealing pin holes in exhaust systems?

I've had sucess with plumbers epoxy patch -- find @ plumbing supply house
Look for a tube with what looks like a 1 part system - lookslike clay.
Build-up a 1/8" thick layer AROUND the pipe so it will stay in place,
holding on to itself.

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