It’s common for a car’s exhaust pipe to need little repairs after some time. Now there is no need to go to the garage to weld the exhaust pipe. Welding exhaust tubing can be done at home with little guidance and also help to keep some money to save rather than spending on professionals.
It can be done quickly with any welder, tig, mig, or stick, and it’s not too complicated to do by yourself. It just requires some instruction and concentration. These pipes usually are thinner than others; they can be as light as 0.028. So it requires more attention while Welding exhaust pipes.
Follow these steps by step, a guide to weld an exhaust pipe. With this basic welding knowledge, you don’t need to have an experience level.
1- Use Stick Welding to Weld the Exhaust Pipe
Many people argue that stick welding is not the best one for the exhaust pipe repair, but it will amuse you to achieve excellent results by learning to use a stick welder successfully. Get ready to think outside the box while start repairs the muffler with stick welding.
Although stick welding is unusually influenced by paint dirt or rust, we nevertheless advise cleaning the cover to avoid slag.
The first and foremost important step is to understand the perfect rod to use. We’ll recommend using 6011 rods for their accurate welds on thin surfaces. Moreover, be sure to use the 6011 rods for the thinnest weld to get hands-on. The 6011 rod helps for spot welding before welding throughout the muffler’s edge.
Tips of using Stick Welding to Fix the Exhaust Pipe
- Always use the required protection accessories, wear a welding mask, gloves to keep the eyes and skin protected from arc light.
- Never weld the muffler while attached to the vehicle as the resulting sparks can lead the explosions.
- It is most convenient to have a low amp range to stop overheating the stick welder and heating through the muffler Stick welding delivers massive fumes, so make sure to weld n an accurately-ventilated room.
2- Using MIG Welding to weld Exhaust Pipe
As compare to flix core and stick welding, the MIG welding more satisfactory to weld exhaust pipes. It allows doing a great job by using MIG welding to fix the muffler. To start welding exhaust pipes, the first thing to do is to clean the base metal for preparing it thoroughly.
A metal brush is the best option to clean the muffler’s tubing, and useful as it consequently exposes the base metal. Be sure that the tube is free from any dust and rust. We recommend using a combination of argon and carbon dioxide to weld the exhaust pipe with MIG welding. To avoid flashing over the exhaust, it’s perfect to use an average amp range to prevent burning the thin surface.
Safety Tip of Using Mig Welding to Repair the Exhaust Pipe
- Always use fireproof welding gloves while doing MIG welding as it produces a hot arc.
- Wear a welding mask to prevent the harmful UV rays and fumes from touching the face.
- Wear closed-toe shoes to defend the feet from sparks.
3- Use Flux Core Welding for Exhaust Pipe
As flux core welding is not highly recommended by professionals to repair an exhaust tube, but it still can use for the DIY fix the muffler. Before using flux core welding, be sure to clean the tube to decrease the spatter producing result.
The wire feed speed also needs to adjust to make it shorter grains and avoiding burn through the pipe as a scorching arc effect. Be prepared to set the amperage range when decreasing the AMP for flux-core welding can provide hotter arcs.
Tips for Using Flux Core Weld
- Use welding goggles while doing flux core welding to keep eyes safe from UV Rays and Heat.
- Always wear fore resistance long pants to protect feet and toes from sparkles rising from flux core welding.
- Use gloves as flux core wires become hot after some time. The glove should have long lengths or offer forearm protection too.
4- Welding Exhaust Tube by Using TIG Welding
Tig welding is best and specially built for welding thin metal sheet just like exhaust tubing. This technique can use to weld exhaust tubes made from thin allot, such as stainless steel. But it needs some precaution while using tig welding.
The base surface would be clean and free from rust, oil, dirt, and paint. The first task is to clean the pipe and make sure there is no debris left. Now have acetone raced lag that will help to remove oil. The oil might remain as debris arising from the heavy lube oils applied to mufflers.
During tig welding, if the filler rod is the smallest, then use a 3/32 inch rod as it is the ideal tungsten rod. The head output should be accurate as it is thin exhaust tubing.
Utilizing a foot lever can support adjusting the overall temperature output that depends on the metal thickness. As the tig welding is perfect for thin surfaces and metals, we’ll recommend using it for welding an exhaust pipe.
Safety Tips for TIG Weld Exhaust
- Use earplugs to keep the ears protected from sparks.
- Wear a long-sleeved apron that should be made from a non-flammable material to reduce the risk of fire.
- Wear best face shield helmet to protect the face and eyes from harmful fumes and sparks
It’s been years since I got into welding as a side hustle. It’s been so long since Doing All kinds of welds for business and pleasure as this is my hobby. Being in this field I have learned from hands-on-experience also came to know what gears work and what doesn’t. The Tig Welder is my own platform where I use to share my experience.
