Repair And Fix it

Pipe flaring tools are a necessity to help you replace or repair an exhaust pipe. Most inexpensive exhaust pipe flaring tools are able to round out the end of the pipe, but a high-end tool will move the metal to make the opening larger. To make the change more dramatic, you can heat the pipe before flaring to make the metal more pliable.

Superior Tool Pro Pipe Flaring Tool

The Superior Tool Pro Pipe Flaring Tool is used to flare brass, soft copper and aluminum tubing in all standard sizes ranging from 3/16 to 5/8 inches. It has a self-centering yoke inclined at 45 degrees that is made of resilient, malleable steel

Lisle Flaring Tool Set

The Lisle Flaring Tool Set includes strut and tail-pipe cutoff tools that can cut both round and out-of-round pipes. You can use one hand to operate the four knife-edged wheel. A specialized design lets this tool shift so that it can make out-of-round cuts as well as cut an entire pipe with a one-third turn.

Great Neck Saw Pipe Flaring Tool

The Great Neck Saw Pipe Flaring Tool can produce a single flare on tubing with no possibility of crushing. It can make a smooth flare on all standard high pressure fittings, including sizes 3/16 to 5/8 inches.

Bend Pak Blue Bullet Heavy Duty Pipe Bender

The Bend Pak Blue Bullet Heavy Duty Pipe Bender is a solid steel, electric machine that can be used for all necessary flaring and expanding with a maximum capacity of 3 inches. It also features a degree plate for easy viewing, an internal expander and a high speed clamp-less swager.

RIDGID Model 345 Flaring Tool 45 Degrees

The RIDGID Model 345 Flaring Tool 45 Degrees can flare brass, aluminum, soft copper and mild steel tubing in seven sizes ranging from 3/16 to 5/8 inches. Its center yoke is inclined to a 45 degree angle.

Superior Tool Company Papco Style Flaring Tool

The Superior Tool Company Papco Style Flaring Tool is a small, hand-held tool that can produce 45 degree flares on aluminum, copper, brass, and thin wall tubing in sizes ranging form 3/16 to 5/8 inches.

Installing a custom exhaust can increase horsepower to your vehicle, and give your ride a quality sound that can really change your feelings about the car. This is something that can be done at home on your own, but it does involve some special skills and tools to get the job done correctly. In this case, the project is welding a muffler onto an exhaust on a 1999 Honda Civic to demonstrate proper exhaust welding techniques, but the process is the same for welding the rest of the exhaust, as well.

Instructions

1

Lift up the vehicle using the jack, and place it on jack stands. Make sure the vehicle is secure before you crawl underneath it.

2

Cut off the factory muffler using the reciprocating saw, just behind the factory muffler. This is a rough cut, so dont worry about how accurate it is; just make the cut as close to the muffler as possible, so that you have room to work with later.

3

Remove the factory muffler from the exhaust hanger using the 24-inch pry bar. Place the muffler to the side.

4

Mount the new muffler with the vehicle-specific exhaust hanger onto the exhaust using the hanger on the muffler. The rear section wont be hooked up, so it will hang off to the back.

5

Pick up the muffler and hold the entry point to the muffler to the cut end on the exhaust tubing. Mark the exhaust tubing with the permanent marker where the muffler will connect. You want it to be as accurate as possible; that way, you can get a nice,flush fit.

6

Cut the exhaust, using the reciprocating saw, along the permanent marker line. Then hold up the muffler to check fit. If the exhaust doesnt line up, then cut off more exhaust tubing until it does.

7

Put on the welding gloves. Hold up the muffler with one hand, positioning the entry point to the muffler next to the exhaust tubing, as close as possible. Then place a small tack weld on the side of the tubing, welding the two pieces together. Do the same on the opposite side of the exhaust, so that its held in place. A tack weld is a short weld, typically less than one second in duration, meant to hold two pieces together before its finish-welded, just in case you need to break the welds apart.

8

Set the MIG welder to weld thin sheet metal, at a low voltage and speed. This will ensure that you dont blow through the steel as youre welding. Put the welding helmet on and weld the seam together, using slow movements around the tubing. You want to keep the welder steady and at the same length from the tubing at all points, and make sure the weld goes all the way around the tubing.

9

Start the vehicle and listen for exhaust leaks. If you hear any, weld up the hole using the welder. Otherwise, lift the vehicle off of the jack stands using the jack and place it on the ground.

Torque is the force exerted on an object that causes he object to turn or twist. It becomes very important in industrial applications to measure this force as a means of evaluating the maximum tolerances of various components such as drive shafts and wheel lug nuts. One simple way of measuring torque involves a pipe wrench fastened to a shaft in conjunction with a spring scale.

Instructions

1

Tighten the jaws of a 12-inch pipe wrench around the shaft or pipe on which you wish to measure torque.

2

Attach the weight-end hook of a spring scale to the hole in the end of the pipe wrench.

3

Pull on the other end of the scale at a right angle to the wrench and the shaft.

4

Note the reading on the scale in pounds.

5

Multiply this weight value by the length of the wrench (one foot, or 12 inches).

6

Express your answer in foot-pounds. If the scale reads 50 pounds, multiply 50 pounds by one foot. Your torque is 50 foot-pounds.

7

Express your answer in inch-pounds. If the scale reads 50 pounds, multiply 50 pounds by 12 inches. Your torque is 600 inch-pounds.

The exhaust pipes on your car, truck or motorcycle carry the gasses expelled from the engine during the combustion process safely to the rear of the vehicle. This is usually accomplished with pieces of steel tubing that are suspended to the underside of the vehicle. Since the exhaust usually has to wind over, under or around the vehicle undercarriage to get to the rearmost part of the vehicle, it is manufactured in several different pieces and either welded, bolted or clamped together to form a continuous flow. Each manufacturer may have different names for the various exhaust pieces, but may include the header pipe, front pipe, exhaust pipe, catalytic converter, muffler, resonator and tailpipe.

Exhaust Manifold

Converting the exhaust from each cylinder on your engine to a single outlet is usually accomplished with an exhaust manifold. An exhaust manifold is usually constructed of cast iron and is bolted to the cylinder head. V-type or boxer engines have two banks of cylinders -- one on each side of the block. In these cases, there should be an exhaust manifold bolted to each cylinder head. The exhaust manifold is usually not considered part of the exhaust system, but it gives the exhaust pipe a place to attach to.

Header Pipe

When referring to exhaust pipes, the header pipe sometimes refers to the part of the exhaust system that attaches directly to the exhaust manifold of the engine. If your vehicle is a single cylinder motorcycle or a vehicle that has an inline engine, a single header pipe would connect directly to the exhaust manifold or engine. Header pipes used on V-type or boxer engines can sometimes be referred to as a Y pipe, as it connects to both sides of the engine and comes together to form one pipe. Some vehicles use a dual exhaust system. These types of vehicles may a have a separate, single header pipe for each exhaust header.

Headers

Some vehicles may use factory or aftermarket exhaust headers in place of a cast iron exhaust manifold and header pipe. Headers are usually constructed of several pipes welded together and take the place of both the exhaust manifold and the header pipe. Headers are usually tuned, meaning the length of the tube that attaches to each exhaust port on the engine is engineered in such a way to extract maximum power and efficiency from the engine. Headers are factory-installed on some performance engines, but are usually an aftermarket accessory that is owner-installed.

Front Pipe

Depending on the manufacturer, the front pipe on an exhaust system can refer to pipe that bolts to the engine -- the header pipe -- or the pipe that connects the header pipe to the remainder of the exhaust system. The exhaust system on vehicles that have transverse-mounted engines may need to compensate for the back-and-forth rocking motion of the engine when accelerating or decelerating. Whereas the header pipe may be a solid, fixed pipe, a flexible pipe -- sometimes referred to as the front pipe -- connects the header pipe to the rear of the exhaust system. On some vehicles, the exhaust pipe that connects to the rear of the flexible pipe may be referred to as the front pipe.

Whether caused by moisture, road salt or just old age, chances are youve had to replace your vehicles exhaust pipe at least once. If you dont want to take your car to a garage, follow these simple guidelines to replace your cars exhaust pipe yourself.

Instructions

1

Verify that the problem(s) you are experiencing with your vehicle is due to your exhaust pipe.

2

Consult your owners manual or your local auto parts store to be sure you have the correct exhaust pipe for your vehicle.

3

Secure your vehicle with ramps and/or jacks before you begin to replace the cars exhaust pipe.

4

Remove your cars old exhaust pipe by releasing the clamp at the end of the header pipe.

5

Use an impact gun or some WD-40 to loosen any stubborn rusted bolts. Sometimes you might need to use both.

6

Pull the exhaust pipes bottom out about inch. Align the header with the exhaust port located in the front. Maneuver the header until it is in all the way and fasten the clamp.

7

Take out the old copper crush gasket, which is located within the inner boundaries of the exhaust pipes port. Clean the area out with a screwdriver.

8

Start at the front end of the exhaust system and attach and tighten the exhaust pipe(s).

9

Confirm that all of the bolts are tight and that the exhaust pipe aligns with your vehicles bumper.

10

Lower your car back down to ground level safely.