Exhaust pipe crack.

[HackAl]

So when I was getting my brakes fixed, the mechanic discovered this.

Which cylinder is this for? The part is under 150 bucks so I doubt welding is worth it, especially if it would need to come out anyway.

Would JBWeld get me through until the new part comes?

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.
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91 Westy.

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[dobryan]

JBWeld will not work under that much heat afaik.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[MarkWard]

On my phone it looks like cylinder 2. It is totally worth welding the crack. It seems to be accessible installed. If not, removing it is a bit of a pain. Shipping on exhaust is expensive. Check CIP1. They are having a moving sale.
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☮️

[HackAl]

Sorry, I should have specified passenger side. Is that cylinder 2 & 4?

I also just found this which has got to be worth a try: https://www.autozone.com/sealants-glues-adhesives-...%20sealant
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91 Westy.

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[MarkWard]

“2”
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[DanHoug]

yeah, i'd try welding first. take it to an exhaust shop. an old one with a purple '69 Charger parked in front and the skinny guy with a mullet doing the work. it's the only job he's had since high school and he's rilly good at it!
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[HackAl]

Okay, but this is North Jersey so it's an 87 IROC and he's got slicked back hair, cropped on the sides with lines.

I can buy these pipes from Bus Depot for $150 shipped. You really think a weld would be much cheaper? I also can't imagine a blowtorch that close to my fuel lines, so these pipes would have to come out anyway, right?
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91 Westy.

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[MarkWard]

It would likely be mig welded at an exhaust shop. A welder might TIG it. Low risk of a fire.

When you go to replace that simple exhaust and you snap a stud, you’ll really be wishing you’d have attempted welding it in place.

There’s an older thread. Owner tried this simple task an in the end it needed new cylinder heads and the van was off the road 6 months. He was head strong and went against advice.
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☮️

[HackAl]

Mark, you just scared the crap out of me.

Point well taken.
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91 Westy.

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[campism]

[pdm777]

My Tiico had a serious crack -all the way around- the pipe.

Good Advise! I found a small local muffler shop with 70's musclecars
parked in front, and got it welded for only $20 !!!!

And it's a heck of a weld, very thick.

I did take the exhaust manifold off first.
Take it to a specialist for removal, or take your time and
cut off the header nuts with a Dremel, then clean up the threads.

There was no way to weld it properly while it was on the head.

No way JB weld or any 'glue' is going to repair that.
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1990 Westy Full Camper

[IdahoDoug]

PDM,

I think you missed the point. You took your exhaust manifold off to have it repaired. The "good advice" here is NOT to take it off. Do NOT cut bolt heads off with a Dremel, etc. Get it welded on the car by someone who's worked at an exhaust shop forever and they're out there, for sure.

On JB Weld, you'd think I would be their saleman. But yes there is a "steel" hi temp version who's name escapes me but it works directly on hot exhausts. I have it on the cracked manifold of my '88 Mitsubishi Van and it's lasted 6 years of a 16yo teenage son who's offroaded it, overloaded it, bashed it around, etc. The manifold is a known issue so I have a spare in the garage for when this fix fails. So far, I'm impressed.

Our 97 LandCruiser has been a beneficiary as well. It now has a new exhaust system, but our daughter used it in Michigan for 4 years at college where it remained parked all summer and used all winter. At 287k, the original exhaust succumbed to the Michigan salt baths and the Y pipe cracked. I filled it with this JB Weld product while there for parent's weekend a couple years ago with no tools to properly prep the surfaces, etc. Then the next year the Oxy sensor bung rusted off and the sensor hung by a wire. Again with no time to devote to it, I circled the bung hole with the Epoxy, then simply bedded it down and held the mess in place with masking tape overnight. In the morning I took a fresh container of the Epoxy and smoothed it over further. Lasted nearly 2 years and when I removed the old exhaust both fixes were still fine.

So, never underestimate the stuff. However, don't do this if you're bringing it to a welder. He or she will likely shake their head and turn you down as that stuff will be a nightmare to get out of the way...
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[pdm777]

Yep, JB Weld is amazing.

I've repaired intercoolers, gas lines, oil pans,
much more than I'd care to admit.

Never tried the exhaust repair JB.
Like you mentioned, if it fails, no welder will touch it
after you've goobered up a manifold pipe.

Seemed like a half ass hillbilly solution at first.

Now I believe !!!!!!!
Now I never leave home without it.
Along with a roll of self healing silicon tape.
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1990 Westy Full Camper

[HackAl]

Closing loop: Meineke got this done for 200 bucks. I told them only to proceed if they could free up the pipe without cracking the stud. They could not weld in place. They cut the exhaust pipe on one side so only two bolts had to come out. They then welded the inside of the area near the flange in addition to the outside but only minimally to avoid blocking the stud for future removal. They did a good job as far as I can tell. The rig definitely sounds better now. Considering pipes and shipping would have been 150 alone, I'm happy with this result.

I'll try to post a picture later.
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91 Westy.

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[Wildthings]

What I like to do is lay a full coat of weld bead over the bend in the pipe, this area gets really thin from the exhaust gases eroding the outside of the bend and in the long run the thin metal makes welding the crack ineffective as the thin metal will just crack again at the edge of the weld. I have had good luck with having a new elbow welded in so the metal if full thickness.

[campism]

[HackAl]

Campism, correct.

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91 Westy.

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[djkeev]

Good you got it welded!

Here in my part of NJ finding folks who can still fix things is quite rare.

It seems that older cars are vanishing, older trade-ins are shipped to less affluent areas and buyers are encouraged to go new with frightening long finance periods.

The number of auto shops machine shops (I think these are down to zero locally) and even parts distributors has plummeted.
Case in point, the last time I tried I could not locally purchase plastigauge. A staple product in engine rebuilding.

Repair shops pull codes and switch out indicated parts or replace obviously worn parts such as brakes and suspension.

Dave
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[HackAl]

Dave, agree. The number of mechanics that I trust to work on my van around here are few and far between.

The guy who did the world work was 70 years old. A younger guy in the shop originally looked at it and wanted to charge 475 for basically the same work. I said thanks but no thanks and as they were dropping the van off the left, the older mechanic said, "wait a second." His name was Garfield.

The guy who did the brake job last week was younger but under the tutelage of an older BMW mechanic also in his '70s. That outfit is called Rennsport in Hackensack. Where they lack in Vanagon knowledge, they kind of make up for in work they've done on Porsches and other German makes. But more importantly, they, unlike any other mechanic with whom I've spoken, and I've spoken into dozens, are willing to read these threads on The Samba and look at the YouTube videos I show them. They are wise enough to know what they don't know and willing to learn and consider other points of view.

And I'm finding that that particular skill set is rare. I don't know if it is a generational phenomenon or not.
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91 Westy.

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[DanHoug]