33 Coupe Engine Install 28        10/20/03

Now the last piece to go on here was a short 3" long straight piece that had to be cut an angle because the collector was not parallel to the engine. It was instead parallel to the frame rail but couldn't be avoided because of clearance issues. This would make it harder to install the headers later on after they were all built but you have to do what you have to do. Notice again the tape and red lines.
 

 

 

After checking how things fit, I was now ready to weld the tube at all five joints. I could only weld about half an inch or so before I had to turn the tube and start all over again. This took about 45 to 50 minutes per tube to complete. The flange was to have the tube welded from the inside and then ground down but not ground flush with the surface with the flange face. I wanted to leave a bead that would stay above the flange face because this would seal better when the gasket was installed. After some careful grinding and filing, the gasket surface was still above the flange face and ready for action. After welding all of the tubes, I had to grind around the tube where they came into the collector because the welds hit each other preventing them from sliding in the collector. I got a little carried away and sanded all the welds flush with the tubing. Oh well....they should look good later after they get coated.
 

 

 

This is what it looks like after a week of work. I managed to make one tube per night and then welded them all on Saturday morning when it was cooler. The rest of the time was spent on sanding the welds down which you can't see very well in this shot. The tube from above is on the right side of the engine.
 

 

 

One of the last things to get welded on are these clips that hold the collectors on to the tubes. You only need two per collector to keep things from coming loose. Two are already welded on the collector so all you have to do is weld the other two on when your tubes are finished. Lets take a look at how they look under the car.
 

 

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