This is very interesting, looking forward to seeing what you end up doing.
Printable View
This is very interesting, looking forward to seeing what you end up doing.
Any updates? Hows this project coming along
a mere two months later... I have removed the flagnes from both sets. this was primarily a hack-saw job on the M3 set, a cutoff wheel job on the non-M set.
I also switched my MIG welder wire from standard to SS wire. I cut some slots in the non-M manifold/header tube to practice welding them up - I hadn't ever used the SS wire before.
Next step will be to make the round M3 tubes slightly oblong to more match the port shape of the non-M3 head and header flange.. After, I will be opening up the bores of the non-M flange so that the M3 header tubes slip inside. I hope to have them fit in about 1/8" so I can seal weld in the inside, then grind off the weld excess. then fillet weld the external diameter... prior to full welding I will do a test fit with the just tack-welded... hopefully, next week!!!
very cool... looking forward to seeing the results!
Attachment 25655
progress thus far.. I intend on working the tubes to a more uniform oblong shape... then grinding the bore/port openings on the non-M flanges to suit.
made some progress on the short/aft header. it took a ton of die grinding to open the bores enough to fit the m3 header tubes. one of the pics is a side by side with the flange I have not opened up next to the one I did grind open. the m3 header tubes slip in about 1/8" into the flange.
Attachment 25659Attachment 25660Attachment 25661Attachment 25662
Encountered the first significant snafu when I went to tack weld the flange to the pipes with the SS mig wire. It reacted poorly to the flange which based on the minimal corrosion I thought was a low grade SS bar. turns out its very magnetic, so it must just be mild steel, hence the SS wire wouldn't bond well. the pipes are definitely SS. So I have a dissimilar metal issue...
this fact may negate any benefit I would get by having some TIG weld it... so, i reloaded my MIG with the mild steel wire and tacked the flange to the tubes. going to consult the TIG welder i was going to use... downside of MIG with the mild steel wire is that it will corrode to some degree and more importantly, the filler material in the wire tends to create very hard, potentially brittle welds...
Attachment 25663
today should be test fit day. both manifolds are tack welded, in the event I need to adjust....
Attachment 25707Attachment 25708
fit check on the zhp went well. they fit much tighter to the block than the manifolds did. only one nut is going to be more of challenge to access than they were coming off the manifolds... taking them to a motorcycle fabricator today for tig welding of atleast the interior circumference tomorrow... hopefully install on FRI/SAT then work on modifying the exhaust run to mate with the output flange of the M3header. I do have a set of section 1 pipes from the same donor m3..
Attachment 25710Attachment 25711
awesome, awesome stuff! amazed at the size differences of the collector tubes!! wow.
really interested to see how the exhaust work goes, and how the end results are! great work. :cheers