Hi guys,
I have had 2 exhaust leaks in 1 year that have been pretty bad. Last one developed while I was out on the road and nearly put me to sleep while driving (I don't have a great sense of smell for exhaust and apparently you can't smell it after 10 minutes anyway)! I did a smoke down test and smoke POURED from the right edge of the triangle joint where the header and downpipe meet. This is by all accounts a very hard exhaust leak to fix permanently. I'm using the right Vibrant gasket, but it does not seal for long.

I am at wits end here and don't feel like replacing another gasket to leak again. My desire to go leak free is strong enough that I would simply weld the header and downpipe together. Would I be a complete fool for doing such after taking into account:

1. The car is mine until dead, I've assigned a value of $0 to my car (it's 2006 and it's been in 2 accidents ~ $9K damange)
2. I have a stock LSJ header and brand new downpipe in my shed as a backup
3. I believe if welded, the header and downpipe could still be removed from the car in one piece

What are your thoughts? Should I just go ahead and weld her shut, or is there a compelling reason not to?

Thanks so much!

 

the biggest reason not to would be install/removal. it would also be a pain in the ass if you gotta replace the flex coupler or the cat (if it has one) in the future. aside from that there is no reason you couldnt weld it

those flanges shouldnt have a problem sealing. your problem is they likely arent flat. set a straight edge across the flange and see how it looks. if its warped find someone with a belt sander and have them flatten it. if both flanges are flat and you have a new gasket there should be no issue with it sealing.

 

Thanks very much for the advice, PS, I am over on Vancouver Island in Victoria, nice to see another local!