Car exhaust pipes are an important part of the exhaust system because they help move waste gases from the engine to other parts of the system. Most of the time, they are made of steel or another metal that is strong enough to handle high temperatures and fumes that eat away at metal. At some point, these tubes may leak or come apart, letting harmful fumes escape into the air.
The tools and materials you will need
Depending on a number of factors, welding to fix a broken exhaust pipe can cost hundreds of dollars. But using different ways to fix exhaust pipes keeps service costs as low as possible. Follow the steps that will be talked about in the next class. You will only need a few simple tools and supplies.
You probably already have some of these tools at home or in the garage. You can get the exhaust pipe repair kit and other tools you need at nearby auto shops or car parts stores. Of course, you can also shop online at places like Amazon, eBay, and others.
If the damage isn’t too bad, there are different ways to connect your exhaust without welding. So, the way you choose will determine what tool you need. But these are the things you’ll need to connect exhaust lines without welding.
- Jack
- Jack stands or ramps
- Flat head screwdrivers
- Mixed pliers and scanner
- Exhaust tape (muffler bandage)
- Grinder
- U bolt exhaust clamps
- Clamp sleeve
- Epoxy bond ( or any exhaust repair paste of your choice)
- Flanges
- Exhaust pipe expander
- Suitable-sized exhaust pipes
- copper RTV (or its equivalent)
- Sandpaper
- Metal wire brush
- Rag
- Wooden dowel
- Isopropyl alcohol (or its equivalent)
- Soapy water
- Protective gear (hand gloves, google, nose mask etc.)
The step-by-step guide
Putting exhaust pipes together without welding can be done in a number of ways. You can use clamps, covers, flanges, or an epoxy bond, but I’ll show you four other ways.
Method 1: Use of U-bolt clamps
- Get lines that are the right size.
- Lift your car with a jack and support it with stands or ramps while it’s parked on flat, level ground.
- Take the clamp apart. First, loosen the clamp. Then, take the hex nut off of the bolts.
- One pipe should be flared so that it can fit into the other one. Connect the two pipes, use the U-bolt clamp to hold them together, and tighten the bolts.
- They should fit right away if you got the right size pipe. If they don’t fit, though, clean the edge of the smaller pipe with a grinder set to about 45°.
- The next step is to use the right exhaust pipe extender to make the bigger pipe longer. To do this, put the expander into the bigger pipe about ⅔ of the way. Make the effect stronger and bigger. Take the expander off, flip it over half a tooth, and push it out.
- Now they should be able to fit in. Put the clamp in place and the pipes in place. Make the pipe tighter until it starts to twist.
- Start the car and look for leaks.
Method 2: Use of exhaust repair sleeves
When the exhaust pipe is connected straight, but not too tight on a bend, this way works best.
- Park your car and lift it with Jack while stands hold it up.
- Use the exhaust pipe fix sleeve to connect and clamp the two exhaust pipes together. Tighten until the two pipes are joined.
- Next, use copper RTV to help the clamp seal properly if you’re using old lines or putting them together. For new pipes, the bolts will fit right, so you won’t need a copper RTV.
- Start the car and look for leaks.
- If you have lines of the right size, both of them should fit right away. If they don’t, do what was said in way one first before using the exhaust pipe connector sleeve joiner.
Method 3: Use of flanges
- Get the pipes and flanges that are the right size.
- Mark your spot, lift your car with Jack, and help it up with Jack stands or steps.
- Connect the two pipes and use your clamp to keep them in place. Pull the flange’s bolts tight until the pipes are properly joined.
- Start the car and look for leaks.
- If you have the right-sized pipes, both of them should fit right away before you clamp them together. If they don’t, though, do what it says in way one before you use your flanges.
Method 4: Use of Epoxy
This method works best for fixing small holes, leaks, cracks, etc., but it doesn’t always work for joining pipes together. Because epoxy bonds can’t make a strong link at joints, this is true.
- Place your car down, raise it with jacks, and hold it up with stands.
- Start the car.
- The next step is to check for leaks. Place your hand over the exhaust and move it around. You should feel air hitting your hands where there are leaks. You can also spray soapy water on your exhaust; places where it leaks will generally have air bubbles.
- Clean the place you want to fix so that it is ready to bond. To do this, use sandpaper or a wire brush to scrape off any dirt and grease. Then, wipe it down with a clean rag and Isopropyl alcohol or a similar product.
- Next, stir the epoxy glue around until it’s well mixed.
- Put the glue around the hole or other damaged area with a wooden dowel.
- Let it dry, then start the car to make sure the leaks are really fixed. Keep in mind that drying times vary for different items. So read the directions to find out how long you need to wait before starting the car.
Using duct tape to wrap around the leak is another useful way to stop small leaks. You could also use a metal patch to cover the hole. If the hole isn’t too big, you can also use an exhaust clamp. You just need to put the bolts in place and tighten them until the clamp goes around the hole.
Conclusion
In four easy steps, this piece showed how to join exhaust pipes together without welding. Some of these are clamps, sleeves, flanges, and epoxy glue.
These methods not only save time and money, but they also work well and keep you safe from the risks that come with putting pipes together. But be careful about which way you pick.
