Header, Joe: Part 6

I know the hydraulic press will work with the expander/swaging plug IF the pipe being modified will work with a bench vise or is a short length straight piece. On the level of the starter pipes this header needs, I need to come up with something else.

Whether I used the 2” CLR or 3” CLR pipe bends most of them will be a 45 degree angle. That was my hope anyway.

Once again, another job that calls for a JIG!!!!

This will be an ongoing theme in this build. For just about every custom job this car requires, it will require me to build one or more jigs or special tool.

Every jig or tool job starts with a look around the shop to see what’s available to work with which will dictate its design.

I found a piece of 1/4” sheet. Maybe it’s overkill but I’ve never found any problems with overkill.

The starter pipes will be made from 45 degree curved sections of pipe so that give me the design parameter. I need to make a solid holder to position the curved pipe so the end to be expanded will point straight up

I use a 2” hole saw to cut part way through a piece of the scrap 1/4 inch plate I had laying around. I don’t want to cut all of the way through. The circle is to hold the pipe in place and the groove made by the hole saw is a perfect fit for the 2” exhaust pipe.

Kevin has bought a heavy-duty metal brake a project of his. It works in conjunction with the hydraulic press. The brake will work perfectly for my stand. I eyeball the placement of the steel plate in the brake and bend the plate to what I hope will be a 45 degree angle. It takes a couple of attempts. Again, I want to sneak up on the angle.

Clamp the plate into a bench vice to test the angle. I don’t need super precision. I’m aiming for Good Enough and that’s what I achieve. The test pipe works and the upward facing open pipe is pretty flat.

I didn’t think the Hole saw cut was deep enough so some scrap 1/8” was hole sawed and the pieces were tacked around the groove. Another test fit proved that I didn’t tack the pieces on too close to the groove.

The stand had to be self-supported so some thick angle iron and other cut-offs were used to build a stand around the holder.

I wanted to make the pipe wouldn’t move so I would tack the pieces into place before putting them in the press.

It does what it’s needed to do. The pipe does get expanded but it turns out that the expanded pipe is a little larger than the existing hole in the template jig.

So as not to take too much material off and make the opening bigger than necessary, it took a little longer than it should have as I slowly ground the metal away.

The final shape for the exhaust flange opening. This should be large enough for the starter pipe and then some.