Exhaust manifold crack-a possible alternative repair?

[disco stu]

Hey guys. So the manifolds are cracked on my engine, would be surprised if they weren't. I can't swing the money for extractors. I was pondering welding them up, but it sounds like its fairly hit and miss. I was told that stainless was the go for welding it up with, but..

I'm pondering using a high temp putty for it. A quick google shows that lots of people use quicksteel or similar for cracks. JB weld extreme heat seems to be a similar product. Amazon reviews shows that lots of people have had success with quicksteel. I even considered tacking a plate directly over the crack to hold the putty in and protect it more

It seems that prep looks similar to welding-vee out the crack slightly, clean back to bare metal all around with grinding disk. I would also go ahead and clean with acetone to make sure there is no oil on there (bound to be with the amount my engine has leaked) which is always a good idea with adhesives

Has anyone on here tried it out with success or failure? Keen to hear thoughts if anyone has experience with it.

Stu

[disco stu]

Or.....putty to fill crack and then wrap with exhaust bandage wrap to lock it all in.

[stumagoo]

if they are preheated - welded with the correct material then cooled down correctly then you have every chance it will hold for a year or 2 - maybe even more - however I have seen many welded and few hold for any period of time. ALthough most were not done by the book. the reality is it is just as easy to hold fire and live with it for 6 months or so and save up for extractors

[disco stu]

Cheers Stu. My biggest concern is passing blue slip, I'm assuming they won't pass if there are exhaust leaks at all.

I'm thinking that the high temp putty idea is quite reversable if its a dud idea, so if that fails I can always then go and weld it

[stumagoo]

Cheers Stu. My biggest concern is passing blue slip, I'm assuming they won't pass if there are exhaust leaks at all.

I'm thinking that the high temp putty idea is quite reversable if its a dud idea, so if that fails I can always then go and weld it

one of the few reasons I stay in WA - then you get a defect for the most minor thing and have to throw away the Pajero because its cheaper to buy another one than to revert it to stock to go over the pits and FAR cheaper than getting it engineered

[disco stu]

Even worse over there than here I take it?