Headers

[Fordguy01]

What size solder do you fellas use for your headers?  I want to try doing it but don't know what size to use and also, what is the best adhesive, plain old super glue or two-part epoxy?  Thanks in advance.

Al

[Tom Birky]

Hey Al! I use .050" for smaller motors and .062 for larger ones. I use plain super glue. It sticks pretty good for some reason. In the photo, I haven't glued anything yet, the collectors are kind of holding them together.  I've had them in and out of the heads several times. Google the headers you're wanting to make to get an idea how they're bent. For tight bends i wrap them around a miniature file handle. Good luck!

Tb

What size solder do you fellas use for your headers?  I want to try doing it but don't know what size to use and also, what is the best adhesive, plain old super glue or two-part epoxy?  Thanks in advance.

Al

[Fordguy01]

Thank you for the info Tom.  I'm going to get the solder tomorrow and try it.  While I'm here I need to let you know that the "Show new replies to my posts" does not come up.  It tells me to contact an administrator.  Been meaning to say something but keep forgetting...duh.

Al

[Maineboy]

I have seen a number of guys here on STM making headers out of solder. Never encountered that before but the solder is soft enough to make these kinds of neat, tight bends that lots of headers have in them. Over the years I have read a bunch of info about the guys who have made headers for 1:1 engines and have learned some of the ideas employed.  That solder makes those bends and collectors really stand out and you have a one of a kind set of them. Back in high school I read enough hot rod mags to know that a good set of headers, carefully designed, could enhance the exhaust flow and get a bit more power. My first venture into exhaust headers on our #56 racer was to just get a piece of 2" pipe with the right bend and hook it onto the manifolds and duct it under the car. Back then it took lots of money to buy a set of good headers. Now we can make all we want of em on models without spending much moolah.

MB

[sentsat71]

Some years back (around 2006/07 there was a party on Fred's stie who made a tool where one end allowed one to stick 4 pieces of solder in one end to vive one an easier wayt to form the headers, on the other end, was fout pieces of slid rod the same size as the solder that alowed youj to creat the header collector  slightly larger than the for the exhaustt to git into, the lightly  crmip them down tightly on the "pipes"

Where it is right now, I can't say (only because I went looking for it!)

[TarheelRick]

I have used solder for headers on several of my builds.  Works really well and one advantage is that if you make an erroneous bend it is easily straightened out by rolling the piece of solder between two pieces of wood or similar flat objects.  One thing to be sure of is that you use solid core solder rather than resin core or acid core, those two will leech out over time and the acid core can make a real mess of everything, resin core is not too bad.

[Fordguy01]

Thanks for the info guys.  Rick I did not know those things about the type of solder to use but I did know that it was soft enough to straighten out if needed.  The solder I found says it is a lead rosin core and I could not find the .050 or the .062 that Tom told me so I went with eyeball engineering (probably a bad idea) the size on the package says 0.063" Visually looked right but I plan to use the collectors from Ron Coon Resins and I can see the solder is much too large.  I can get my money back and go elsewhere.  Again, thanks for the info guys.

Al

[Brian Conn]

rosin core 0.063" solder and after market collectors   427 C/I Ford ....'55 Ford Custom Modified Street Stock build
  You can also taper the ends of the solder where it attaches to the collector by either filing or sanding them once they are attached to the collector....does provide a "cleaner" appearance if the header is exposed i.e modified, sprint car, street rod, etc. etc.
  I have also seen collectors made from heat shrink tubing.  The heat shrink tubing is placed over the solder pieces, heated to conform to the shape and then a short piece of styrene tubing or rod and the a larger styrene rod for the flange.

[TarheelRick]

" the size on the package says 0.063" I doubt if the .001 difference will be very noticeable.  When I do use resin core I will carefully twist an X-acto blade in each end, then fill it with super glue, that keeps the resin inside where it belongs.