Exhaust Manifold Repair

In this weeks job, I received an old exhaust manifold that had a weld repair already done to it. I was asked if I could drill the required hole through the weld in order to use the stock heat riser parts like original.
So I'll discuss what my plan of approach is for the set up. show you the tool I bought to use, indicating, and putting a hole through some tough welds.

[@viscache1]

Your attention to every small detail reminds me of something my grandmother used to repeat oftentimes as she raised me, “Everything matters...EVERY THING M A T T E R S!” Some things you just never forget.

[@Kettletrigger]

Great job Adam, that was a tricky setup. Got me feeling a little philosophical... I just spent 30 minutes watching a man drill a hole, and was enthralled. It reminded me that the existence of people who really care about doing the best job that they can do are the reason we're no longer living in caves.

[@Abom79]

Oh but its soo much more than just drilling a hole. Calculations, set ups, indicating, dealing with hard welds.....I guess thats what makes us machinists. Thanks for the comment Kettletrigger!

[@aroldfut]

Your videos have taught me so many techniques for problem solving. This amateur really appreciates the talent you share. Many Thanks!

[@lolsallad]

Adam, I must say that was the most interesting hole I have ever watched being drilled. The attention to detail is something else. I am always picking up little things that I hope I can apply to my projects sometime or another. As always, thanks for taking the time to share your work here!

[@oxtoolco]

Hey Adam, Good job, Sometimes cast iron welds can be a real problem. All the extra carbon in the cast iron basically makes tool steel out of the molten weld metal. Its always the simple ones that are a challenge. Thanks for sharing. I'm happy to see you using the bent coolant nozzle rod. Cheers, Tom

[@Abom79]

Hey Tom, the bent rod you made for me works great! Thanks so much. I've had to mess with enough of these kinds of job to where I new those welds would be tough to start with. Those carbide drills make easy work of them though. Thanks for checking out the video, and the comment. I just finished watching you show us all your new tools! Good stuff! Adam

[@jtkilroy]

Ditto to what Tom said. The cast iron in the vicinity of the weld can be a real problem. Straight flute drills can be real problem solvers when nothing else will work.

[@richardvenables5708]

oxtoolco X.

[@p.avtarsinghmakker1339]

James Kilroy

[@conawayjb]

Good job, in a situation like that I would normally drill through the top, then chuck up a long centerdrill (I have a set that is about 6" long) and spot the bottom, then drill the rest of the way through. With the top of the bit supported in the upper hole and a center drilled spot on the bottom you are assured of having a good straight bore. Love the videos, its a great learning experience to see how all the guys on youtube approach a job differently. Its amazing how many tips and tricks I have picked up from seeing how other people approach a job.

[@Abom79]

I couldn't find a long center drill long enough for the job short of silvering one to a long shank. It all worked out in the end.

[@84953]

Great idea using the level to help set things up. But with that carpenter's level you're off by a "country mile". LOL There's a story from my uncle and grandfather. My uncle had set up a work bench in his basement and was proudly showing his father how level it was. Well, my grandfather got out his machinist's level and the bubble all but disappeared. It took something like a piece of cardboard under the one leg to bring the bubble back into range. LOL

[@AWDJRforYouTube]

My HS machine shop instructor use to say never use oil when cutting cast iron, it will harden up the cutting area. [I don't know why but, he seemed to be right, as you see here the HSS bit dulled] Great repair job, carbide is best as you started out with.

[@aryesegal1988]

really? never heard of that before. I heard you shouldn't use cutting fluid with iron cause it messes things up and it's a pain to clean afterwards. :\ I wonder, why does it harden up the cutting area?

[@k5at]

This job presented some unique challenges for sure. Looks like you handled them expertly. Great Job Adam!

[@BigMjolnir]

Adam, as I was watching I thought of the drill extension idea but figured keeping it straight would be tricky, and then I thought you might make a fixture from a plate with an alignment pin on it, centered under the chuck, then flip the manifold over with your first hole on the alignment pin and drill the second hole from the other side. Then I saw your solution...get a longer drill bit. I guess that's the difference between a pro and a newb! LOL! Thanks for the edumacation! -- Mike

[@JohnBare747]

Good job Adam, that was interesting to see how you rethought your approach and got the hole through.

[@phuzzz1]

Hi Adam, great way to handle a tough situation! that nickel rod can be very tough to deal with, it really can cause voids, carbon pockets and a chilled condition. I have been much more likely to do all cast iron repairs the last few years with bronze, be it by flame or weld, I've never tried the straight flute drills, they look like a great way to go. Another great video, thanks ....... Mike

[@CompEdgeX2013]

Running a round column mill for 10 years I got real used to using the feed handwheel on a regular basis. It's good for slow controlled movement. Looks like you've got the tough part over with in drilling the manifold. the bushes should be a piece of cake now! :-) Colin

[@Buckrun11]

Got behind on my video watching. Glad to see it is working out for you. Was happy when I saw that little pile of chips start falling from the bottom when it started coming through.

[@jashbaug]

Great work, I would suggest a long center drill, but you made it without it. Easy for us to make suggestions after the fact. Nice vids, keep up the great job.

[@Bookerb2004]

Well that was interesting, nice work Adam, thanks for the hump day video

[@oh8wingman]

Years ago I was working in a machine shop where they had a similar situation on a pump that had been weld repaired on a cast iron component. Drills would dull in seconds. One of the machinists came up with an idea. He took a piece of solid rod and machined it to the appropriate diameter. When he was done, he machined a groove centered across the end about 1/4" deep and 1 radius wide. We had some Stoody tubular welding rod that was filled with tungsten granules that was normally used for hard banding drill pipe. He knocked the flux of the rod and used tig to apply it fusing it on the high sides on the end of the rod and ground the outside diameter back to size. Although it took three applications, the tungsten was so course and rough that it eventually ground its way through to the other side. The slot acted as a receptacle for the cuttings that was blown clean with compressed air every time he retracted the homemade bit.

[@TommyBoy7Heads]

Your text message notification is the same as mine but, man I was looking at my phone thinking I was going nuts for a minute before it dawned on me what happened. Ha! Hey, thanks for your videos Adam.. I appreciate what you're doing.

[@andregross7420]

That single flute drill worked great. I've made a few for drilling soft materials and they never grab exiting the hole. Have a good one.

[@tpedwell]

Man, I wish I had somebody close to me who works like you! Nice job!!

[@billdlv]

Nice work Adam looks like the hole is spot on.

[@rchopp]

Nice job Adam, I wasn't doing the job but I had that feeling every time it made a squeak that something was going to snap, I'm sure you know what I mean. looking forward to part 2

[@jamiebuckley1769]

good job on the maifold drilling and set up. thanks for sharing.

[@bearbon2]

I'm glad the HS drill worked. My first thought was to make an extended mandrel to hold the carbide drill but it would have doubled the work to make a tool you'd probably only use once.

[@cpcoark]

Steve, the butter fly is called a heat riser. It is old school used on carburetor cars. when the engine is cold the butter fly is closed. This forced exhaust gas from one side of the engine the flow through a passage under the carburetor heating it up faster. There is a bi-metallic spring to open the value when the engine warms up.

[@Abom79]

Stephen Deakin This is a good explanation to your question.

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi, Good work. Interesting approach. It would be easy to just measure, cut the pin and re-install since you already have the 0 point calibrated, just a suggestion.

[@outsidescrewball]

Hi Adam Enjoyed watching the video on your setup up in the mill. As a novice I have a question....could you have turned a short mandrel on the lathe to lengthen the drill bit using silver solder to hold the bit in the turned mandrel? This is for my education...any issues doing it? It appears the drill worked on the second hole with the first hole assisting with the alignment...as you said tolerances were not a big issue. Chuck

[@Abom79]

Chuck, I very well could have done that, but I was trying to avoid it. I decided to try using the drill first to see if it would cut straight, which It did. Making an extension was going to be my next option. The minute amount of offset was corrected by the reamers and will allow the pin to slide freely. Thanks Chuck!

[@dubsaloon]

I see now a reason for a new tool. ME TOO! ME TOO! Awesome video.

[@FredMiller]

Good job Adam. Boy that sounded like a hard material! Could you have made an extension with a couple of set screws to extend the bit?

[@Abom79]

If the hss drill wouldnt have worked for me, I would have made an extention and braze welded them together.

[@bufford14]

Quick Draw MaGraw, what else can I say. Interesting Video.

[@TheDisorderly1]

Nice repair Adam.

[@not2fast4u2c]

I hope I never have to drill through a weld I have never seen it done till you did it !!!

[@jakeparker1220]

Next time try a masonary drill bit. They have the length, plus the carbide tip. You do have to do a little rework on the cutting edge though. Great video bro.

[@tomharrell1954]

Great job

[@rotlerin]

Hi Another good job. I was wondering why you didn't use a pilot hole for the bottom hole or even a long series end mill instead of a drill. Anyway you did it. Your videos are better than a lot of stuff on Netflix Adam.

[@aryesegal1988]

Great job, Adam! :) Is there a continuation to this? Love seeing your machining videos! :)

[@Abom79]

Thanks. Yes there's a second part. I just like to break the video up if they reach a certain length.

[@TheTarHeelTom]

What is the purpose of selecting a straight flute drill bit? I understand why you'd go with carbide, but don't understand the advantage of the straight flutes....

[@Abom79]

Tom, straight flute drills are stronger than a helical flute drill bit. They are great when drilling through tough or hard materials.

[@eddardh]

I know this happened four years ago, but I couldn't help wondering, when the spindle hit the pin and the carbide drill couldn't go on: why not cut the pin off, go on through with the carbide drill, then return the spindle to the place where the pin went, and drill a hole for a stud that would serve as a replacement for the pin? That hole was already located, and would have had a centerline that was parallel to the centerline the carbide drill had traversed.

[@andymandyandsheba4571]

hi adam nice little interesting job i used to hate drilling cast especially snapped exhaust flange bolts i used to heat the hell out of the piece before trying to remove the bolts if the snapped 9 time out of ten the holes would go oval so i used to take the manifold off and drill them on the drill press so they wouldnt go out of shape i used to drill them out just short of the bold size so i could get a tap down and clear the threads out or if that didnt work drill the threads out and put a helicoil in for the bolt by the way feeling a bit better today antibiotics are working with the steroids and the new inhaler keep the great videos coming

[@Abom79]

Glad to hear things are getting a little better for you Andy. Keep it up!

[@andymandyandsheba4571]

Abom79 thank you adam

[@wyattoneable]

The pin couldn't be removed? Thanks for the video Adam.

[@tobyw9573]

Could you chuck the drill in a small boring head or small mill holder that will clear the manifold pin? Maybe you can cut a flat on the carbide drill shank for the setscrew, with a diamond abrasive some way. Of course the job is long gone by now, LOL.

[@evil1656]

Wonder if a fellow could sharpen up/split point a masonry bit and carefully peck away. Being carbide tipped and all. Think I just gave myself an experiment project for a slow day in the shop here when I get around to fixing the manifold on my car.

[@300ultramag1]

hey Adam what about a long and bigger center drill might help.

[@Kalkaekie]

Good job.

[@xlisiv]

We have to all chip in and buy him a DRO

[@Bookerb2004]

Quick question, when you have to buy a tool for a specific job, do you bill it out with the job or just a portion of it to help cover the hard costs?

[@Abom79]

There were times when I did, especially if it was a specific tool needed for the job. It all just depends on the job. The drill for this job is just another tool for my carbide inventory.

[@Bookerb2004]

Abom79 Thanks Adam, you have a big cabinet to fill, but I bet theres just enough room left to squeeze that bit in. Do you catalogue your bits, bars & reamer inventory, or do employ the , grab...nope , stab...nope , until you find It just like I do with my tools? Sorry for all the questions yet gain

[@Abom79]

I try to organize as much of my cutters as I can, but there's always digging searching involved.

[@markungaro2301]

Tom, why don't you use a concrete drill bit? They seem to work at low speed in hard metal.

[@Bookerb2004]

There was a moment there I thought we might see some silver soldering of an extension for that bit to get through to the bottom hole. damn maybe next time!

[@Abom79]

It'll happen eventually, all I have is time! LOL Gotta save some stuff for future videos.

[@Bookerb2004]

Abom79 Looking forward to that Great stuff Adam

[@joeestes8114]

Ive worked on those old exhaust manifolds and there not to hard to work with. Especially with old broken studes.

[@Opinionator52]

Hi Adam, I think I'd have ground a split point on the HSS drill for a little less chance of drifting on entry... But it seems to have worked out... :o] O,

[@stephendeakin2714]

Hi Adam what is the butterfly valve's function. Yamaha used to fit a valve in the exhaust of bikes like the RD350 (which was a two stroke) and when that opened, at something like six thousand revs (I forget the exact RPM) the bike accelerated very quickly, selling that bike was in hindsight stupid. Ho well life goes on.

[@12345NoNamesLeft]

www.autocorner.ca/pages/exhaustmanifoldheatvalve.html

[@stephendeakin2714]

Thanks for your link, made very interesting reading. Cheers.

[@DubsnSubsSessions]

And here's me thinking it looked more like an intake manifold... saved me some embarrassment!

[@imbadwrench]

i watched the whole series and saw no mention, figured people would like to know these parts are from a 1960-1961 MOPAR 413 cross ram.

[@Artefix1000]

I've never seen a HSS drill bit struggle that much. Then again, I've never drilled anything but mild steel. Quiet surprising.

[@gdglock]

Nice

[@richardgreeniing1132]

Hi Adam,looks like a cast iron manifold ?don't lubricate it has carbon already,Rich

[@SirDeanosity]

Would a collet mounted drill chuck have solved the pin interference issue?

[@DomManInT1]

I would have just gone with an extra long length center cutting end mill. But, what do I know.

[@aserta]

Yikes. Close encounters of the 4th kind, when your drill can't get past certain obstacles. Goes to show that careful measurement and a level mind can get you through anything.

[@swarfrat311]

Nice work, Adam. It's always a bitch when you have to change horses in the middle of the stream. But your knowledge and tenacity came through. BTW, when are you getting your little anvil like Tom? Thanks again! Regards Dave

[@Abom79]

Whenever oxtoolco sends me one!

[@3347861]

Forgive my ignorance, but that straight drill bit looks a lot like a reamer. What is the difference?

[@Abom79]

It's a straight flute drill bit, reamers have multiple flutes and designed to only cut 10-15% of final size.

[@3347861]

Thanks both for your knowledge and quick response. I learn something with each of your videos!

[@Kennynva]

You couldn't just bend that pin..or remove it and weld it back on???

[@marshdonald1134]

Should've used a cobalt drill bit

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

You never did mention why there is a valve in the manifold.

[@shade38211]

Keep wondering if it sits flat or 90 flipped. Given i am just another idiot giving an opinion, for free. Like the vids and workshop.

[@pandasalvesen1977]

Your making a reparjob to a very interessing Movie! Thanks!

[@hippis563]

50 mbg and we are set .... Just joking Adam

[@OnlyTheEd]

Too bad you couldn't have pulled that pin once you got your measurements out of the way.

[@blindviper]

already zero'd on the pin I would have cut it off a put in a new one...its rusty anyways :)

[@seanhazelwood3311]

This video calls BS on most of those who claim to work within .0001" tolerance. Y'all can see how hard it is to simply adjust to within .0005" because of how sensitive the indicator is.

[@jasonmitchell3242]

Does he shower ?