huge dent in headers, should i replace?
huge dent in headers, should i replace? long story short, i ran over a huge rock that i could not avoid without running into somebody else. shortly after the car starts throwing an o2 sensor code and will intermittently run funny. i got under the car today and saw that one of the primaries got bashed in by that rock! 
my question is, will this dent hurt performance to the point where i should buy a new set of headers? i plan on replacing the o2 pretty soon to fix the code and the bucking. just wasn't sure if i should do the headers at the same time. thanks
-Jake
my question is, will this dent hurt performance to the point where i should buy a new set of headers? i plan on replacing the o2 pretty soon to fix the code and the bucking. just wasn't sure if i should do the headers at the same time. thanks-Jake
If you can you remove the head pipes, you could make a mandrel and hammer it out from the inside. A piece of 1/2" steel rod welded to a ball bearing slightly smaller than the inside diameter. Insert ball end first into the correct tube from the header collector and wail away at it until the tube is the right shape. Still may need some weld overlays on it...
from what i can tell there isn't an exhaust leak or a crack. it is throwing lean codes, though. i've also noticed that the air/fuel ratio gauge will occasionally stop working, presumably for lack of o2 sensor signal. i guess i'll replace the sensor and see what happens
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,500
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From: ELSA, South TEXAS (956) 802-7700
i would replace sensor first and go from there. maybe cut out that piece and have a mandrel piece of same diameter welded on. be cheaper than buying new ones. if you decide to buy new ones, maybe look at buying next bigger size while at it to increase flow and power.
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you can tray to repair it. get a trailor hitch ball that smaller then the ID, and weld it to a bar and hammer it thu the bend form the collector end. If its bad get 2 one about 1/4 smaller and one tighter. But thouse look like the older SLP so there not that big so not going to find many ***** that small.
If the tube spits or it ground down thin to nothing, thats not going to work you can cut the smash/flat out and weld that slice back on after fixing it better, ot cutting that shape out of another tube.
If the tube spits or it ground down thin to nothing, thats not going to work you can cut the smash/flat out and weld that slice back on after fixing it better, ot cutting that shape out of another tube.
