Tuesday, June 08, 2010 - 05:54 am, by: Mike Beck(Gold_40gt)
So, I'm looking at getting some headers made up for my project in the comming months, but I was talking to an engineer and he was saying how going stainless is not always a good idea because they can be prone to cracking.
Kinda draws back to an M3 Midd section I bought had about 6 cracks through it that had to be welded up.
Are there any grades of stainless steel that dont crack or suffer this problem?
He also said that over time stainless steel doesnt like the heat and it can cause it to rust?
I've heard Titanium is ideal but like I want to spend that sort of money...
Any material suggestions would be appreciated. Obviously mild steel is an option but I dont like the rust factor of those...
Tuesday, June 08, 2010 - 11:25 pm, by: Peter Nitschke(Pen)
It's unlikely to collect in the headers though. If there is any condensation, it will run down and collect eg in the cats - if you have any.
Rust is more of a problem where moisture pools, so mufflers etc should be stainless, but the rest is less critical. Consider too, how long does it need to last?
Is there any chance you will keep this car more than 12 months?