Dodgy? Welding Mild/Stainless flange to cast iron?

[c20xeMira]

Scrapped the Supercharger due to lack of room (would need custom headers... so might as well turbo it).

I've found some generic replies to this question using Google, but I was wondering if this would work?

C20NE (or C20GET or whatever it's called) cast iron turbo manifold --
Cut off C20XE exhaust flange from stock headers, weld it to the C20GET manifold, then try and smooth out the flow with a die grinder. The problem is the ports on the NE are round, but they are oval on the XE.

I know it won't be optimal, but this car is on a tiny budget and the cheapest c20let manifolds I can find are $800 AUD by the time I get them to Australia, whereas I can get a C20NE turbo manifold for $180 AUD.

Thanks

[Welsh Dan]

It wouldn't be ideal, but it would work.

Does the bolt patteron on the C20NE manifold bolt up to the C20XE? If it does then I'd trace around a C20XE exhaust gasket onto the manifold then just die grind the manifold, rather than weld the flange on.

[mowgli]

surely a LET manifold would fit straight onto an XE....

[Welsh Dan]

Yes they would, but that would cost him 4x as much and he wants to avoid that if possible.

[mowgli]

best solution I can think of is get someone to make you a steel spacer adaptor that bolts onto your existing manifold and mates to the turbo. I think Mike did it ok with a 1.6 8v. the obvious challenge is getting the internal shape right so it flows without any hot spots

[Mike]

Welding cast steel is incredibly unreliable if/when done wrong.

Also, the type of flux & gas used for welding stainless is nowhere near suitable for use on mild let alone cast steel!!!

Basically, you will not suceed very far welding stainless to cast. Mild to cast is a possibility but its nowhere near the same as "normal" welding (mild to mild etc)

[Benn]

Yes they would, but that would cost him 4x as much and he wants to avoid that if possible.

You can get a mainfold with turbo for about 150.

[Adam]

As Benn said, a std KKK costs funk all

[draper]

but the guy is in australia and parts arent as easy to get hold of

welsh dan has the best idea imo

[John]

Shipping?

[Paul]

why not just buy a let for £1000, and have it shipped over for £200 or so?

[dan23]

cut the flanges off both use a flexy pipe connector
(or what ever they are called)

[Paul]

cut the flanges off both use a flexy pipe connector
(or what ever they are called)

And its supporting a 4kg turbo and his exhaust system yeh?

[Count Vaux Alot]

Welding cast steel is incredibly unreliable if/when done wrong.

Also, the type of flux & gas used for welding stainless is nowhere near suitable for use on mild let alone cast steel!!!

Basically, you will not suceed very far welding stainless to cast. Mild to cast is a possibility but its nowhere near the same as "normal" welding (mild to mild etc)

Agreed! :thumb:

[pul16v]

ive seen people weld cast to cast ont tv . it was a programme where they restored old tanks they used a stainless filler rod dunno about gas but it keep a 4ton part of a tank together it must work to some degree

[pul16v]

here read the bottom arictal of this it can be done with stainless

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/cast-iron.htm

[c20xeMira]

Woah, I didn't realise it would be that hard to weld it up.

Thanks for the other suggestions. Are there any places online where I can get the turbo/manifold for 150 pounds? Even with crazy postage, that wouldn't be too bad. The cheapest manifolds I can find are about 280 pounds + postage.

The other option is getting a dodgy stainless SR20 ebay manifold and getting an XE flange welded on, but I would prefer not to due to their reputation.

[Mike]

ive seen people weld cast to cast ont tv . it was a programme where they restored old tanks they used a stainless filler rod dunno about gas but it keep a 4ton part of a tank together it must work to some degree

Im fully gen;d up on how to weld cast to cast chap. But it still doesnt solve the problem does it, stainless to cast :wtf: