Welding Stainless and Mild Steel

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Hey Guys,Is it possible to weld stainless steel to regular carbon steel?  My gut would tell me "NO", but I thought I would ask the guys who live and breathe this stuff...Weekend MigBackyard MechanicWelder: DECASTAR 150E, Wire Feed w/ Gas Potential (not currently using gas)
Reply:Yes, it is quite common.309 stainless steel filler is required.308 or carbon steel fillers will likely result in a weld chemisty that makes the weld hardenable and prone to cracking.http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/AWTC/Lesson5_18.htmStick or TIG are good since you can just buy enough filler for the job.MIG you may have to buy a large spool, plus you'll need Ar/ 2-5%CO2 Gas.http://files.aws.org/wj/2006/02/wj20...j200602-46.pdf
Reply:I don't have a tig. I want to build a header for a 4 cylinder motor. I can buy stainless mandrel bent tubes. The stainless tubes are 16 GA. Can I gas weld the 16 GA. stainless tubes to a 3/8 mild steel flange? Also what about gas welding tube to tube? What would be a good filler rod to avoid corrosion?
Reply:Sorry ricola,  you'll need TIG, MIG, or Stick to weld your stainless steel.
Reply:Thanks for the quick response. Sorry for the high jack but it's kind of on topic....I have a mig (lincoln 100 - runs on 110 power and gas and a Napa 220 mig on gas 75-25) and a Lincoln AC buzzer.  What wire and gas for either mig?.... or what rod if I can use AC?
Reply:Type 309 stainless steel wire or stick.Argon - 5% CO2 gas.http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/mig_handbook.pdfhttp://files.aws.org/wj/2006/02/wj20...j200602-46.pdfhttp://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ture/c4200.pdfLast edited by pulser; 12-04-2006 at 04:27 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by ricolaThanks for the quick response. Sorry for the high jack but it's kind of on topic....I have a mig (lincoln 100 - runs on 110 power and gas and a Napa 220 mig on gas 75-25) and a Lincoln AC buzzer.  What wire and gas for either mig?.... or what rod if I can use AC?
Reply:I just came from the welding supply store. they had 308 in the 2 lb. spool for about 25.00. They attempted to locate a 2 lbs. spool in 309 but didn't have any listed in their catolog. Cheapest spool was over $ 100.00.
Reply:Perhaps this is a little late, but I would recommend using the same type of steel throughout. Nobody ever thinks of corrosion, especially galvanic corrosion or stress corrosion cracking. Your headers will be a case for both. You put mild steel together with stainless at high temperature with intermittent exposure to moisture and conductive ions (like road salt) and your headers will rust through at the weld to your flange - you won't see it right away, but a few years down the road you'll wish you used stainless all the way. This is due to the fact that the mild steel will be a cathode while your stainless is an anode, so any corrosion will be accelerated on your mild steel. The stress in the HAZ around the weld will also accelerate localized corrosion in that area.  It won't be an immediate issue, but it will be worth it to spend the extra $$ now rather than later.Hobart Handler 140 MIGHypertherm Max 43 Plasma CutterA Bernzomatic Torch, and some solder.