I don't come up with the ideas

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Co-worker approached me this one last night before I left.Welded and cut flanged by Jon Kensy, on FlickrClamp welded by Jon Kensy, on FlickrSo his car has these clamps that rusted out and broke.  He some how kept the exhaust attached and bought new ones.  His idea was to cut the flange in half and weld nuts on either side allowing him to replace the rusted/broken clamps with these without having to drop the exhaust down which I assume is rusted to heck as well.So, he brought this to me said "Can you weld these on concentric to one another on either side of the half line?"  Is it dirty as heck, PITA, need to be done immediately?!  COUNT ME IN!  :rofl I don't think he realizes yet that he'll have to drill one of the nuts out so that it's a flange and not a nut - you can't do it this with two nuts because if the bolt threads through both it'll just spin through both parts keeping them the same distance from one another lol.  I'll let him sort that one out though.  So, I guess its a decent idea we just need to see how well it works.I don't come up with the ideas I just try to get them off of my bench :roflMiller Diversion 180Hobart Handler 140 (Soon to be replaced with Miller 211?)Miller Spectrum 625 Extreme
Reply:cut just one side, spread the clamp to look like a big screw, screw it over the flared flange on the end and then straiten the clamp back out and weld it together again.The bolted together clamps are gonna want to flex at the cut and not make a good seal.
Reply:Can't do that - the exhaust is rusted together but semi leaky.  The thing is stamped so it'd need to be significantly cut up to "spread" to the point of just cutting it in half.  Its thick - prob 0.10" material.  Hey, it ain't my problem lol.Miller Diversion 180Hobart Handler 140 (Soon to be replaced with Miller 211?)Miller Spectrum 625 Extreme
Reply:Let us know how it worked.  I could use that on one of my cars.Carlohttp://public.fotki.com/Naudi2U/
Reply:He doesn't need to drill out a nut. Just use a bolt that fits through the hole, and is long enought to grab another nut.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Originally Posted by ThorsHammerHe doesn't need to drill out a nut. Just use a bolt that fits through the hole, and is long enought to grab another nut.
Reply:Or get a new exhaust
Reply:I dont think it will work. When you tighten the exhaust bolts, the load is spread across the whole flange, securing the donut gasket. With the center cut, there will be no force in the middle, only on each side where the bolts are. That is why it is bent in a U shape when it is stamped. His idea is ok otherwise, but for exhaust pipe, it fails.We shall see, huh?Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Come on guys!  Leave both nuts threaded and screw a bolt thru both to keep both halves rigid with each other and all will be A-OK.  Better if the nuts were close enough together to just allow the saw blade or cutoff wheel to clear.Someone used to make 2-piece split flanges that locked together once slipped over the pipe for that very same repair.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Like these:MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Hmm.. I think you've got a 50/50% chance of success, IF you use one nut as threaded, AND you drill the other nut with a .00000X thru clearance for the bolt.  If you use a smaller thru bolt it will definitely fail.  You have to use the bolts to keep the flange on a single flat plane.  All the loads at the two screws will be pretty intense, and not just in tension.  To improve success rates you might even use four nuts per cut (8 nuts total)  Predrill four of the nuts for tight clearance, install nuts to the bolt, then weld up all 8 before you cut the flange in half.  You need to keep those nuts perfectly in axis.  Whoa... in fact I have an idea... How about a long tube, with tight clearance to a bolt?  that would totally work... 0.005" clearance target.. Here's one, required 4" of tubing (2x2") .625 OD, .375" ID.  Uses 3/8" bolt & nut.   It looks odd, but I placed the tube there so it would have more strength in welding.  If you were going to tool up a new flange like this, you'd leave a flat at the center.  In fact this looks very odd, but I think it will work.  Obviously after welding,  thru cut everything in half. What do you guys think?  --zip.Edit:  duane, ouch... Wish I'd seen those.  Yup, i was spending my time in solidworks, designing stuff up.  Oh well, I'm not all that far from production?... ha... Attached ImagesLast edited by zipzit; 04-25-2013 at 05:30 PM.
Reply:Just drill out one side of each of the nuts. The ones like duane posted work just fine. Have used many of these over the years. They work good and usually outlast the life of the car. Can be bought cheap at any auto parts store. But as you can see are also easy to make. Nice work sure they work just fine.
Reply:Interesting....I never knew these guys even existed. Exhaust Direct Online link here.    My CAD sketch was original work.  I was like wow, somebody could actually make these cool things I designed and sell 'em for real money.  Now I'm feeling pretty dumb.  Yowza.    Zip.