Heating exhaust pipe onsite. Dangerous?

[Jin1976]

Had the 02 valance installed last wednesday. The HKS exhaust did not centre correctly on the right. The mechanics suggested that we lift up the car and heat the pipe from underneath with acetylene weld and pull it to centre. My question is it safe to do that? Do I need to take off the exhaust off the car?

 

[LJSB]

Don't do that. :biggrin:
Your instincts are right, it's a bad idea.
I'm sure there is some other way to adjust your exhaust. You need someone who has more ability and brains than to go under your car with a torch and try to heat such a large pipe up enough to bend it. Find someone else.

 

[Briank]

I have seen it done by the hacks at Midas Muffler it works but it does not take much of a slip unintentionally to cook other parts of the car. They call it a gas axe or a smoke wrench for a reason.

 

[Jin1976]

Thanks for the replies. I will just ask them to adjust the mounting so that the exhaust are at equal distance.

 

[ATERPAK]

Honestly gentelemen, in the right hands using a torch to heat the pipe and then bend it is perfectly fine. There is nothing basically in that area to be damaged unless you have the flame shooting out 3 feet or such. Again, if you do it, make sure the tech knows what they are doing, but it can be done and done safely.

 

[Jin1976]

The exhaust bending is done. No welding torch was needed. All I need was to get the exhaust hot enough just by having the engine switched on. Kept the muffler fix in place and pulled the right tip till it centers. :biggrin:

 

[LJSB]

Honestly gentelemen, in the right hands using a torch to heat the pipe and then bend it is perfectly fine. There is nothing basically in that area to be damaged unless you have the flame shooting out 3 feet or such. Again, if you do it, make sure the tech knows what they are doing, but it can be done and done safely.

If the tech knew what he was doing he would align the exhaust on a NSX without trying to heat the pipe enough to soften the steel with a torch.
As long as it isn't my car or in my shop it can be done. :wink: