Any reason I can't weld the crack while it is on the Jeep? I was installing the steering stabilizer last night and got to looking at the crack- it is on the front side of the header, looks like I should be able to get at it just fine with a welder. Not my crappy stick welder but I could drive it over to the machine shop at work and use a nice MIG welder (or have one of the fabricators do it for me for the cost of lunch).

Any reason I shouldn't do this? Granted it may not last that long before it cracks again, but I want it fixed but don't have the money or time to get a new header. I also want to be able to bring it in and pass emissions (it will fail due to exhaust leak now).

time and effort vs getting one from jy is = just go pull one. i had to get one and every junk yard i priced said 25 bucks or less. took couple hours and its good as new vs pulling one of, welding it up only to have another crack come due to the welding of hot dog metal(pop metal) (cast) etc. for under 40 bucks you can swap one in just have to look and not be lazy and jerry rig it up.

My thoughts were to get it welded in about 5-10 minutes and then in the fall or winter replace with new header. I need to test for emissions before August- if I go to the trouble to pull the header/intake then I may as well replace with new unit (~$90 for a new one vs. $40-50 for JY one).

Do you think it can be welded in place or should I not even bother?

JMO but I'd disconnect the battery first so that the current doesn't have an adverse affect on any of the delicate electronic systems of the vehicle. This info is from the manual.

I say weld it up.

That's what I figure. We have a shop full (4) of fabricators who are basically professional welders. Worst case is I am out lunch and it cracks again right away, if they say they can do it. If not no big deal, It will just stay loud until I save enough money to replace with a new header. It is not a huge crack and once the Jeep warms up it is not much louder than stock.

if they tig weld it it should hold for a long time

Well I drove it out to the shop and one of the guys (who has a lifted 99 TJ) said it probably can't be welded, his header is cracked too. Then once he looked at it said it should be no problem. It is not cracked at the collector like his (and most of them)- it is cracked on one of the two downpipes, and only cracked right up front where you can get to it easy with it still on the Jeep.

Not sure what kind of welder they are going to use but we have 4 or 5 different ones out there- If he didn't have so much stuff in the shop this week already he would have done it right away, but had to move too much to get close enough to the gas so he said come back next week and he'll weld it up. :-)

I've run a welded manifold for several years. You need to use a stick welder and nickel rod. Drill the crack at both ends and v it out. Then make several passes so the weld covers a wide area

they are not cast manifolds
they are welded tubular steel

Sorry about that, Then I can't see any reason not to weld it then

At my shop instead of replacing them I just weld them and never had a problem.

it will crack again.........in some different spot most likely at the collertor. I have put 15k on my Ebay header....best 100 i spent.

I never had a comeback it's not like your trying to weld a cast iron manifold.

Well it won't hurt to try.

I just went ahead and replaced mine when I found out it had about 4-5 cracks and splits in my recently purchased '92 Laredo.

Silence is golden.