Red River T

Header is cracked where the 2 pipes come together. The pipe nearest the engine is cracked more than halfway around.

I tore off a piece of 0000 wool and stuffed down into the crotch of the Y with a screwdriver, then put a piece of 19 gauge wire through and threaded it around the flange and behind the lower bolt, then twisted it tight. (I started with 22 ga. wire but it kept breaking when I twisted it to tighten.) I risk losing my shade tree mechanic accreditation by admitting to using fancy store-bought wire, but I couldn't find my baling wire. I stuffed half of the remaining steel wool pad in between the header Y and the wire on the bottom, then put the other half of the pad on top and ran another wire through the crotch, this time going the opposite direction around the header flange. Then I ran a wire around the 2 tubes just upstream of the weld to further secure the top & bottom pads. Then I wrapped another wire around just ahead of the flange and over the wires that run through the crotch in order to pull them tighter. I think this patch is certainly going to reduce any air getting in to screw with my new O2 sensor or cat.

When I first started it, I could smell something scorching, but there wasn't any smoke. This patch has held up for nearly 150 miles so far and looks just like it did when put on.