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#1 |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 588
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bending stainless steel exhaust tubing
I need to make up a mid-pipe for my MZ. Just needs a couple of gentle bends, maybe one, if I can get it to line up right.
No luck checking with local shops, they say they can't bend thin wall stainless... Anyone with experience doing this? Advice/hints appreciated. Thanks, Bill |
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#2 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sardis, BC, Canada
Posts: 25,977
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HF has a tubing roller on sale. It would be worth a try. Make sure that the tube is lubed before trying to roll it; even WD-40 would do. http://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-roller-99736.html
Anybody with a mandrel bender should be able to do it for you.
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Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer |
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#3 |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 588
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Thanks for the HF link. Don't think I'll spend $160 for one piece of pipe, but now I know what the heck to ask when I call a shop...
Got a couple of friends that are into car rebuilding...maybe they know someone with one of those. Bill R |
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#4 |
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 3,274
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I've never tried to bend stainless tubing so I can't comment on technique but I would think any muffler shop should be able to do it?
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#5 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sardis, BC, Canada
Posts: 25,977
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Any muffler shop can do compression bends, but a few select shps can do mandrel bends. Compression bends produce wrinkled tube, because it fails to shrink the ID while stretching the OD of the radius.
__________________
Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer |
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#6 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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I heard thatif you fill the tube with sand it bends smoother but I don't know about this sort of thing.
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Happy to serve. |
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#7 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sardis, BC, Canada
Posts: 25,977
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That's true if you don't have a bender, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to fill the tube if you're using a bender.
__________________
Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer |
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#8 |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 588
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Checked with a couple of muffler shops, both wouldn't do it because they were sure it would crush the tube.
Read up on the sand method. Will probably give that a shot. Thanks for the help. Bill R |
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#9 |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 588
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Talking with a couple of the "car guys" at work..."Know anybody who has a tube bender?"..."How big?"..."1 3/4in thin wall stainless"...
"if you can wait til this winter, I'll have a die that size for my mandrel bender so I can make the roll cage for my dune buggy. Be glad to do it for you." Well, well, sign me up.. ![]() Tain't in no hurry...this is totally just for the rumble from that big ol' single... ![]() Bill R |
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