... On my daughter's 88 245 DL is leaking again; you know, that annoying pffft pffft sound from the undercarriage.

I'm the original owner of the car; this would be my third header pipe replaced, all for the same reason -- leak from somewhere under the heat shielding at the big bend. Dealer service tech tells me I should get it fixed or else valves will burn (?) (car has 237K miles). Part is $300-plus. FYI Volvo lifetime exhaust warranty covers mufflers only, not pipes, clamps etc.

That header pipe should last a lot longer and it seems to be a design flaw where the weld or seam breaks open. It's not corrosion.

In retrospect I should have kept the old header pipes and had them re-welded and kept on the shelf for service again when the next one breaks.

Has anyone had success in welding a leaky header back into service?

Thanks, Robert

88 245DL
84 245Ti

$85 from FCPGROTON.COM - no heat shields but unless you're parking in tall grass/weeds, who cares?
RP
--
RP '87 245 (Ol' Blue)273,000 mi, '93 245 (Ruby)150,000 mi, '02 BMW 325, '98 Mustang Cobra, '87 Harley Heritage....

Buy a used one form a scrap-yard?

I have had good luck the one time I sued the POR-15 "MANIFOLD RESTORATION KIT"

http://www.por15.com/cgi-bin/formrunner5?ConfigFile=scart/page1.cnf&CartNumber=Jun1214_15985&WhichCo=por15&WhichPage=page1&ItemNumb=catp8#ManifoldRestorationKit

You might consider going to an independant exhaust shop and have them put on a full replacement exhaust for that kind of money. I had a 2.5" free-flow exhaust, including high-flow cat, installed on my '86 245 for about $400. For a bit more than that I'm sure they could take the 2-1 collector, weld it, or make it bigger/better.

Plus, most shops have a warranty policy of some sort. YMMV.

Good luck.
--
~ Richard - volvogeek ~
* 1986 Volvo 245 DL
* 1996 P

I welded (MIG) my wife's pipe in the same spot over 5 years ago and it's still intact. Make sure that the support that attaches the pipe to the bell housing is fastened securely. Also check that the rubber donuts at the front muffler are in place. Either of these can cause undue stress on the down pipe.

"...success in welding a leaky header back into service?"

Sure, several times. Best luck gas welding.

"...my third header pipe replaced..."

Ouch!! I'm still on the original in my '86, 267k miles.

"Part is $300-plus..."

Ouch, again!! You do NOT need the gold plated pipe! That should be about 1/2 that price. Were they including their outrageous labor charge?
--
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Yes,
My brother and I have both welded leaky header pipes at the spot where the two
pipes merge into one. To really get a clean weld on it you want to grind till
it's clean metal and if you can where the crack is grind a V into the crack.
Also a good idea to drill a hole in the crack right at the end of it so you
relieve the stress of the crack.

Also the header pipe is available from brickboard parts suppliers for much better prices than the Volvo dealers. You can get the Starla pipes which is the OEM for Volvo for good prices. I just bought the exhaust from the cat back for only $126 shipped to my door. It's Starla and the pipes are mandrel bent.

Dave 82 242ti 271k mi.