Pitted Y-Pipe at the O-Rings

[DrJeff]

I was cleaning up the Y-Pipe and Coolant Return pipe today as part of my VOD clean-up, EFI, and turning into a major while-you're-in-there!!!

Anyways I spotted some pitting on the Y-pipe principally in the area where the o-ring is located. Is this normal? Should I be concerned and if so is there a remedy?

Y Pipe Pits 1.jpgY Pipe Pits 2.jpgY Pipe Pits 3.jpgY Pipe Pits 4.jpg

[Delorean Industries]

I was cleaning up the Y-Pipe and Coolant Return pipe today as part of my VOD clean-up, EFI, and turning into a major while-you're-in-there!!!

Anyways I spotted some pitting on the Y-pipe principally in the area where the o-ring is located. Is this normal? Should I be concerned and if so is there a remedy?

Y Pipe Pits 1.jpgY Pipe Pits 2.jpgY Pipe Pits 3.jpgY Pipe Pits 4.jpg

We normally machine the surface when this happens. The other option is to outright replace the component. The bad option is to jb weld which I would never recommend. The worst option is to put it back together like that and hope for the best.

[NightFlyer]

I wonder if you couldn't fill the pits with aluminum putty or an Alumaloy rod type of material, and then sand the surface flat/true. If I were in this boat, it's what I'd personally try.

I'm guessing that others will flame this recommendation however...

[DrJeff]

We normally machine the surface when this happens. The other option is to outright replace the component. ...

A replacement runs $100+, so machining has got to be cheap and easy, no?

[Delorean Industries]

A replacement runs $100+, so machining has got to be cheap and easy, no?

Yes that is what I would do. Sand blast the piece first to remove all corrosion and see how deep the damage is. A local machine shop should be able to do a clean up cut over it.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I wonder if you couldn't fill the pits with aluminum putty or an Alumaloy rod type of material, and then sand the surface flat/true. If I were in this boat, it's what I'd personally try.

I'm guessing that others will flame this recommendation however...

Looks like you would need to machine a lot off to clean that up.

I would not trust an epoxy to work at 200 deg F.

I've used aluminum soldering with good results on an aluminum pipe on my air compressor (125 PSI). It would be harder to solder that large Y pipe but if your going to trash it anyway.....Try it.

[DMCMW Dave]

Looks like you would need to machine a lot off to clean that up.

it.

You can machine quite a bit off without hurting anything. It's a very un-critical fit, remember the other end of that pipe is connecting to a rubber hose. All that really matters is that the two flanges on the y-pipe are parallel and straight. (This means that just trying to sand or grind them flat yourself is probably difficult, you really need a machine that can do both at the same time to insure that they are flat with each other.

We re-machine every one we take off for service, and probably have to throw away only one in 20 of them due to corrosion that's too deep to get out comfortably.

[DMC5180]

Looks Like .030 - .060 worth of surface milling should take care of it. Figure 1/2 hour machine shop time with the setup $50 minimum. It might be less depending on there generosity.

[DrJeff]

I found a machine shop here in Katy TX (that does automotive - they mostly do oil and gas). I've contacted them to see if they can do the work. It looks like they do adapters and flanges for engine customization.

Thanks for the help guys.

[DrJeff]

So if a shop said they could fix my y-pipe with a belt sander... Would that be a good thing or a bad thing? I have to say I was expecting something like a milling machine.