For the 94 SSEi.

I would really like to remove my exhaust manifolds and have them welded. I paid some exhaust shop to do this a couple summers ago, but they didn't do a good job at all. I think actually they didn't at all take off the exhaust manifolds, and I know they didn't weld under the throttle body.

When I run Seafoam through the brake booster vacuum line, I soon after see lots and lots of thin, white clouds seeping from my engine bay. They're all over!

So, I'd like to take off the exhaust manifolds and weld them. A great friend of mine has a welder and believes he can do it. He calls the results "farm welds." Allegedly, they hold but look strange. Is this a concern? He's welded several exhausts and has even brazed HVAC leaks from metal pipes.

Maybe if this is too strange of an ordeal, can I buy some ported and welded exhaust manifolds from someone on Pontiac Bonneville Club or NEBC (BonnevillePro)? I could just swap them out. Is there much to be concerned about with swapping out EMs, in terms of creating more cracks with use of the new ones?

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94 SSEi - Project car
99 SLE - Tuned with different parts and such
85 Porsche 944 - Daily driver
68 Chevy C-10 - Free truck! Needs parts.

Ported exhaust manifolds will do absolutely nothing for your 94 SSEi until you port the heads. It MIGHT hurt you in the meantime.

Don't get 'farm' welds. The manifolds are stainless and should be welded properly by a professional. If you don't, they will simply expand, contract, and flex with heat, breaking all the welds.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

Thanks for clarifying! I subscribed to the linked topic. Are farm welds all right past the EMs, like the cat and the muffler?

I talked to PRJ Performance. The place is about 20 minutes away or so. It seems they'd port my Series 1 heads and whatever else there is to do. Considering that, I'd like to have the EMs ported while they're out and portable. Will they be all right sitting in the engine bay when the heads are taken off?

To take off the exhaust manifolds, is there any trick to doing it, or is it just a matter of unbolting everything?

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94 SSEi - Project car
99 SLE - Tuned with different parts and such
85 Porsche 944 - Daily driver
68 Chevy C-10 - Free truck! Needs parts.