Fitting a new exhaust

Post by **minor_hickup** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:46 pm

Well my old is exhaust is blowing like a tractor so i got a new one from ESM and managed to get it home in the moggy! However can anyone advise me the easiest way to fit it? Do i put it over the exle first and then slide it into the engine bay or visa versa?

Post by **simmitc** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:24 am

First question: is it a one piece or a two piece - the latter are much easier to fit!! In either case, I've always found it helpful to jack and support the car NOT using the rear axle or springs, but to leave them hanging in mid air. With the rear nearside wheel off you then have much more room to work.

Post by **chickenjohn** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:31 am

and you need to get the car as high in the air as possible so you've got more room to manouvre the exhaust to fit it.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:49 am

If it is a single piece exhaust then it depends on the shape it has been made to - some are far worse than others.

Basically you have the procedure correct - install it over the rear axle then fit the front end to the engine bay. Often it is a real pain to get the front end into the engine bay. The tips shown above will help - you need to get the axle as far away as possible from the body to allow the exhuast a bit further back. It normally involves a lot of brute force ont he front end of the pipe.
In extreme cases you can undo the leaf spring to get more clearance!!

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:09 pm

Yes it is a one piece exhaust! i was hoping this was going to be an easy one! thanks for the advice ill try and fit it today if i feel up to it

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:17 pm

i wish i knew you could get a two piece exhaust as i wouldnt have had to drive back from stonegate with a mile of exhaust sticking out of the car!

Post by **pskipper** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:44 pm

It's much easier if you take the front passengers wheel off, use a jack to move the suspension arms up and down to get them out of the way. This is the method I used, needs a friend to help!
Just incase anyone is mad enough to want to fit a single piece exhaust this is the method I used.

1. Get hold of a friend who isn't going to get bored/frustrated and just leave.

2. Jack up the body of the car at the rear, this isn't so you can hook the pipe over the axel but so you can get the pipe out the back aswell as over the axel (otherwise it just gets caught)

3. Lower the back again, loosen the front left (passengers side) wheel nuts, jack the front of the car up, put on axel stands and remove the front left wheel.

4. Jack up the wishbone arm of the suspension until you can pull the bendy up bit that connects to the manifold past the suspension and pop it up into the engine bay.

5. Connect the system with hangers and clamps etc.

This took us about an hour, but that included working out the right sequence of events. Other essentials are an exhaust pipe fitting kit and copious amounts of tea and biscuits

Hope this is handy,

Philip

Post by **bigginger** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:59 pm

Invest in one of the 'two bolt' pipe to manifold clamps as well. Not easy, but easier to fit than the 'one bolt and funny hinge' clamps that the originals used

If I can say it without causing some sort of perverse offence, that's IMHO, of course

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:10 pm

Invest in one of the 'two bolt' pipe to manifold clamps as well. Not easy, but easier to fit than the 'one bolt and funny hinge' clamps that the originals used If I can say it without causing some sort of perverse offence, that's IMHO, of course

Way ahead of you!

copious amounts of tea and biscuits

Its nice to meet like-minded individuals!

Post by **bigginger** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:17 pm

Tea and biscuits - it's the only way to work

a

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:21 pm

i also like to have a good selection of music on and work permitted a large ashtray

Post by **pskipper** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:22 pm

Definitely, just got to remember to take my camping stove to the garage next time

(This weekend as it's hopefully adjustable seat time, bad back winning over authenticity).

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:23 pm

never mind, you can always swap them back!

Post by **pskipper** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:28 pm

Well I was always planning on doing small mods to her, when I got her she'd obviously had fog and spot lights so they've been re-added along with wiring for hazard flashers (after a stint broken down on the M25) so comfy seats aren't too bad, I'd just don't think I'll be able to get ones which look in character (and don't have £250 odd quid to buy the Newton commercial ones).

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:12 pm

i can sympathise with the breaking down, my first motorway trip was to norwich and on the way back i blew a bypass hose (one of those damned old style ones) and had to wait over 3 hours for the RAC. wish I'd had flashers then, well actually I wish I had a spare bipass hose.

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:39 pm

so where did you jack the car from if you didn't jack it up from the axle, did you use the jacking points and if so how did you support the car?

Post by **Welung666** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:13 pm

How about what I did when I did the clutch on Phoebe?

Front end on tall axle stands, back end I used a 6 foot piece of 4"x4" fence post across the rear x-member, jacked it high and then put another set of tall axle stands under the wood (I left the jack under just touching as an added safety thing).

Axle dropped loads and it was easy to get my rachet to the propshaft bolts. Should work well for changing the exhaust to

Lee

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:48 pm

Ok thanx everyone, I've just done it and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! However I do reccomend using exhaust assembly paste for connecting the exhaust to the manifold, seems to have worked and it isnt blowing despite the exhaust being a relativly poor fit.

Post by **minor_hickup** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:59 pm

The new exhaust however seems to protrude further from under the car than the old one. Are they made long as to be cut to size? If I do trim it is there a certain amount I should cut?

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:26 pm

i blew a bypass hose (one of those damned old style ones) and had to wait over 3 hours for the RAC. wish I'd had flashers then, well actually I wish I had a spare bipass hose.

By old style I assume you mean the bellows type which are sold more often but are really just a quick fix bypass hose, its much better to use the original item which if you didnt know is just a piece of heater hose which will last for many years.