Morris Minor Owners Club

my exhust pipe keeps breaking its seal at the maifold connection.

i have put another strap on it to steady it, i have checked the faces and they are circular and fit together flush.

the airtight connection last about a week and then breaks up.

i always clean the faces thoroughly and use a new clamo each time, but it still keeps doing it.

any ideas as to why it does this and how it can be reduced or stopped?

Are the engine mounts ok - and the steady bracket in place ? Is the rest of the exhaust system flexibly mounted so it can move with the engine ?

yep, i have given it a new steady bracket and new exhust mounts. the engine mounts are relatively new.

There is a trick to place a bracket on the downpipe and attach to the gearbox - I'll go off and see if I can find a picture to explain....

Here it is....

<br><br>

I have a similar problem. Last year duing LEO I had problems with it. On return the flare at the end of the pipe had a circumferential crack, so wasn't repairable. I replace the whole exhaust which was just as well as it had pinholes on the top of the tailpipe back from the silencer.

Since then I haven't been able to get a good seal, and resealing it every 1-2000 miles is causing a bit of a sense of humour failure.

I've fettled the end of the manifold, used two or three different clamps and used a few different types of paste. Clamped it tight and slack to no avail. I decided to replace the flare as it was getting "mangled"

I used a bit of exhaust pipe just bigger than the downpipe, cut off about 4-6" and formed a new flare with pliers, a nice little hammer and a 50mm towball as a dolly. I cut four axial grooves about 2" in the other end so it would clam to the downpipe. I cut the flare off the end of the morris pipe and slid the new bit over the top, clamping in place with two natty exhaust clamps.

The new flare fits the exhaust end much better. I only did this on Saturday so I've had about 20 miles around town and a good 55 miles thrash to work and back.

Proof will be Wednesday/Thursday when I go to Blackpool, so a good 300 mile round trip.

I'll report back later in the week.

Andrew

You have probably done this, but just checking that you support the front pipe in position with a jack to line the flanges up before you fit the clamp.

cadetchris wrote:my exhust pipe keeps breaking its seal at the maifold connection.

So does mine. Really starting to peeve me. You're not alone on this.

I'm thinking there's no much back pressure on the exhaust (a local unit originally built for the 803, I now have a 1098). I'm thinking of building a new exhaust and getting some extractors - do away with the problem.

Good luck.
Grant F.

iam so p'd off with my exhaust sealing problem iam going to get an lcb or sports manifold or something that has a better connection.

James

Are you using this type of clamp?
http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... 4c7eb899dd
I have never had any trouble with these when fitted with a little fire gum. There is another type of clamp you can buy over the counter in any mototrshop and they are rubbish, think they are more for a metro.

The old exhaust flange on Steveys car cracked and I fitted a metal sleeve ( cut from another old exhaust) in between the manifold and exhaust and it worked for months until he bought a stainless exhaust.

thats exactly the type of exhust clamp i use, with lots of firegum. but oll have to wait till i get over my tonsilitus,

'lots' of Firegum may be part of the problem - it only needs a smear - with the exhaust held up hard against the manifold by a jack while you nip up the clamp. I've never had any problem with it!

My first Morris was really unresponsive restricted in its performance - turned out to be the last owner had used some much exhuast putty that it had blocked the entire downpipe bar a pea sized hole! Cleared it all out and off we went! twice as fast!

Ill bet it did!

A quick update. I've done about 400 miles since modding the exhaust. 200 on Fast B and A roads, a 100 mile gentle (55 - 60) to Yeovil this morning and a 100 mile at 70ish home tonight (I was very late, Mrs E was waiting at the train station )

So far so good, no sign of the seal breaking, which by this stage, especially after a really quick blast like that, it probably would have, even if just by a little blow.

I use the trolley jack under the exhaust, and yes agree, don't overdo on the paste. I do find a ball joint separator, the wedge type, between the chassis and pipe keep it at the correct angle, as the jack used to twist it a little bit out of alignment.

Also, there's a slight rebate on the manifold just behind the flare that needs to be cleaned out, as firegum/gun gum is quite hard, use a file to clean it. If it isn't, the clamp won't sit correctly.

Fingers crossed.

Andrew

Good point about that rebate!

Aye, I also had lots of problems with this, both actually with this and with the LCB manifold. It seemed to be down to cleaning it really thoroughly to make sure you're getting rid of all of that exhaust paste, ensuring it's really perfectly lined up (easier with more than one person I find), and then using the two-bolt clamps, not the silly modern clamp with a bolt at one end and a bit of bent-hook metal at the other.

A point I have made twice before on similar threads. The exhaust paste becomes discoloured in much the same way as the manifold and the deposit is not always distinguishable as such.