Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello,

I need to sort out a free-flowing exhaust system for my 1962 saloon, which has had the engine reworked a fair bit (948 bored to 1030, new flat pistons, rods, 295 head and MG Metro cam, HIF 38 carb). I'd love to go for the complete small bore Maniflow system + LCB, but the cost of the whole lot comes to around £265 including VAT, and seeing as the exhaust part is more important than the manifold, I'm wondering if I might be able to make use of an old 3 into 1 VDP 1100 manifold I have (I think it's the same as a Mini Cooper manifold) and combine it with the Maniflow twin-box exhaust section (which is cheaper to buy than the LCB, making the setup a little more affordable). What would be really helpful is a. to know whether anyone has done anything like this, or indeed used the 3 into 1 manifold on a Minor, and b. whether anyone can tell me (or better still show a picture) how long the Maniflow twin-box set up is, to give me an idea of how much additional pipe I'd need to connect it to the 3 into 1 manifold I've got.

Many thanks for any advice,

Liam.

Hello Liam,

I'd have to disagree with you, a correct manifold is far more important than the exhaust system, especially as it is easier to make the exhaust than the manifold?

Alec

Hi Alec,

I think my point is that there is more to be gained in replacing the horribly restrictive standard silencer with a free-flowing system than the gain to be achieved using an LCB over a Cooper-style 3 into 1. I'm not talking about the standard Minor exhaust manifold, which I agree is not great. I'm just going by what I've read in the Vizard book. Also, sourcing individual exhaust components for a realistic price to make up a system seems to be pretty tricky...

Liam.

My homebrewed exhaust was a 2nd hand RC40 for £25, an over axle section from JLH for around £30, and some bits of 1 3/4" pipe from the local scrappy, so even a "cheap" system isn't very cheap.
Think you will find the main problem is the 1100/Mini based manifolds all exit fairly vertical, nearish the block. The moggy needs a swept manifold to exit through the correct side of the chassis.
I used a Metro cast lcb manifold and with some cutting and re shaping of the twin Metro downpipes managed to get a suitable set, but you need a bit of patience with the welder!

I guess you have spent quite a lot on the engine and are trying to keep the budget in check at this stage.
As you will need to run in the new engine I suggest you put whatever you have on it and save up to get the full system.
I would think that just about any restriction would act as a bottle neck to the whole system.

a wise person once said something along the lines of: it's better to spend too much than not enough.

if you spend more than you could have done, you've still got what you wanted, you may have just paid a bit more, and it's only money.

if you do it on the cheap, you end up not having what you really wanted, something that could be substandard, and then you end up giving up with that and buying what you should have done to start with. you end up spending more than if you'd bought the expensive thing to start off with!

I agree with MarkyB, run it in with whatever you've got, and save up for the proper job.

I'm using a Cooper 3 branch -I had to 'modify' it slightly so it hugged the block closely and it goes down between block rim flange and chassis leg - then bends under the chassis leg and round to join with a straight through Cooper S silencer under the passenger front floor - and then back over the axle and away. It's not ideal but I think it works well enough. Bit noisy though!

Interesting exhaust route BMC! Does that not restrict ground clearance a bit where the pipe crosses under the chassis rail? (the reason I rejected that route for mine!).
Or are your Central Scottish roads much smoother than our Essex ones

Certainly not smooth roads around here - quite the opposite - but it's not hit anything yet! I started to modify a Mini LCB - very quickly got fed up with it - there is just TOO much to change - and decided the 3 branch would be fine - and it is!

Thanks all for the helpful replies. So, the only person who has successfully used a Cooper manifold is BMCE, but it's meant re-routing the exhaust... Still, it's good to know that it can be done if needs be! It's all food for thought. I suppose when my time is factored in regarding making something up to fit, just buying something that fits off the shelf makes more sense, and it will be good from the outset. I'd better go and mull the options over...

bmcecosse wrote:....I started to modify a Mini LCB - very quickly got fed up with it - there is just TOO much to change

I can understand that, having a much-multisectioned abandoned 3 branch under my bench!
With the cast Metro job I at least had the ability to clamp the bits in the right position, and also twist the stubs around a bit to get the best shape. What really has surprised me(not having much faith in my skills) is that 2 1/2 years on it is still unfractured, more than can be said for some off-the-shelf items....

Liammonty....."At least it will be good from the outset"......Hmmm, if you get a good one!

be sure to fit an extra supporting strap, infront of the the front silencer, to support the weight that can fracture tubular manifolds.

My LCB system is still in one piece or three sections but I think that I will take your advice ref the extra mount

BMC - any chance of a couple of pictures of the exhaust set up - out of interest

Err - NO! It's not something I would be particularly proud of - but it works....

Same situation with my house hifi speakers in the rear of mine..

Here is a picture of what you get from Maniflow when you ask for a complete large bore system.
The tape measure is set at 24 inches.
Not sure how different the small bore system is in terms of overall layout, but I guess it's very similar.


XG4U3318 by nick88highline, on Flickr

Interesting to see the Maniflow system. Presuming it's now fitted, can I ask how loud it is?

Same situation with my house hifi speakers in the rear of mine..

You're not the only one! A good way of getting some reasonable quality sound without chopping the interior about, imo.

Only chopping I made was a hole in the glovebox for the wires to the headunit. All other holes are in the car