Morris Minor Owners Club

I have found a leak at my exhaust flange joint/manifold. On closer inspection, the flange on the pipe has a slight outward kink in the place where is leaks from.( Left hand side in picture) Whats the best way to repair it and get a good seal? How is it best to clean it up, sandpaper?

Thanks for any help

[frame][/frame]

That 'nip' is caused by the clamp design. You need to dress the flange correct using a ball pein hammer, coat with a little exhaust paste and refit to the manifold which you can attack with a wire brush. You may want to consider a new clamp. Support the exhaust in place with a jack under while doing up the clamp.

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

I make up a folded strip of aluminium foil spread with gungum and wrapped around the joint, then put the clamp on and smooth it all off after tightening - makes a very neat gas tight joint

Not sure that Al will last long in there - it can glow red!! But I have seen that some use a circle of Copper wire in between to make a seal.......

Well I wondered if it would last but it surprisingly did! I folded a strip about 6" wide over and over till it was about 1" then smeared gungum along it quite generously so it worked like a bandage - wrapped it snug round the joint then put the clamp on and finally smoothed the paste nicely. When I took it apart after about 2 years I was amazed that the foil was still good - so I did the same again when I put the new manifold on

Fireputty or exhaust jointing compound is the best for this joint as it will withstand the temperatures.

When I have used Gun Gum in the past for this joint, it tends to blow again after a week or so.

Only a thin smear of paste should be used -or necessary!

Would a propriety exhaust bandage trimmed neatly to fit be a suitable alternative to the aluminium foil idea?

NO!!! If the flanges are properly prepared it doesn't need ANYTHING!! Just a wipe of paste - a good clamp and good free running screws with brass nuts........ Do it as it was designed -it works........

bmcecosse wrote:NO!!! If the flanges are properly prepared it doesn't need ANYTHING!! Just a wipe of paste - a good clamp and good free running screws with brass nuts........ Do it as it was designed -it works........

hmmm it hasn't so far

Line the pipe up accurately - adjust the hangers if (probably) necessary - and put a jck under the front pipe to hold it firmly in the correct place. Clean the clamp of any old/hard paste, and around the manifold end too - and then fit the clamp doing it up securely - but not so tight it distorts the flange on the pipe.....

Just another word of caution about over-tightening the manifold clamp - don't forget it can crack the cast iron. Not so much of a big problem on a Minor, but for those who run cars for which the spares may be harder to find.

Try and position it right first time, the more you move it about, the more paste will be moved from where it needs to be.

And don't tighten the nuts so hard they strip off their threads! I did that once when I couldn't get a seal - turned out it was a distorted pipe flange when I looked closely and all was OK again after I reformed it with a pair of pliers (and got a new nut). There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything.............and I did it wrong first time round.