Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello all,

I have just installed a new exhaust system to my '54 and I can not seem to stop the joint between the manifold and the pipe from leaking. Is there a special trick to doing this. I feel as though I will strip the clamp if I keep on tightening the nuts!!!

I tried a little steel wool on the manifold to no avail.

Any clues, tips?

Thanks

Lo, if the end of the pipe is not distorted and if the end of the
manifold is clean and complete then you should have no difficulty
in making a good gas tight joint. when fitting the system you
should have ALL of the clamps and hangers in position but not
one of them should be done up tight. you then tighten the
Manifold/pipe joint first...this has always worked for me.
If you took it to an exhaust fitters they would slap 'exhaust
sealant' all over it and just tighten it up. Make sure you have
a good clamp with TWO bolts and brass nuts.
Willie

I know that Willie will shout at me for suggesting this and he is dead right, BUT! If all that fails, then a bit of sealing paste will be very helpful in sealing the joint.

I have had the same problem in the past and paste has saved the day!

I know it's not the right way, but it works.

Cam.

I've had new exhausts in the past where the diameter of the flare has been too big. The clamp then tightens on the manifold only and the two parts do not "squeeze" together. It's required a bit filing or carefully grinding off the flare.
Willie's "ticked me off" (nicely) in the past, but as Cam suggests the sealing paste does work. Hows this Willie? ONLY AS A VERY LAST RESORT.

Very good, I see we are licking you into shape after all!!!
Willie

Yes boss!!!!!

Just an update!

I followed your suggestion, while I had the carb off, I loosened the hanger and removed the collar from the exhaust flange. Cleaned up the flange with a wire brush and rejoined.

Then using a two-by-four as a cantilever(sp?) with my foot at one end and the muffler at the other end, I was able to jostle the entire exhaust until i had an extremely good fit. While jiggling the pipe with one hand, working my right foot on the lever and finger tightening the bolts, it worked like a charm.

The exhaust leaks no more...

Thanks for the tips, Mike

Just to let you know that I have just had a Morris Marina exhaust resealed because of it leaking at the manifold the type of clamp original used was the speed type.

The place I took the car to used a method where by the car was lifted on a car ramp and an axle stand placed under the exhaust and the car was then lowered until the exhaust was pushed fully home, the clamp was then fitted.

I am sure that this method could be replicated at home using a car jack and an axle stand.

It took the fitter two attempts to fully seal the exhaust and nearly an hour of his time. I also had the rear clamp replaced at the same time. Total cost was a reasonable £13.00.


Sometimes it is easer to pay someone to do the job than do it yourself.


James

The flared exhaust joint can be a real sod to get to stay sealed for more than a few weeks at a time. Try and get one of the cast clamps not the weaker pressed tin ones. Make sure the pipe is approaching the manifold at the right angle - if necessary clamp the pipe lightly to the manifold in the dead square position with no other support mountings connected and see where it lies. You may need to tweak the bends in the pipe slightly, they aren't always perfect.

Even so I have repeated occurence of leaks and applied a tip I saw in Minor Matters a while ago. This is to make up a ring of copper wire from household single core cable, of just the right circumference to sit halfway up the flare, and trap it between the pipe and the manifold. The copper wire is soft and will bed into any irregularities of the surface.

Use exhaust repair cement which is very tough and has fibre reinforcement in it, not jointing compound which is just self hardening toothpaste! If you ever do have to split the joint cement is just bit harder to scrape off. Make sure you use loads of it so that when you tighten the clamp it all squibs out and fills the gap between the clamp halves which is where they often leak. You can scrape any excess off but you can't put more in, so go on - waste some.

When you start the engine after making a new joint run it on tickover only for a few minutes then turn it off and leave it for an hour or so for the cement to cure under the heat remaining in the manifold, otherwise the pressure of exhaust gas on a revving engine can blow the unset sealant out again. Actually I reckon it would be a pretty dodgy joint anyway if the gaps were that big, but its worth avoiding the risk.

The jack under the exhaust is the method that I swear by, followed by copious amount of sealant and both nuts braized to the clamp for ease of tightening.