Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,
Just bought a new exhaust as the old one was starting to crack but mostly because of poor fit. The old one kept hitting the inner bodywork where it passes through from the engine bay to under the car. The new one fits slightly better but still hits. Ive ended up dressing the hole larger using a ball pein hammer and tweaking the pipe form to get it to clear. Has anyone else had a fit problem. I have seen cars where a great section has been hacked out. It hits the bottom of the hole mainly.

A common problem with Minors.
Some exhausts are worse than others.
Check the engine mountings and the engine steady bar/mountings.
You should not have to remove any metal.
If there is a requirement to remove metal in the engine bay the exhaust is 'not fit for purpose'.
All you can do is purchase a good quality branded exhaust system.
http://www.maniflow.co.uk/index.php?vie ... oduct=1496

The exhaust was from ESM

Sorry Philthehill, bad reply. Exhaust from ESM and (if the image has loaded) you can see minimal clearance

The problem is often caused by the not very good design of the clamp at the manifold, compounded by a less than perfect flare on the pipe - the clamp can allow the pipe to slip slightly, creating the lack of clearance where it exits the engine bay. Various solutions have been tried, including wrapping a bit of copper wire around the pipe where the clamp goes to obtain a better grip, and even making a bracket to hold the pipe in place in the engine bay. I have wrapped exhaust bandage around the join to 'pad it out' before fitting the clamp which also helps secure it more snugly. The cast iron clamps now available may be better at addressing this issue than the standard ones?

The flared manifold joint gives a bit of flexibility in routing the pipe. I fit the exhaust with all the joints and fittings slack. Then support the front end and pack thin wood between the pipe and hole to give suitable clearance. Tighten the manifold clamp and then work towards the rear of the car checking clearances as you go. I always use a cast iron manifold clamp, the pressed ones are very poor.

I have the same problem, I tried to hang the exhaust as described above but I didn't pack the exhaust where it exited the engine bay and I now have contact,
I will try again with the packing tip and see how it goes.
Thanks.