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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Exhaust question

I'm almost ready to put the down pipes up to the block huggers on my 215, I'm just not sure how they should clamp on there. There are two small tabs with holes in them, one on the manifold and the other on the down pipe. What am I supposed to do with these, are they just there for aesthetics? Should I just use a standard exhaust clamp on each side? Thanks for any help.
Jake
Jake

Jake,
I believe that a coating of muffler cement on the pipe joint and a nut & bolt through the two tabs are what's expected.
I have the block huggers without the tabs and found the joint separating after a couple of hundred miles -finally ended up clamping the exhaust to the bellhousing and and resolved the issue.
I wouldn't recommend using a conventional exhaust clamp at the header/downpipe interface - you'll regret it later when you have to disassemble things.
Graham Creswick

Graham,
Thanks for the advice, is exhaust cement available at autoparts stores, or do I need to go to an exhaust specialist?
Jake

Jake,
Muffler cement should be available at any auto store - usually comes in a small plastic squeeze tube and looks like a grey paste that hardens with air and heat.
Graham Creswick

I had this joint fitted the way you describe when I first acquired the car. All that was holding the joint was stainless locking wire through the two tabs. When the "Y" piece was loosened there was a worrying degree of movement in these joints which made me suspect that they wouldn't reseal; but they did. Now that I have replaced the down pipe on one side I find that the original pipes were sealing because they were just a good snug fit in each other. An exhaust clamp would distort this and cause leaks if there are no cuts on the outer ends, and even then overtightening will cause distortion leading to the problems which Graham mentioned. I don't believe that the nut and bolt method would be work either as I expect that you would have to position the downpipe too high for this and it would probably foul the sump (depending on design - they vary). So what are you left with? Just push them together with some sort of joint sealer (Silicon or white/grey cement and wire) and hope for the best or use the flat wide type of clamp and don't overtighten it.

Good luck.
ian thomson

Jake - you are talking about tubular blockhuggers aren't you ?
Roger

Yes, Im currently running tubular block hugger headers. As this is my first V8 conversion (there will be more later), I wanted to see how much work a conversion would be first before I shelled out the money for the RV8 style.
Jake

Check - cost of the conversion is obviously important - the important thing from my perspective the cost and availability of the replacement system under the car -when you have written it off on a ferry or a French pothole.

Referring to your original posting - you will only use stainless fittings won't you !
Roger

This thread was discussed between 11/11/2003 and 13/11/2003

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