What is everyone doing for exhaust. I am trying to build my own using pre bent stock and I am finding out that getting it just right is dificult. I don "t like muffler shop bends but they do make a set of pipes fit great. What is everyone else doing on there AV8 roadsters. Thanks in advance Walter
What are you trying to make? I bought the Lake Header kit from Speedway and built them to the look I was after...
I used to go in the back of the parts store and buy nice pieces of exhaust pipe, my size with lots of bends, but the stores stopped selling exhaust pipes so now I buy them at swap meets. I have also taken the heat exchangers out of central heat/air and cut them up. I hold the pieces up where they fit, then mark with a magic marker, remove from the car and weld. Awhile back a guy posted a question on the HAMB "My dual exhaust only cost $500. Isnt that good?" nope. my systems cost is virtually nothing
I let a local small muffler shop do my exhaust work,,they are reasonable and do it the way I want. HRP
I'd go to a muffler shop, or buy a system for a different car and adapt it. Most of the off-t******lf stuff at auto parts stores is thin wall and corrodes like crazy. I've been building my own exhaust for my OT pickup truck with that stuff and have to replace pieces yearly, not to mention having numerous clamped joints.
I make mine that way. The key is to cut the pre bent sections at exactly 90 degrees, especially if you are cutting in a bent section of the pipe. Also, don't try and get it perfect on the first cut. You have to sneak up on it. Cut with 1/4" extra every time and then fit using a grinder or belt/disc sander.
I used mandrel bends and drew most of the bends and offsets I needed in CorelDraw, printed them out and made a little tool to help me cut them right. Makes for a nice, no restriction system.
When fabricating ex. systems out of pre bent elbows, After fitting the joint, I tape them together with one layer of 2" masking tape one at a time under the car. I then cut the tape with a razor to get a small place to tack,I then tack them in three places. When I am done, I remove them and remove the sticky tape residue and mig weld them.
I like the tapeing the joint idea. That makes a lot of sense. I am trying to come off the headers and tuck around the outside of the 32 k member and then dive back under the car with full dual exhaust. It is all easy runs but I was having toruble getting the angle right. I think with some of this advise it will work better. Thanks all. I will have pictures by the time the weekend is over. Walter
I like gas welding exhaust because it happens so slow I can keep up and correct on the run. I use mandrel bends, and I don't use clamps. I use slip fits and tabs to bolt together. That way it can come apart any time. I paint it with high heat paint, and use anti seize in the joints. On a roadster build, I clamped a 1/2 inch piece of wood to the bottom of the body, then clamped a tube to the wood at the right width. Then make the system meet the tips for a nice look in back.
I use mandrel bends from Vibrant as I like to work in stainless. Take some radiator hose clamps and drill some small holes in the solid portion of the clamp--3 or so opposite each onther. Make the joints so you can but weld them and use the clams to span the joint during fit up. If you tighten the clamps snug, it allow you to rotate the pipes till you get a perfect fit and they run the right direction to miss everything. When you get the system running to your liking, then tack the joint through the holes in the hose clamps. Pull the clamps and weld solid. Trick was taught to me by an old steam fitter...works nice.
Stainless system made with mandrel bends, it's worth the extra ......... Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Most of the ****py exhaust shop bends you see that you don't like are the result of a poorly adjusted radial die walking shoe tubing bender, or ****py tubing. It took me quite awhile to get my machine set up correctly, and I use 14ga AK aluminized tubing. I recently built my first system that was removed and Jet Coated. As with anything, the standards of the person doing the work are what determines the result. I've made many of the same pieces over and over trying to get it the way I like it. But hey, tubing is cheap, and I'm learning.
Langy, that's a work of art...and that is why if you are fussy about it, you should build your own...muffler shop ain't doing that kind of work! You can get "kits" of mandrel bends with straight tubing pretty cheap, the stainless ones are costly, though.
Question about FATKOOP'S setup. Should there be a concern about the pipe being so close to the MC? My build will be similar and I am worried about the exhaust heating the brake fluid in the MC. Beautiful work on the ch***is, will be happy with half of that look.
There are plenty of sources for mandril bent exhaust tubing. A quick search gives enough info to keep a guy busy checking all day. https://www.google.com/search?q=man...a1e5b4af158dcaf&bpcl=35277026&biw=660&bih=290 Don't expect to save any money over a muffler shop job though. When you do it this way it isn't about the money but about the end product looking just the way you want it to.
Thanks, stainless bends here are only 10% more than steel bends, a 2" is $7. ....... Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
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