Exhausting All Options

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

Featuring BURNING MANifold and ELECTRIC SOUP.

Exhaust leak from manifold-downpipe joint. The downpipe was replaced by the GF’s mechanic uncle a few years ago, and I’ve been bodging it regularly ever since.

(Yeh, I know. I let a Taiwanese mechanic touch my car so serves me right)

He cross-threaded one of the bolts, of which I later sheared off the head when I replaced the other two with SS studding.

2 studs isn’'t enough, plus the manifold flange threads are corroded so they perhaps dont grip very well.

IMG_3045
IMG_30454000×3000 2.28 MB

ZEEPLAN this time: Replace studs with nuts-and-bolts, for clamping force, and put an internal insert tube between the two pipes to take some pressure off my home-made clay and aluminium gasket.

Scrap bicycle (well, it is now) frame tubes fit inside each other and are a pretty good fit to the two sides, which have slightly different diameters. LUCKEE!

IMG_3051
IMG_30514000×3000 1.96 MB

IMG_3049
IMG_30494000×3000 3.68 MB

I went for a short insert to reduce exhaust flow restriction and the chance of it collapsing.

IMG_3053
IMG_30534000×3000 3.09 MB

Since I had the downpipe off anyway, I rust treated it, though I shouldn’t have bothered since this will just burn off the front section,

IMG_3057
IMG_30574000×3000 2.89 MB

Access is very limited and eventually I gave up and took the manifold off. Came off like a lamb. There had to be a catch.

I’d heard that electrolysis can loosen rusted-in fastners. Don’t really beleve that but I thought I’d try it.

IMG_3066
IMG_30664000×3000 2.81 MB

The stump was closest to the anode can, and got very clean but probably not any looser.

IMG_3069
IMG_30694000×3000 2.48 MB

The black tideline is probably phosphating from the dead fire extinguisher powder I used as an electrolyte.

IMG_3071
IMG_30714000×3000 2.57 MB

OK, ELECTRIC SOUP no worky.

BURNINGMANifold involved heating it up with charcoal and then using an iced Stilson (a wrench, not a cheese) on the stump…

IMG_3100
IMG_31004000×3000 2.77 MB

IMG_3102
IMG_31024000×3000 2.53 MB

…which sheared off.

Drilled it out, then drove the remains out with a centre punch.

IMG_3110
IMG_31104000×3000 3.35 MB

I bought 3 M8 40mm bolts with nuts and washers. (5NT) Impossible to get an M8 nut on for one of the holes and had to use something maybe about a quarter of the original diameter, which may not hold. If it doesn’t I’ll try a Rawlbolt next.

Since there is no clearance I put the manifold and downpipe together first and then manouvred the manifold back on with the downpipe attached. This was VERY DIFFICULT.

Rather miss the muscle car noises but not the fumes, though its still Taiwan air.

5 Likes
2

could you not tap the flange with something larger than M8 so you don’t need a nut?

1 Like
3

Spose so, if I had a tap.

I wanted to use a nut for clamping force, though, and didn’t realise it was actually impossible (flare of the manifold obstructs) until I’d taken it off.

A Rawlbolt would do essentially the same thing though I dunno how well.

4

I have a few taps… M8, M6, etc.

Maybe you can chase the threads so you can screw the new ones in.

5

Sounds sketchy as frig, top marks for the can as an anode and laxative fire powder for electrolyte!

My plan was to replace my lower control arm after work today. Car was parked downwind from a kebab van, being the worlds slimmest gourmand it was a struggle, then a single raindrop hit my nose and I decided I was done.

Nothing to do at the weekends anyway so i’ll just be depriving myself of activities on better days

6

Laxative? Didn’t know that.

I had the powder stored in a plastic drinking water bottle which when I opened it blew up in my face. Yellow powder everywhere. Evidently that stuff gases off some.

I suppose being blown up might have a laxative effect if you weren’t used to it. Made nearby Taiwanese jump a bit. Pisay pisay,

Parking downwind of a kebab van could be a killer rust proofing plan for the UK

7

Haven’t had a mechanical thread from @Ducked in a while, was reminded of this one, thought I’d follow up for my own self-indulgence.

I did end up replacing the lower control arms on this aforementioned vehicle, but I ended up putting the RH on the LH and vice versa. Lowered the car and the control arms pushed the anti-roll bar up which caused the spring to bind up.

Solution would have been to cut the drop links with an angle grinder but I didn’t fancy the springs going from fully-compressed to relaxed explosively while the car was jacked up with me under it, so the car got scrapped (it had loads of other problems anyway)

I’ve since stopped doing mechanical projects since early 2021 as I got fed up of people phoning the police on me because my car isn’t a shiny new BMW, and got bored of work modifying contracts to outlaw me working on it there and using my hobbies against me.

The final straw was me getting the car stuck on a friends lawn and tearing up all of the grass, I felt as if I was a terrible burden. But hope has returned for the future :slight_smile:

8

Too bad I missed the original discussion. Helicoil thread inserts are the go-to solution for a problem like this . . .

3 Likes
9

Yeh, gave up posting stuff like that here, due to the unfunny clown conspiracy, which got tedious.

Exhaust “repair” seems to have held, so far, though not taking the exhaust apart regularly means it no longer gets my rust prevention treatment (beer can and a teaspoon of cement in the downpipe)

Re "got bored of work modifying contracts to outlaw me working on it" I am the only staffer who has ever been required to produce his registration documents to prove vehicle legality (which I delayed until they were quite sure they’d got me).

I’m told El Presidente himself took a personal interest in the case.

This’ll be my last semester though, so my thorn-in-side status will be no more.

10

:kissing_closed_eyes:

11

I’ve used the beer can, little cement and jubilee clips for exhaust repair many times :+1:

12

Different I suspect.

Beer can flame sprays the inside of the pipe with aluminium. Pinch of Portland neutralises acids.

That’s the theory, anyway.

13

Yeh, heard of Helicoils, but never used them.

Probably cost more than 5NT though.

On a separate issue, got any crimping tool recommendation?

Don’t seem to get very good results with my cheapo combo wire stripper and crimping tool.

My breakout for the fan relay failed on the way to the 6-monthly vehicle inspection, with typical Sod’s Law timing, and I had to wire the fan permanently on. The inspection people either didn’t notice this or didn’t think it was any of their business so it didn’t prevent a pass, while boiling over during inspection would have.

I suppose I could reinforce with solder, but I’d have to cut the plastic off the connector first.

14

Make sure to take pictures and post them here

15

As it happens baked bean tins, I said beer tins. I’m sure they have the same coating tho.

16

Baked bean tins are steel, coated with tin. Wouldn’t work for flame spraying, though you could make a patch with them.

17

I’m not in Taiwan currently so I can’t give you any brand names off the top of my head. Taiwan Luthier would know.

18

There are screw stores all over taiwan. They should have what you need.

Make sure you go to a screw store, not a hardware store. Show them a picture of the item and they should have them. The problem is Taiwanese store owners tend to be VERY near sighted and do not know anything that happens outside of their store. So if you ask for an item they do not have, even if it’s closely related to what they should have, they do not know other businesses that sells what you need even if it’s right across the street.

If screw stores do not have it, try spring stores. There are stores that sells nothing but screws, O rings, springs, fittings, etc… One of them bound to have it.

If you need a location, there are a few on Chengde Rd near Shuanlian MRT station. Screw, spring, O ring, and fitting store within blocks of each other.

19

He’s looking for a good crimping tool.

20

Hardware stores selling tools will have them, but you gotta know exactly what kind of crimp tool.