Exhaust System

Supports   Rear Boxes   Pipe Clips

Supports:

Front   Middle   Rear   

Front:

4-cylinder cars only - pipe clip 'A' (GEX7074) on the in-board down pipe attached to strap 'B' (GEX7194) bolted to bracket 'C' (GEX7189 3 synch, GEX7190 4-synch w/o restraint rod) mounted on the two lower bell-housing bolts:

1974 (North America), RB (elsewhere) gained an engine restraint rod between the gearbox cross-member and the bellhousing and bracket 'C' was BHH1542. Shown here with the exhaust pipe clip 'A' missing and strap 'B' bent back:

All brackets 'C' used thick washers as spacers on the two lower bell-housing bolts - these should be between the bracket and the bell-housing not under the bolt head, to space the bracket back from the split-pin in the bell-housing drain hole. I've not been able to find these spacers listed with exhaust, engine or gearbox components.

Middle:

Multi-part assembly comprising the parts listed below. I've also welded a tab to the U-strap on both cars so I can clamp it and the pipe together, without that they fidgeted and squeaked. Some systems have the U-strap welded to the pipe which is annoying if just that part fails:

Main hanger GEX7204: (Motaclan/Leacy)

Heat-proof fibre bushes GEX7182 (two needed): (Motaclan/Leacy)

Housing for bushes GEX7183: (Motaclan/Leacy)

U-strap GEX7191, note this does not have the tab in the photo above to allow the pipe to be clamped to it and prevent rattles ... (Motaclan/Leacy)

... unlike this one from the MGOC which does, although the metal looks to be quite a bit thinner:

Plus sundry nuts, bolts and washers.

Rear:

The early one-piece clamp (GEX 7275) used up to chassis number 167815 in Feb 69 (suppliers dates vary). This uses a metal-rubber-metal bonded sandwich very similar to the middle mount. However if the bonding on either rear or middle mount should fail a lot more stress is placed on the other bonded hanger. If that fails as well the exhaust will almost certainly drag on the ground. I've read that the rear hanger has two set-screws going through the sandwich, but not in any photos I have seen, although some do have rectangular holes in the metal parts filled with rubber or bonding: (Motaclan/Leacy).

The earlier type from Ben Colomb:

Later six-piece 'saddle-clamp' system (GEX 7201 CB/GEX 7442 RB, 7202, 2-off 7252, 2-off 7251). This is 'fail-safe' in that if both the bonded 'cotton reel' mounts should fail the exhaust is still supported in the same position, although it is likely to move around a little more in use. I've had both fail on the V8 and didn't know anything about it until I was working in that area and noticed it. The Parts Catalogue shows GEX7201 with no chassis number information just "use prior to GEX7442" which normally means the part was changed rather than there being different versions for CB and RB. However both types are available and suppliers do differentiate between CB and RB, RB being longer:

Several suppliers show heat insulation washers AHC442 for the saddle-clamp type, although not in all the kits. When they are listed by themselves the quantity is shown as 4, but logically only two are needed - between the rubber mount and saddle-bracket bolted to the clips around the tail-pipe itself (arrowed above): (Rimmers ... other colours are available ...

To me the later CB clamp is much neater than the early version with the clamp bolt underneath the tailpipe:

The RB version exposes more of the bracketry, but given how much the bumper protrudes it just isn't noticeable. So much so that I hadn't realised how skewed Vee's was until looking at this picture - caused by one of the hanger screws shearing in the body bracket when first fitting this system 24 years ago, and redrilling and tapping wandered off. I'll have to remove it and redrill the hanger to get it to line up:

Corrected ... but then I realised that showed the tail pipe was twisted to the left:

So subsequently corrected that as well:

Valance bracket HZA479: (Rimmer Bros)

Rear Box:

CB box tucked up beside the tank, it and its tail-pipe pointing straight back:

RB box lower than the tank to clear the axle, so has to be angled upwards to reach the mounting point, which also means the tail-pipe has to be angled downwards relative to the box (and ends-up angled slightly downwards relative to the ground. The rear hanger is also deeper:

Both systems are stainless with Bee's older than Vee's, but you wouldn't know it from Vee's, maybe because for some years she was our daily driver in all weathers including a lot of winter salt.

Stainless-steel exhausts can be magnetic:

Pipe Clips:

V8 manifold and Y-pipe:
Local authority 'sign affix' stainless bolts are a good fit for the original-style clips, almost certainly these from Trade Signz Manufacturing.

The stainless nut and bolt came undone easily, and peeling the clip off the pipe showed significant corrosion, so probably stretched and come loose. Temporarily replaced with a 1 7/8" conventional U-clip (which unlike the originals can be fitted without parting the pipes) pending a proper job later on. It might be tempting to use these permanently, but the two arms of the 'Y' are so close together the two clips would have to be staggered, meaning one would be partly off the end of the 'Y' and the other too close to the end of the split, so neither would clamp properly.

However Clive Wheatley is now showing this type in stainless, £3.60 inc VAT each complete.

Even better, with the screw backed right off they spring apart and can be fitted round the pipes in-situ, unlike the original type where the main exhaust pipe has to be pulled back to get the Y-connector off the down-pipes so the clip can be slid over the open end.