Project Varatrackerstorm or Firetrackerdero.

[Varastorm]

I've been looking at exhaust gaskets, are there good & bad ones?

I've seen these on eBay, they are cheap at £2.99p for a pair.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142576602544? ... Track=true

[tony.mon]

Thy all do the same job, but get everything lined up properly and the tail pipes equally spaced and height before tightening them up.

[Varastorm]

I'm just gathering all the parts together for Christmas morning Tony

I was only asking because the original squished gasket ring looks copper & these look aluminium based

The plan is to make some stainless manifolds which will be permanently bolted to the heads. The header pipes will be a slip fit held to the manifold with springs.

This idea will hopefully make the building of the system a lot easier. Just slip the header pipe into the manifold, line the bends up to the bits of cut tube then tighten the Mikalor clamps up ready to tack it up.

Once tacked up, slide the headers out & weld it up on the bench then slide it back in. Hopefully there will be no fafing with flanges, gaskets & nuts during the exhaust build & hopefully the header pipes go back the same every time. Well, that's the plan anyway

[Varastorm]

Been busy today making some flanges for the new exhaust.

































Time for dinner

[Varastorm]

After lots of dinner & filing, burp.

























Another little job sorted for under the Christmas tree

[AMCQ46]

That was like hard graft just looking at the photos. You need a beer after all that

[sirch345]

You're taking me back now
Both of my old Mini's had brass nuts (ooh err missus ) on the exhaust manifolds now you mention it, a smart move me thinks

Chris.

I had a quick look last night Chris. They might of been imperial UNF, but there are loads of m8 fine (1.25) for sale on ebay.

The ones I remember were quite deep/long & had a small groove/nick half way down the flat. If they were grubby, it looked like it was 2 nuts. like a locknut that'd lined up perfectly.

If I was going to do this, I'd like to go nuts deep, oops, Ooh err Missus. I mean to get the deep nuts.

I'll have a look for some combo studs, M8 1.5 to M8 1.25

I don't really remember the small groove/nick halfway down the nut flat, but for sure they were a long nut, at least twice the length of a standard nut. Certainly not metric you're right.
All this talk of nuts, anyone would think Xmas was around the corner

After lots of dinner & filing, burp.

























Another little job sorted for under the Christmas tree

Luv your work with header flanges
It seems so unfair, you make it look so easy

The trouble is I know it's not easy, it's a lot of hardwork, especially in stainless steel rather than mild steel. How did your files stand up to the stainless

Great work

Chris.

[Varastorm]

Thanks for the positive comments guys

The pictures might make it look easy, but in reality they were a pain to make. All day it took me, I was frozen & it was raining on & off But they're done now

I really didn't want to make these, but with the rest of the exhaust going to be stainless it was a no brainer.

As Chris mentioned, with them being stainless they were harder to work with too. As for the files Chris they are a good make & held up well

I'm looking forward to making the spigots, but the parts for that are still in transit from China.

Sorry if its a little picture heavy guys

[fabiostar]

brilliant work....keep it going

[Varastorm]

Thanks Fabio, will do

In between hoovering, housework, cooking & making bread I've been reading about exhaust stuff

I'm still toying with the idea of joining the pipes & the reason it get's done. I came across this vid in the search.

I appreciate it's a v8, but interesting all the same

[sirch345]

Thanks for the positive comments guys

The pictures might make it look easy, but in reality they were a pain to make. All day it took me, I was frozen & it was raining on & off But they're done now

I really didn't want to make these, but with the rest of the exhaust going to be stainless it was a no brainer.

As Chris mentioned, with them being stainless they were harder to work with too. As for the files Chris they are a good make & held up well

I'm looking forward to making the spigots, but the parts for that are still in transit from China.

Sorry if its a little picture heavy guys

That's good news with your files

For me pic's are good

Chris.

[fabiostar]

such a pain in the butt that must have been but what a job how they turned out

[Varastorm]

More goodies arrived today



One problem, the id measurement of 39mm doesn't correspond to the gaskets.

It must be what they'll become when crushed up to the recommended torque.

I'm disappointed with 39mm id when the pipe id is 42mm. I know it's no biggie in the real world, but when your fabricating a new exhaust it's an unnecessary restriction.

Lucky for me, when the spigots are fitted & all torqued up I'll still be able to reach in with a die grinder to clean the protruding gasket from the exhaust

Just hope they're not hollow

[Varastorm]

I did a couple of hours down the shed today & started fabricating the header manifolds.

This is the plan.

1. I've ordered two 45mm sanitary flow joints (not arrived yet!). The sealing faces are to be ground down to 51mm diameter to fit on the exhaust gaskets in the head.

2. I've cut a 50mm long length of 48mm diameter pipe to slide over the above mentioned flow joint stub.

3. Then I cut a 20mm long length of 51mm diameter pipe to slide over the above mentioned 48mm pipe.

4. The idea is.. the flanges I've made previously slide over the 48mm stubs & press on the 51mm stubs. Which then press on the ground down sanitary flow joints which sit inside the 48mm stubs & squeeze the gaskets.

Don't worry if it doesn't make sense, because I'm not too sure what I'm doing either

Here's some pictures

[sirch345]

More goodies arrived today



One problem, the id measurement of 39mm doesn't correspond to the gaskets.

It must be what they'll become when crushed up to the recommended torque.

I'm disappointed with 39mm id when the pipe id is 42mm. I know it's no biggie in the real world, but when your fabricating a new exhaust it's an unnecessary restriction.

Lucky for me, when the spigots are fitted & all torqued up I'll still be able to reach in with a die grinder to clean the protruding gasket from the exhaust

Just hope they're not hollow

I have a feeling they will be hollow filled with heat resistant material, otherwise they won't crush to remove any discrepancies if they were solid. Don't worry though, and so you don't feel so bad I bought a pair of those too a while back

I wonder what the I.D. diameter of the exhaust outlet is on the cylinderhead

Good to see you making progress with the exhaust stubs

Chris.