washers and lock washers shown in old catalogs or the vehicle’s shop or
parts manual, unless switching to the new wedge-type lock washers. In
that case, use a wedge washer under both the bolt head and the nut.
Don’t forget to use the donuts or other gasketing systems shown in
factory manuals.
Before installing parts to the manifold, lay the entire system on the
floor and test fit all the pieces. Do the slip joints between the pipes all fit
nicely? Do the U-bolts fit the pipes? If the factory hardware is not
available, figure out how best to replace it with universal hardware.
When the fit of all the parts is checked, start the exhaust installation at
the manifold. After the engine/Y-pipe parts are in their proper positions,
bolt them together snug. Do not tighten them to the final torque specs,
as some adjusting may be needed later.
After attaching the front part of the new system, move to the tailpipe.
This is where a lift is most appreciated, as it is sometimes impossible to
snake a new tailpipe over a rear axle unless the car is in the air. Even
with the car on the lift, contortions may be required to properly position
the new pipe. When shops often install systems on old cars, the tailpipe
is cut, pieced back together and welded. For most hobbyists, this is
impractical. If it is very difficult to get the tailpipe in place, lift the car’s
body higher so that the axle hangs down farther from the body on the
springs. Remember, if the original system had a one-piece tailpipe, there
is some way to get the replacement pipe in place.
Once the front pipe and rear pipe are in place, build the rest of the
system between the two ends. Connect the muffler and any intermediary
pipes. Do not clamp anything tight until the whole system is hanging in
place with the tires on the lift and the full weight of the vehicle pressing
on the suspension. Then make sure the pipes and mufflers don’t hit
anything on the underside of the vehicle. On some old cars, the tailpipe
will actually pass through an opening in the frame. In these instances,
bounce the car up and down — like in a shock absorber test — to make
sure the pipe won’t hit the frame when the car leans or hits a bump.
As far as we know, the only exhaust hanger available in stainless steel
is the type with a long metal strap with holes, a short piece of rubber
and an L-shaped piece of metal. It may be necessary to join or modify a
couple of these to make a hanger that will replace a rusty original. This
is another reason that it doesn’t hurt to order extra parts when building
singke
(singke)
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