[Healeys] Down Pipes - The Final Saga

Chris Dimmock austin.healey at gmail.com
Fri Oct 25 06:35:49 MDT 2019


I have always had extractor (header) type manifolds fitted to my Healeys since 1986. 
My BN1, and my BJ8 - No flex pipe - all solid pipe - just like my previous Sprites. 
The extractor exhaust on my Healey 3000 - which has been wrapped since 1995 - has just recently celebrated its 24th anniversary on the Black and White car. 
So no flex joint pipe. Mild steel - wrapped - and I'm now on my second muffler with my side exit exhaust. 
Ok - the first one had some repairs - but all the damage and wear was road clearance related. 
Ignore the flex pipe. I've never had one ever in 35 years!
Ignore the doomsayers who will tell you your mild steel exhaust will burn up with exhaust  wrap. It won't. Mine didn't. 
My extractors are still fine. And I'm on my second muffler - and my ground clearance is probably less than yours!
The only enemy is ashphalt!! 
Best
Chris
www.myaustinhealey.com 



> On 25 Oct 2019, at 12:52 am, Neil McDonald <nmcd10 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> An exciting subject indeed!
> 
> I am about to fit an unused mild steel down pipe that I have had on the shelf for maybe ten years. No sign of rust but I am away from home right now so can not test it for flex. I might zap it with WD40 before fitting - can’t hurt. 
> 
> The question is - when brand new do the mild steel down pipes ever show any sign of flex?
> 
> Neil
> BN6
> 
>> On Thu, Oct 24, 2019 at 2:42 PM Perry via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:
>> Listers
>> 
>> As a follow up to my post on 10/18 on this exciting subject, I decided to do an experiment with a couple downpipes I had in the parts bin. Both pipes are new old stock and have never been on a car.  One is stainless and the other mild steel. Both have been laying on a shelf in the garage for at least 9 years.
>> 
>> The test was to measure how much deflection was noted in the flex portion of the downpipe when the tip (where it enters the muffler) is loaded with a weight. The upper portion of the pipe was firmly held by the bench vice.
>> 
>> Should have started with something less then 10 pounds but the stainless moved considerably under that weight.  The mild steel did not budge.
>> 
>> At 47 pounds I heard a creaky noise but no movement on the mild steel. I then applied an unspecified force with my hand to the 47 pounds and no movement.
>> 
>> My conclusion is that the mild steel flex pipe, once it takes a set, ie, Gets Rusty, does not flex. It is the weak link that will fail but it might as well be a piece of regular pipe.
>> 
>> Perry
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>> 
>>  
>> 
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> -- 
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> 
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