[Healeys] Stainless exhaust again

Tue Jun 14 05:55:56 MDT 2022

40 plus years ago when I bought my 67 Healey, I purchased a stainless steel exhaust package from Moss and never had a problem with the system. They must have had a good supplier then.  However, it spent a lot of time in the garage as I traveled around the world selling Stuff.  When we bought our retirement home in Florida in 2009 the Healey was trucked there,  has lived in our garage and spent lots of miles on the road until the engine was pulled and rebuilt 3 summers ago.  At that time, I looked carefully at the exhaust system and found no cracks or rust.  By the way, I did not like to see the ss pipes and mufflers under the car, so I painted them heat resistant black years ago.  After a power wash, I repainted them again with heat resistant black paint before reinstalling.  

The only repair was the hangers in some cases had separated from the rubber, so I drilled a hole in both the hanger and the rubber and installed SS screws in all of them to hold them together a trick I learned from this forum several years ago.

Yes, the flex pipes and the connections were leaking exhaust for the first 1,000 miles and slowly quieted down as I used exhaust pipe compound when assembling the system. Otherwise, they are fine.  Unfortunately, the exhaust sound is not that of a Ferrari. I believe there is nothing in the muffler or the resonator which gives the car a nice rap when shifting gears.  Maybe my exhaust system will last another 10 or 20 years in Florida.  Oh yes, while I do go to the 7/11 from time to time, fill up the tank, I turn on to the Tamiami Trail where in a few miles I can be up to 65 MPH and the engine is hot all the time for a 40-mile round trip in the county.  Keeps the old girl happy and me also.

The old girl is up on the rack with high pressure in the tires and sleeping in the Florida garage for the summer presently while I am enjoying cooler temperatures and sailing in Lake Michigan.

Best regards to all, 

Bob Begani

From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Bob Spidell
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2022 7:38 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Stainless exhaust again

In other climes, like sunny--i.e. hot and desperately dry--California salt isn't an issue, but quick trips to the corner 7-11 for a sixer are. Condensation from the engine exhaust pools in the low spots, and the pipes don't get hot enough to boil it out on short trips--think of the white 'smoke' coming from cars on cold mornings--and MS exhausts rust out from the inside. Since most of us don't use our Healeys for such mundane tasks (except for emergencies) SS isn't really ever needed, and you'll probably bash your exhaust to bits and rattles before it rusts. Plus, I think most 'performance' exhausts are a type of (fiber) 'glasspack,' and you'll blow the 'glass' out in a few years.

I bought an Ansa exhaust for my BJ8 shortly after I bought it some 38 years ago, and its pipes live on. Even though they made my car sound like a 6-cyl Ferrari, I'd love to get another set. Michael Lempert--maker of gorgeous steering wheels--considered building his own version but, unfortunately didn't proceed.

On 6/13/2022 2:55 PM, Jean Caron wrote:

With the few miles we put on our cars each year  I simply cannot see the need for stainless steel exhaust when a MD steel one will last 20 + years anyway.

Jean

Sent from my Bell Samsung device over Canada’s largest network.

  _____  

From: Healeys  <mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Michael Salter  <mailto:michaelsalter at gmail.com> <michaelsalter at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2022 4:50:18 PM
To: Stephen Hutchings  <mailto:s.hutchings at rogers.com> <s.hutchings at rogers.com>
Cc: healey Mail List  <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> <healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Stainless exhaust again 

I make my own front pipes for 100's because the cheapo repos are so terrible.  

I use mild steel for the pipes, which I actually had mandrel bent in New Zealand because no one in Canada seemed to be able to bend them to the correct radius but, and pretty soon I'll get to the point of this email, I weld the stainless flex to the mild steel with my TIG welder. 

I use mild steel for the pipes because I have yet to see a front pipe that has rusted through unless the car is driven extensively on salted roads.

I'm sure anyone who does TIG welding could do the welding for you in mild steel but if you are prepared to pay handsomely FAB Stainless Welding could do them in stainless 905 669 7400 ask for Frank.

BTW the stainless steel flex seems to leak slightly when first installed but that stops after a little use, the gaps probably fill with carbon.

M

On Mon., Jun. 13, 2022, 3:54 p.m. Stephen Hutchings, <s.hutchings at rogers.com <mailto:s.hutchings at rogers.com> > wrote:

Just thought I’d bring you up to date on my quest for a leak free exhaust.
The new downpipes arrive today, and I did a test on them before going to the trouble of putting them on the car.
Well…Bell exhaust systems need new welders, because the two pipes both leak at the welds AND through the flex pipe! 
I’m trying to find someone local to fix them, but most muffler shops say they can't weld stainless.
If anyone knows someone in the Toronto area who can do this work, please let me know.

Thanks,
Stephen, BJ8

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