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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - MGB V8 Twin Exhaust

Hi Folks.
I am looking for a twin exhaust system for my MGB V8.
I have seen one from the MGV8 Developments Exhaust Systems site. The link to further info on this site does not work.
Does any good person know their new site address please, please!!

David Tetlow

David,
I believe they went out of business some few years ago. The only ready-made twin pipe assembly I have seen recently was from the MGOC. Their system is very nice but needs to have the specially reshaped fuel tank to go with it, so all in all it comes to about £1300 which is a bit on the expensive side.

You ideally need to put the main silencers in front of the axle with something like jet tubes at the rear where there isn't much room. This is how the MGOC system looks, but they have the tank shaped to sort of surround the tail pipes. I'd love to know who makes it for them. I have to confess that my conversion is costing so much that I might just consider spending the money and getting it. When you've already spent a fortune, why not go the whole hog?

Mike
Mike Howlett


Sometimes I think England and Scotland must exist in a different world... Don't you folks have a muffler shop in EVERY town, just like we do? Surely someone within half-an-hour's drive can bend you a few pipes? Then, they'll be custom fitted to your exact car... Seriously. They're just bent pipes. You'll save so much money and time. (I made mine myself. It's not hard!)
Curtis

I agree with Curtis that finding a local muffler shop with pipe bending capability is the economical way to go. You probably won't end up with nice mandrel bends and will have some minor flattening at each bend, but it will function just as well as an expensive custom made system and will save you a few quid. Throw in a couple of Dynamax mufflers, a crossover pipe, shift the existing fuel tank 3" to the left and voila!.....music to your ears.
Graham Creswick

Another possibility is to route both tailpipes out the left side. No need to move the tank and depending on where you go across could make the crossover tube really simple. Most places now have aluminized tubing which is pretty good about not corroding, but I have seen variations in the thickness of the coating.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

I did as Jim suggested. Crossover in front of the bellhousing from blockhugger headers to a custom bent "X" pipe, then into two 2" glasspacks, two pipes under the axle and into a custom built resonator box with two stainless steel tips exiting where the stock single pipe used to be. There is a heat shield above the mufflers and resonator. The whole system is ceramic coated using coatings from Techline.
The tubing was bought at a local muffler shop and I had them make the necessary bends for the "X" pipe and the 90 degree pieces. The only clamps are at the mufflers and resonator.
Sounds very nice and doesn't look too far from an aftermarket 4 cylinder system at the rear.
I can send some pics if anyone is interested.
Phil O

Interesting the comments from our American buddies about muffler shops. Troon is quite a small town (about 15,000 inhabitants) but has a really good exhaust and tyre fitting shop run by a really good guy who has worked on all our cars over the years. I went in and said to him "Sam, can you make me up a bespoke exhaust system?" No came the answer. He doesn't have any pipe bending equipment. The same is true of the major chains like Kwik-Fit Exhausts. They just fit pattern parts. I think you fellas over the water are lucky to have the outfits you have.

Mike
Mike Howlett

Hi Mike,

Maybe contact some american car specialists, i live in kent and there are a couple around the kent / essex area who offer this type of service. A guy in my close has a trans-am and he disappeared the other week upto essex somewhere and came back with a made up exhaust.
ian.sanders

Mike,
Yes its very hard over here trying to find people who will do anything "non standard" I count myself lucky that I found one of those men in sheds who will make almost anything, doesn't do pipe bending though.

David,

You didn't say what your car is Factory or Conversion and what exhaust you have at the moment.

One thought is, that you could remove the Y piece that connects the two manifolds to the single exhaust, buy another mid and tail section to match what you have, run it on the right hand side, and use the standard hangers to support it. You will still need to centralise the tank to obtain clearance and you may have to extend the new mid section because if memory serves me well the right hand manifold is a little shorter tham the left. Another point is that to get the maximum benefit from a dual system you really need to install a crossover pipe probably just to the rear of the gearbox although it would be worth getting some accurate information on this point.
So not all that difficult and only a small bit of welding involved.
I bought my RV8 system from MGB Hivea full stainless steel system with fantastic manifolds and the best welding Iv'e seen for a long time, and all for £399.00

Kevin Jackson.

Kevin Jackson

Just did a quick Google search under "Exhaust Fabrication and these two are worth a look.

http://www.web.ukonline.co.uk/grahamf

http://www.mijperformance.com?home.html

Kevin
Kevin Jackson

First one didn't work, Try with a slash!

http://www.web.ukonline.co.uk/grahamf/

Kevin
Kevin Jackson

+*^+*! still won't work just do a search on Google with
"Exhaust Fabrication" using the inverted commas.

Kevin.
Kevin Jackson

Guys, can you order from Harbour Freight over there? Check out this bender:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32888
It's a 12 ton portable unit that sells for $99us and can bend up to 2" pipe. I'm sure it would bend exhaust pipe well enough. For that price it's worth a try, especially if you are handy with a torch or mig welder.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

The pipe bender will probably work for small bends of say less than 45 degrees without kinking, but pipe size and tube size are not the same thing. 2 inch tubing is 2 inches OD, where 2 inch pipe is about 2-3/8 inches OD.

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

That's true, but it says in the description that it will bend up to 2" round or square so I wouldn't rely too much on either one as being correct. But if it really does go by pipe size the next one down should be pretty close, or maybe use a filler to make up the difference like a sheet of rubber, plastic, or leather. Plus this is just one of three models they offer. The others cost more though, up to about twice as much. And if you really want to get creative you can cap the ends and pack the tube with sand to keep it from crimping.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

Quite true, and that's a good suggestion. My point, really, was to make folks aware that pipe and tube are two different things and, although "exhaust pipe" is named pipe, it is not really pipe, but tubing. You just have to be careful that what you buy is really what you want.

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

Jim said: "you can cap the ends and pack the tube with sand to keep it from crimping"

Now you're talking! I like those old ways...

Sand bending (without a press of any sort, but with an acetylene torch to heat the tubing) is how we made all the bends in my exhaust system. We also fabricated a home-made set of tri-y headers. Sand bending isn't really hard to do, but it takes a few practice bends to get the hang of it. (Nice welds between lengthes of tubing is the hard part, so my friend did that part.)

If you care, here are tips: You need to leave enough tube on either side of each bend so that you can get a grip and put some leverage on the tubing. You heat the tubing just until it starts glowing... and keep it that hot as you steadily apply force to wrap it around something cylindrical (like old pieces of pipe, tree-stumps, whatever...) After the tubing cools, you cut it to length and butt-weld adjacent pieces. One little warning: always drill a vent hole or leave a gap when you weld caps onto the tubing, because otherwise air inside the tube will pressurize. (A rupture could include a dramatic release of energy and hot sand.)

You should be able to see our results here: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/v8_conversions/files/engine/tubeex.html
(You'll have to scroll down a bit...)
Curtis

One option is to buy in a supply of mandrel bent U bends and cut and weld until you get what you want. Time honoured way of building headers when you ain't got a bender.
Bill Spohn

Phil O,

Please send pictures.

Thanks in advance,

Al
Al Wulf

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2006 and 11/02/2006

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