Stainless exhaust for 2000TC - What to look for and where?

B

Bilmac

New Member
Hi Everyone;
The exhaust on my 1971 2000TC is getting well past its best, I am thinking of replacing it with a durable SS system but am unsure as to what to look out for in terms of quality and price etc. Can you help me with references to reputable suppliers and indication of cost?
Thanks & Regards
Bilmac :p
 
I bought a S.S. exhaust manifold in the UK in 1990. The pipe, as it enters the 1/2" thick plate which has the bolt holes, going into the 4th cylinder cracked 6 times. After the first time, the engine exhaust specialist told me that he never used S.S. in his racing days as it was too brittle for the heat. (Too late for me - I had to keep persisting.) The latest weld was done by a machinist friend who heated up the manifold flange and did other things to try to reduce the "crackability". It's still working.

I bought other pieces of the S.S. exhaust from a Double S agent over here. The straight pipe was too long between the front engine mounting and the tip that goes into the exhaust manifold. They had the pipe length right but welded on a cast metal end that extended the distance too far. (The manifold has no "give" and the brackets fix the poisition of the pipe.) I had to cut off both pipe brackets, offer the pipe up, bolt it, and tack weld the brackets before removing, completing the welding and refitting.

Moral to the story: Do your research first.

You'll probably be closer to your supplier than me and can return things.

Eric
 
Hi - I just got my car back on the road (2000SC) and was intending fitting a complete stainless system but phoning around they were very expensive (£400 plus from memory).
Following advice from the guys at Ely services I just fitted the back box in stainless as the rest of the system looked fine (it's only really the tortuous bends over the axle that cause the rot). Jeff at Ray Weekley's supplied a back section (ie over axle pipe and back box) for £110. The beauty of this stuff is that it is all the same fittings as the standard mild steel stuff so you can replace sections as the go and spread out the pain!
 
Thanks Guys; I am glad I asked the question now. I do a fair bit of cycling and have found that stainless steel wheel spokes are also prone to brittle failure, and had hoped that the fractures were due to my immense power but you seem to have destroyed that theory!
Perhaps mild steel is the order of the day, my mild steel spokes are fine and I would rather the exhaust be a little rusty as opposed to a little snapped.

Cheers & may your Rover go with you.
 
Hi Bilmac - not sure if you misread my posting. I HAVE fitted a S.S. back box and will replace the other M.S. sections with S.S as they need to be replaced.
I know S.S. is more brittle than M.S. and definitely wouldn't want to have a S.S. manifold but as for the rest of the system I would not worry about metal fatigue with S.S.
I have had a number of cars in the past with S.S. systems and have had no probs.
And as you say - no unsightly rust streaks over the underside of the car.
Hope that clarifies.
(PS - worth checking what sort of warranty the supplier gives anyway - most offer "lifetime" guarantees).
 
strange about the manifolds - I had a V8 in another car that was fine for the 13 years I had it, with SS manifolds. mhh.
 
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