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Stainless exhaust manifold
myke pocock - 24/12/13 at 09:54 PM

Recently bought a second hand exhaust manifold for my x flow. Have found that I cannot get a nut on to one of the studs (dont know how the seller fitted it on?)as it is very close to one of the pipes and bends to prevent fitting a flanged stud that I want to make. As I have never heated and formed stainless can I heat it with oxy and gently form a groove in the pipe to get the stud in place?

v8kid - 24/12/13 at 10:27 PM

Might be quite common as I have the same problem on a different engine. I fixed a stud in the head and used a cut down nut. No problems with leaks.
Cheers!

loggyboy - 24/12/13 at 10:48 PM

NOt sure if I quite understand - but cant you make it the first one you do up, slide back the manifold so only a couple of threads are exposed then slip the nut on before sliding the flange further down the rest of the studs?

Brett Jones - 24/12/13 at 10:48 PM

Have you tried pulling the flange about 10mm away from the head and only let the stud stick through about 5mm, then try to screw on the nut and once the thread has taken you should be able tighten it all the way.

teegray19 - 24/12/13 at 11:37 PM

You bought it from me and it goes on if you put the one you think you can't get in first!

I cut down a standard bolt and put it in, could even post them up to you?

Cheers.

Scuzzle - 25/12/13 at 12:14 AM

The X-flow 4 branch manifolds are really bad for warping up at the block because of the loose design of the flanges. When I ran X-flows I fitted up the manifold to the block, welded steel bar top and bottom along the primaries to make them all connected nice and solid then took it to a machine shop and had them skim across all 4 faces to make them flat and true again.

Was always FWD I had which must be why I never had any issues with the stud clearance.

[Edited on 25/12/13 by Scuzzle]

garyo - 25/12/13 at 06:36 AM

I had the same with a pinto. Had to do as loggyboy said: use studs and make it the first one.

Phil.J - 25/12/13 at 10:16 AM

And use a 'K' nut for maximum clearance

Paul Turner - 25/12/13 at 03:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by myke pocock
Recently bought a second hand exhaust manifold for my x flow. Have found that I cannot get a nut on to one of the studs (dont know how the seller fitted it on?)as it is very close to one of the pipes and bends to prevent fitting a flanged stud that I want to make. As I have never heated and formed stainless can I heat it with oxy and gently form a groove in the pipe to get the stud in place?


When I ran x-flows over a 14 year period its fair to say they all did it on at least one of the studs, mainly the flange for the centre pair. Easily solved, I removed the studs and used cap head bolts with small spring washers. Had to shorten an allen key to fit on one occasion, it was that tight.

coyoteboy - 2/1/14 at 10:57 AM

And no, stainless isn't heat formable like other metals, it tends to harden and embrittle when heated significantly.

[Edited on 2/1/14 by coyoteboy]