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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Flexible exhaust sections

Hello folks, hope you are all well.

I picked up a tubular exhaust manifold for my 1500 this week. It was a good price on ebay, it looks a lot like the Moss Triumphtune type.

The problem is, as it came, it was never in a month of Sundays going to fit. There are two issues, the secondaries are "side by side" instead of front-back so they won't fit through the chassis gap. The second problem is they are too short so they foul on the bottom of the car/floorpan.

It needs some reconfiguration somehow.

An easy option is to maybe put flexi sections in the secondaries. Is this a daft idea?

Thoughts...

Cheers,
Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

It might be better to sell it and buy one for a midget.
Dave O'Neill 2

Hi. Malcolm

I am well thanks - you?

As for the manifold, I am with Dave - get one that fits a Midget. Maniflow do one:
http://www.maniflow.co.uk/index.php?view=product&product=1149 which you could get direct from them, or via Magic Midget (the latter might be worth phoning for advice first in conjunction with subsequent purchase):
http://www.magicmidget.co.uk/

If you are looking to keep modifying what you have got, Merlin Motorsport sell exhaust parts
http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/s/exhausts But could take a lot of time and hassle to do this, as well as uncertain performance results and how much money would your really save. Ok if you can spare the time and are a good fabricator, welder and pipe bender, got the tools and workshop and like experimenting...

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

Sounds like a good solution

BUT...check with your MOT inspectors 1st to make sure they will pass that type of modification

Here in MO., there are new rules going into effect and flexy pipe maybe on the hatchet list...

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Malcolm,
As Dave points out it may be better to buy a Midget one.... but where's the fun in that :D

Flexi sections are a decent shout and are widely used on the front pipes of moderns. They are not really suited to large shifts as they only allow a few mm's of horizontal or vertical movement and are primarily designed to absorb engine movement (which is common in modern oil burners).

Before you buy, don't forget to check if the manifold is stainless or mild steel :D

best of...
MGmike

M McAndrew

My 1275 janspeed was side by side and I just had to open up the gap a little. ( a little off the chassis rail and some "adjustment" on the other side as I recall.)
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

Sounds like you have the Spitfire one. Sell it and get one for a Midget, it will be much less headache that way. The less joints the better it stands up to the abuse it gets, and a flexi pipe is essentially all joints.

If you're dead set on modifying it, i'd cut and weld in my own sections to reshape the secondarys after the primary collectors. The caveat with this, is that secondary length on 4-2-1 exhausts is a more critical item than primary length. You could end up making an exhaust that isn't actually that good at improving power (although to be fair, almost anything is better than the standard cast iron junk!)
If you're bored with a welder, well why not have some fun, eh?
Roadwarrior

Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

It is a Midget manifold, albeit (I think) TT brand. It is about right, but not right enough. Certainly the pipes point in the right direction underneath the car to connect with the intermediate pipe. Spit ones go straight backwards, Midget ones, like this swing across the car.

It looks like this silver one...

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-model/mg/midget/performance-tuning/exhaust-manifolds-systems/1500-tubular-manifold-and-fittings.html

Too late on sending it back/selling it. Already started chopping it up! :-D It was only £50, so I am £125 in the black so far, I have time and a welder so it's gonna be a mod job I think.

Also have a new garage with electric :-o modern age or what! So I don't have to weld in the kitchen :-D

Cheers,
Malcolm

P.S. Mike Wood - yeah, I am doing great, thanks!
M Le Chevalier

Even the manifolds made specifically for the Midget are not necessarily a good fit. I reshaped the one I got from MGOC to get it to clear the chassis rail and it needed a lot of port-matching and filing of the flange to get it to fit the stud positions.
Nick Nakorn

Maniflow is the only way to go.
I've spent several hours cutting and welding other (cheaper) manifolds for people not willing to pay for the proper stuff.
And you end up with a higher bill in the end.

For a maniflow you will need to "adjust" the flanges off the hole but other than that it fits and flows perfectly
Onno K

Hi Malcolm,


I looked into this last year and the general concensus was the only way to go was with a Maniflow one, the MGOC ones just don't fit properly, I think they're made by Pec, and the Moss (ex SAH) ones aren't much better,



So I bit the bullet and went for the Maniflow one which fits perfectly, you just have to cut off the flange at the front on the exhaust in order to fit the Y-piece, but as I have a one off front pipe to clear the overdrive x-member it wasn't an issue in my case.


I've added a pic of it being installed.




Regards Steve


SR Smith 1

Malcom

Id say go for it... like you said, you have a welder, and a what sounds like a nice shop to work in and you investment is minimal, seriously...what else are you going to do with a lazy winter sunday afternoon...practice making babies with the wife ? Wheres the fun in that!

I think theres alot to be learned and enjoyed recreating the exhaust manifold...go for it

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Can do these if they help

http://www.jetex.co.uk/website/images/catalogues/customparts/u054550r.jpg

http://www.jetex.co.uk/website/images/catalogues/customparts/ufilok.jpg
J L HEAP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9pHTtyzz_I
Steven Devine

This thread was discussed between 28/02/2015 and 03/03/2015

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.