MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Exhaust

I need to replace the exhaust on my MGA Mk II, but I have a question. SInce I am always scraping the bottom of the pipe on my (admittedly high) driveway curb, is there any way to modify the exhaust so that it doesn't hang so low?

MGAs and MGBs both seem to have exhaust pipes that hang several inches below everything else on the car, and it SEEMS like there is plenty of room to raise them up without even touching the bottom of the car...is this possible or practical?

Any advice appreciated.
Jim Paul

Hi Jim. You might try installing new motor mounts, if yours are more than a few years old. Old mounts get soft, and begin to sag under engine weight. As the engine begins to drop, sitting lower in the chassis, the exhaust system (obviously) drops with it. The engine, and therefore the exhaust system can drop a significant amount when the mounts are oil soaked and extremely soft. When I installed my new motor mounts, the exhaust system was raised up so much that the exhaust pipe then began to hit one of the transverse frame outriggers, and created an annoying vibration. I went to a muffler shop, and got them to heat and bend the exhaust pipe in an appropriate spot, and the vibration stopped, since the pipe was bent just enough to avoid hitting the outrigger. If your mounts are good, you might be able to heat and bend the exhaust pipe near the muffler end, to raise the muffler up a bit more. This might give enough clearance to stop the scraping. You may have to modify or replace your current exhaust hangers in the process. Just be glad you don't own an Austin Healy 3000! Those things had absolutely lousy ground clearance, and I lost more than one set of (expensive) exhaust downpipes going over minimal bumps! Hope this helps. Glenn
Glenn

In addition to Glenn's comments, I've noticed that many MGA's have their replacement tailpipes mounted upside down (with the exhuast angled downward, away from the car). Originally, I think, the exhaust pipe was angled upward, toward the bumper. If the pipe is correctly facing upward, it might reduce some scraping at the rear end. FWIW.

Regards,
M.D.
'57 coupe
M. D.

Clearance at the front is largely determined by the length of the down pipe from the manifold. If you have a system custom made this length can be altered to place the pipe closer to the floor boards. The down side is that the closer the pipe is to the floor the more heat is transfered to the passenger compartment, although on an A with wood boards this is not as much a problem as with B's and midgets. I keep waiting for someone to come out with oval shaped tubing that would increase the clearance without reducing the pipe's flow.
Bill Young

Jim,

I agree with Glenn that new engine mounts can make a big difference. I'm in the final stages of a frame-up resto, including the new mounts. I hung a stock Moss stainless steel exhaust on and it is up high and tight. I've only driven the car about 5 miles so far but it seems to be rattle free. To show how much clearance I now have I've temporarily posted a couple of pictures here: http://home.mindspring.com/~kdoris/mga/id1.html

- Ken
Ken Doris

I can't resist. This reminds me of a ride I had long ago with a friend who had an MGA 1500 in ratty shape but this particular car had a very strong and well running engine. We were in Nothern Virgina climbing a long grade up over the Shennandoah Mountains. He had the car floored, top down, cool spring evening. We noticed some sparks flying around the cockpit, then more, then smoke, wood smoke, not oil smoke, wood smoke!

We pulled over and the floor boards were on fire behind the drivers seat above the exhaust.

Don't raise it so high that you burn it up like he almost did.

We doused the fire with our favorite beverages, never mind what they were, this was in the late '60s!

Ted

Ted

Ted,
When I bought my MKII it had a charred oval shaped hole beneath the driver seat. It had burned clean through from the heat of the exhaust pipe. It gives a different meaning to a hot car or better yet a hot seat.
I installed a shield that hangs from the floor boards, made of stainless steel sheeting. It has about a 3/8 inch gap between the floor boards and the shield. The edges are bent downward to help the air move between the floor boards and the shield.


Ray
Ray Ammeter

Moss use to sell a floorboard protector. It is 4 inch wide by about 18 inches long. It is a piece of steel with a heat protector material like abestos. It is attached by four screws thru the floorboards.
JEFF BECKER

This thread was discussed between 08/12/2004 and 10/12/2004

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.