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 MGB Technical - 4.3L MGB GT exhaust problems

I have a 1972 MGB GT that I have managed to fit a 4.3L Vortech V6 in. We are about ready to crank it but the last problem that we have is the exhaust manifolds. The RH side is fine if I turn the exhaust manifolds to where they are facing to the front but the driver's side is hitting the steering column. Dose anybody know what i can do or where I can go to have a custom exhaust made?
Tyler Hutton

Try Bill Guzman at,
http://www.classicconversionseng.com/

Clifton
Clifton Gordon

The 4.3 is not a real easy customer, as you have just found out. Is there room to cross the exhaust over in front of the engine, and behind (or maybe even in front of) the rad? Move the rad forward if needed. Fenderwell headers are an option if you can bring yourself to cut the fenderwels. Neither solution is pretty, but if you are desperate both solutions are viable.

Pete

PS. The Zoomies staight up through the hood have a "hard to miss look"!;-)
Pete

I didn't know that 4.3 could be squeezed into a B. ' Would sure like to see pictures if you have them posted somewhere.

Thanks,
Allen
Allen Bachelder

After thinking about my suggestion to contact Bill Guzman, he may not have an answer because I think all his conversions use 60 degree V-6 engines. The 90 degree 4.3 makes headers a bigger problem. You can find some custom exhaust header builders in the Charlotte area. They do NASCAR headers, the cost would be very high. A good custom muffler shop should be able to fabricate headers with available pre bent short pipes. You may have to buy a set of cheap headers to get flanges. It will take lots of cutting and welding and someone that does quality work and is willing be creative. Ask some street rodders where to go. Another alternative may be to cut your steering shaft and re-route it using additional U joints and bearings. Look in the Pegasus Auto Racing or Speedway Motors Street Rod catalogs for ideas.
www.PegasusAutoRacing.com
www.SpeedwayMotor.com

Clifton
Clifton Gordon

It's kinda fun to make your own manifold. Buy or find some flanges and then purchase some carbon steel 90 and 180 degree bends....I got some from JC Whitney. As long as all your cuts are perpendicular to the walls of the tubes all the pieces of the puzzle will fit together. Just cut a piece, tack it, cut another piece, tack etc. The mig welder is the best, the tacks welds are so small and short that you can work without gloves (to keep the two circles lined up) and without hood (2 second welds and look away). It really is kinda fun, a three dimensional puzzle. Then take the artwork to a weldor to Tig everything together. I had to route one leg around the steering shaft on a midget and both lengths ended up with-in one quarter of an inch. I was at the MG2005 in Olympia and you would not believe the creative exhausts, one went up above the valve cover, back towards the firewall and down! It even was ceramic coated.

Safety Fast,
Jeff Pintler
Jeff Pintler

you americans are just showing off
daz

Tyler- 2 options for me on the 3.8 90* conversion: 1. Take a set of Pacesetter cheapo's for $300 and cut/weld & adapt them to the MGB, or 2. Go e-bay and buy some used headers of the right diameter, mine were 1 1/2 inch and their consistent equal primary length of 38 inches was the hard part. Collect into a 3 x 2 1/2", use a balancer ("H" pipe), then some Flowmaster 40s and 2 inches out. I paid "Ed's Headers" for a consultation and feel it was money well spent. I had the flanges made with a water/sand pressure cutter for $75 and used reducer cones to get to the correct primary diameter. FWIW, I found the weld sleeves by Hooker to be a surprising help with the MIG. Jeff is right, once I got past the "what am I doing here", it was fun and most challenging. All told the sets I had bid, including Ed's with a 6 month wait, came in around $2500. I have maybe 20 hours and $500 in parts, and alot of satisfaction. I sandblasted, hi-temp Lab-Metal, then used Eastwood ceramic Hot coat. Man they look sharp and professional. I'm just now cutting the driveshaft having installed the shortened rear wxle last week. Hope to have a run going next week. Tyler what are your engine specs, and are you EFI? Vic
vem myers

This thread was discussed between 09/07/2005 and 19/07/2005

MG MGB Technical index

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