Exhaust flex tubing

[labman]

Struck out at all the auto places in town on a new exhaust pipe for my 77 LUV. The one muffler shop says they can make one if I hang around half a day while they match it up. What if I just buy a length of flex and bend it myself? Anybody ever do that?

Rockauto and JC Whitney don't have one either.

 

[TallPaul]

The flex pipe is more restrictive because it is not smooth on the inside and I suspect it will not last as long. With a pickup, why not just piece something together to come out the side. Short and sweet.

Hey, I really like those old mini-pickups. My brother had a LUV back in the late 70s. Also like the Courier.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by labman:
Struck out at all the auto places in town on a new exhaust pipe for my 77 LUV. The one muffler shop says they can make one if I hang around half a day while they match it up. What if I just buy a length of flex and bend it myself? Anybody ever do that?

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Yup, there are some disadvantages, most of which you are probably aware of and don't consider too important.

Assuming you are talking about the pipe with the convulutions of a sex toy rather then true permanantly flexible tubing....

The stuff I have used was bit thinner than stock tubing, the convulutions give extra surface area so the exhaust cools tad faster and has a bit more flow resistance. It will corrode bit faster because of the cooling and more places for moisture to sit after a short run.

None of those problems are show stoppers and I think they are relatively small differences from straight pipe. Anyhow, all exhaust pipes are temporary anyway, some are just more temporary than others

A possible plan B would be to have them bend up apipe that exityed just in the front of a rear wheel. A bit louder in the cab but a simple quick bend job.

Rock auto, http://www.rockauto.com/ lists the rear pipe for a 77 LUV short bed.

 

[kingrob]

Labman, I've gone that route before. Little louder and only lasts a few years at best, but it's cheaper and sure beats hanging around exhaust shops all day.

 

[mechtech]

You will lose flow, for sure, but save time and money.
It's your call.
Was that LUV an 1877 or 1977?

 

[labman]

1877

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by mechtech:
You will lose flow, for sure, but save time and money.

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A 77 LUV doesn't flow enough to develop any flow ressistance.

I'm just pulling your chain Labman, you are doing more to conserve resources by maintaining your LUV than anyone does by buying a new Prius.

 

[The_Jeff]

check your state laws but up here if you don't have a cap over the bed the exhaust only has to extend beyond under the cab. Still has to have a cat and muffler of course. I've seen a bunch of trucks that run a straight shot to a $19 muffler that exits right under the center of the box.

One would be nuts condensation-wise not to have it exit somewhere outside of the bed though.

 

[labman]

It is the exhaust pipe I need, from the manifold back to the muffler. A local jobber even had a tail pipe in stock. I think I am going to pull the old pipe off tomorrow night and drop it off at the muffler shop Friday working around my wife's schedule. Be interesting to see what they come up with. The tail pipe I have is a Walker. All the factory made stuff I have bought for a while, has had grooves around the pipe here and there. The hot exhaust seems to burn through the part that protrudes into the pipe, shortening its life. The Walker too, but I don't think as bad as the stuff I have been buying at AAP.

What happened to cheap, foreign made clamps? All I see any more have 1/2'' or 9/16 nuts. I have been making my own for a long time now. I reuse the saddles. I buy 5/16'' rod and cut 8-1.25 thread on it, and bend it around a pipe. That way, I know my 13 mm wrench is going to fit the clamps, hanger bolts, and everything else under there.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by labman:
I buy 5/16'' rod and cut 8-1.25 thread on it, and bend it around a pipe. That way, I know my 13 mm wrench is going to fit the clamps, hanger bolts, and everything else under there.

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Why not buy pre-threaded rod, you will get several clamp pieces for a few dollars and not have to thread it.

 

[Bret Chase]

all-thread will snap if you try and bend it like that. it's some seriously low grade stuff.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bret Chase:
all-thread will snap if you try and bend it like that. it's some seriously low grade stuff.

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You must be getting even cheaper grade Chinese stuff than I am. Mine will bend that tight no problem.

 

[labman]

So who carries 8-1.25 all thread?

 

[labman]

Where do I find a 9 mm nut? I finally took the old pipe off, and left it at the shop by itself. They did a nice job. I think they used heavier tubing than the ones I have bought, 2'' all the way back. None of the creases around it like the factory made stuff either. $40 compared to the $30 for the half as long, thinner tail pipe. Had to use my cheap, made in China, Harbor Freight tail pipe expander to make it fit over the muffler. The 12 mm bolt stripped. Luckily, I was able to substitute a good American made 1/2'' one. It didn't fit quite right, sagging down a little too far in the middle. One more problem quickly solved with a floor jack.

When I took it off, one of the nuts on the flange seemed awful loose. Wouldn't tighten up at all when I went to put it back on. I discovered the studs are 9 mm, and somehow I had a 10 mm nut on one. So who carries odd ball metric nuts? So far, I have tried the one local jobber, NAPA, and Ace Hardware. Are Auto Zone, Advanced Auto, Lowes, or Home Depot even worth checking? Thursday I will be out of town and might be able to hit Pep Boys etc.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by labman:
So who carries 8-1.25 all thread?

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Use 5/16 with new nuts. 5/16 is 9.9375 mm.

RE your other post:
9mm would be real oddball. Might it actually be 3/8?

 

[labman]

If I wanted to mess around under the truck with both a half inch and 13 mm wrenches, it would be faster and cheaper to buy ready made clamps.

Its a Japanese truck. A 14 mm socket fits the nut on the other side fine.