Downpipe gasket / flange replacing

[christhemann]

Just got the car back from the garage who said exhaust is blowing a bit from the
downpipe to manifold gasket. (the dreaded c-clip things!)

Does anybody know if you can still get the flange / gasket to replace? And also if I do this,
should I replace the spring clips.
I assume I'd need to use the famous "exhaust clamp" tool method to fit the clips!

Could you get away without removing the centre pipe to just fit a new gasket....

Thanks a lot.

[Risocco]

New gasket and clamps were/are available from GSF dude. If you bosh the "c" clamps off, the down pipe will move away a little, giving you ample room to fit the gasket. If not, just take off the exhaust hanger under the car, pipe will hit the deck then

Good luck refitting the clamps! Dont envy you dude!

Alex

[christhemann]

Thanks for that !

Don't suppose you've got one of those tools for doing it properly?
If your up this neck of the woods, there would be beers waiting. lol

Somewhere on the old forum there was a post about making a bodged exhaust clamp tool...

[Risocco]

Don't suppose you've got one of those tools for doing it properly?

I maaaaaay do...............

I'm free sunday dude if you need a hand

Alex

[roccodave]

if you can get on a proper ramp you can remove and refit them verry easily with an old towrope by pulling down till they spread open
you can allso use this method with normal drive on ramps at home but it dosent get it high enough so you need to lever off the bottom of the car with a scaffold bar

[christhemann]

Thanks for the comments!

Cheers for that Alex, will remember that offer
Might be busy Sunday, but hopefully next week some time will give it a go.

[christhemann]

Just done this ! Ouch, not as easy as it should be to say the least. (cuts on the arms speak for that).
ARRRR.

For a start, getting the old clips off using the exhaust clamp method is a bit of a pain.
Getting the clamp on them is easy, but cranking the nuts up to stretch out the clamp is awkward in place.
The left hand clamp is much easier to get at from the top of the engine bay, the other from underneath.

Once clamps were off, the old gasket needed some hammering to get it off from the engine bay (passenger side).
Eventually came off and I replaced it with a new gasket from GSF, along with some exhaust fitting paste smeared on the inside and outside.
I dropped the mid section off the rubber hanger and rested it on the Anti Roll Bar.

Then came the easier part (so I thought). I put the new spring clamps from GSF into the exhaust clamp and
cranked them open, managed to wedge the driver side one on and undid the nuts in place.
The whole thing WAS REALLY LOOSE! The crappy clamps obviously stretched (I heard someone mention they had
problems with them in the past from GSF).
I'll be taking them back for a refund!
I ended up reusing the old clamps, which weren't too rusty so looked ok. These
were really hard to get on but eventually managed to whack them on and all was good.

A lesson learned. Buy the proper tool, and the genuine parts.

[Risocco]

To get them off next time dude, just use a hammer and pry-bar, 30 second pain free job that way dude

Alex