| Author | Message | ||
     Mark Aldridge Experienced User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 16 Registered: 10-2008 |
Can anyone please advise the best procedure to change the front silencer on a Shadow. The system is all in good condition except the front silencer which is damaged and blowing and needs urgent replacement.I assume I need to remove the front pipes from the manifold in order to remove the front silencer. Mark | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 640 Registered: 6-2006 |
Mark, the front box comes without down pipes. about 12" in front of the silencer there should be a sleeved section. cut somewhere to suit. You will usually need a silencer and sleeve. About £300 in stainless (best bet if you intend to keep the car) | ||
| Mark Aldridge Experienced User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 17 Registered: 10-2008 |
Thanks Paul,When the silencer and front pipes were changed last time it appears the sleeve was welded to the silencer pipe,so I will cut this and fit silencer and new sleeve. Is the exhaust note affected with a stainless silencer on Shadows? The stainless system on my Midget is very harsh. Mark (Message edited by mark aldridge on 17 August 2010) | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 974 Registered: 4-2003 |
Mark, If reduced noise is a priority, you need to install a muffler and pipes made from the thickest stainless steel available. Unfortunately most of the commercial products are made from light gauge stainless steel to keep the cost down. The downside of the lower cost is higher noise levels. Having been involved in the development of stainless steel exhaust systems many years ago, 16 gauge [1.6mm] is the bare minimum for achieving significant noise reduction; thicker metal is even better but can cause some forming problems if the right equipment is not available to the manufacturer. | ||
| Mark Aldridge Experienced User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 18 Registered: 10-2008 |
David, Thank you for your advice.This explains a lot.The Midget system is very light and was only about 50% more costly than mild steel.I will explore what is available for the Shadow.Unfortunately the last 2 mild steel front silencers have been accident damaged rather than rusted away although each had lasted 7 years+ so I cant complain.I just wish my farming clients would repair their drives!or maybe I should bemore selective where I use the Shadow and use the Landrover on more client visits. (Message edited by mark aldridge on 18 August 2010) | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 645 Registered: 6-2006 |
OUCH Mark - 7 years is not bad in any case, maybe go for a custom front box that doesn't hang so low down?  | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2190 Registered: 4-2003 |
Mark, Much as I do most jobs myself on my cars, I don't care for exhaust work. Furthermore, and in stark contrast to many other jobs, I find no time or cost benefit in doing almost any DIY exhaust work. I limit my DIY exhaust work to undoing sections to work on other things. When I had a new (stainless) exhaust put on my Turbo R at Christmas, I went to the same Sydney shop that fitted a (thick-gauge) full-stainless perfect replica system to my 1954 R-Type in the early 1980s (it is still under its lifetime warranty) and to the T-Series 20 years ago. Incidentally, a really top-quality stainless system should not cost much more than just twice as much as a mild steel system. It will pay for itself in a decade. The genuine Crewe bits are just not up to scratch, whilst the factory in Bathurst makes exceptionally good standard lines (Turbo R - three twin boxes and dual pipes) and custom made to pattern (R-Type – two pairs of offset boxes with external cladding and shields, and twin pipes with special flexible bellows after the downpipes). Of course, David is correct: mainly in the 1970s and early 1980s, stainless systems were often thin, noisy and prone to splits and tears. The specialists are very slick and extremely price competitive in fitting a really good system. In fact, just as when you buy wheels and tyres, fitting and tuning the bits is often done at no additional charge compared to selling components loose. Adding a lifetime warranty into the equation, to me it’s an easy decision. Particularly, removable flanges are only a good bet where they are needed to enable the removal of other parts like starter motors on some catalytic converter SZs. Unlike we hackers, an exhaust specialist uses automated TIG pipe welders to make absolutely perfect joints in-situ. If a removable flange is required, they simply make an olive joint as used on Crewe cars in those locations (downpipes at manifolds, intermediate joints near the transmission etc etc). Those joints are authentic and optimal compared to a crude slide joint. I would suggest that, as a DIYer with just a hacksaw, a spanner, an oxy welder and an electric arc welder as I have, I couldn’t compete with any half-decent exhaust shop. RT. | ||
| Mark Aldridge Experienced User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 19 Registered: 10-2008 |
Richard,I wish this type of engineering was available in the UK.Exhaust manufacturing and fitting shops are scarce,and most of the "drive in" exhaust fitters I wouldnt let loose on a lawnmower! After having wheels overtightened,nuts stripped and cars wrongly lifted,I now take the wheels only to tyre shops and refit them myself. Its less time consuming overall. Mark | ||
| Jan Forrest Prolific User Username: got_one Post Number: 153 Registered: 1-2008 |
I'm having similar trouble with the front box on The Old Girl. Obviously I'll be changing it ASAP as it seems to be affecting fuel consumption. However, I don't think this first box is actually a muffler/silencer. On most cars it's just an expansion chamber which improves scavenging of the exhaust gasses at certain revs. | ||
| Stefan Morley Prolific User Username: myupctoys Post Number: 217 Registered: 7-2009 |
Mark, Makes me livid the way shops treat cars. Replaced the Rack in my car, the alignment was pretty good but thought no, I'll get it checked properly. The rack was almost spot on but three bent Tie Downs later I was livid. Nationally recognized suspension outlet in Oz. Fundamental reason I try and do all the work myself. Don't know as much as a professional but I do care. Winge over. Stefan | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2191 Registered: 4-2003 |
Paul, We also in Australia have the fast-food muffler shops, even with the same brands as you have in the UK (including that magical chain M***s). They seem cheap and fast, but their quality is usually rock bottom. I have never been to one of those chains with any vehicle, but reports are that you get (almost) what you pay for. Fortunately, there is enough custom work here for a really good exhaust specialist or two to thrive in each city. For example, I know of one in Canberra and three in Sydney which are all excellent, all sourcing their silencers from the same Bathurst factory. Interestingly, the Canberra shop gingerly offers mild steel, but jumps at the opportunity to do stainless jobs. Most of their customers are apparently stingy. However, they do lots of custom stainless jobs for pickup trucks and boyracer Holdens or Fords. Fancy a side pipe and mesh heatshield for your Turbo R ?  The shop I go to in Eastern Sydney tells me he refuses to do mild steel jobs involving pipe bending as he views the labour as being wasted on the poorer materials. He has loads of customers with vehicles worthy of a stainless exhaust system. Suits me. This guy even has listings for the R-Type’s four silencers, although they are made to order. He has the three twin-box silencers for the Turbo R (non-cat; cat cars have just the one) on his shelf. The original Crewe stainless silencers’ cheap internals had collapsed. The exhaust had become a bit resonant at times, so it was time to upgrade to a top-quality system. The new system looks and sounds the same as the original did before it deteriorated internally. And Stefan, if the Nationally recognized suspension outlet in Oz is the one I think you mean, I would steer well clear. Pardon the pun. I have visited them a few times with no luck, and have the impression that they are just parts jockeys, and only if those parts are listed in the book for your exact vehicle of course. Diagnostics seem to comprise a glance at the car in the carpark followed by a recommendation to replace all moving parts then see how it all works. I have an excellent specialist nearby which knows these cars, and most Canberra owners go to this shop in Fyshwick. So much so that he has well-proven variations to the camber (more negative than spec and different left to right of course) and a specific toe-in to allow for the much-vaunted but flawed compliant suspension. A good sign is that the cars always come back with the steering wheel pointing dead ahead. RT. | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2194 Registered: 4-2003 |
Incidentally, the factory in Bathurst has its primary distributor in Darlinghurst. Their stuff is exceptionally good. Pardon the plug, but see: http://www.hitechmufflers.com.au/aboutus.html | ||
| Barry Brears Experienced User Username: turney_2009 Post Number: 42 Registered: 8-2009 |
Hi Gang,While we are on the subject of exhausts my T1 Bentley's (SBH17291)exhaust system has been hitting the underside of the car and causing a very annoying noise.I have replaced the front shock absorber exhaust fitting but the rear ones are solid rubber.There are supposedly 2 exhaust fittings similar to the front shock absorber type fittings according to the parts manual.Can anyone tell me whether or not I have the correct or updated fittings or some bodged up job back when.After another inspection I can't see how the shock absorber will fit so how can I get rid of this noise. Barry | ||
| Chris Browne Experienced User Username: chrisb Post Number: 17 Registered: 2-2010 |
Hi Barry. I fear that a bodger may have been at work on your car. As far as I know, no Shadow or T1 was ever fitted with anything so vulgar as a rubber exhaust mounting! They should all be the sprung shock absorber type which you have on the front. Here in the UK, they sell for about £50 each. Perhaps the rubber mountings are shorter than the originals and are pulling the exhaust sytem up too close to the floor. Are there any witness marks underneath to show you where the system is knocking? Kind regards, Chris | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 647 Registered: 6-2006 |
Barry - wrong I'm afraid. Sorry. | ||
| Barry Brears Experienced User Username: turney_2009 Post Number: 43 Registered: 8-2009 |
Thanks Paul and Chris after further checking the rear silencer rubber mount had broken and that was where the noise was coming from.Now I couldn't work out how the proper exhaust mounting would fit to either the pipe or the silencer itself,the bodger had some weird ideas and brackets so can you help.The rear tail pipe is no problem that seems to have a bracket attached to the shock absorber fitting then a clamp. Regards Barry | ||
| Chris Browne Experienced User Username: chrisb Post Number: 18 Registered: 2-2010 |
Hi Barry. I have checked the parts lists for you and found the following. There should be a clamp bracket on the pipe immediately behind the first silencer (UR13354) which the shock absorber mounting bolts to. The middle shock absorber mounting should bolt directly onto a bracket which is an integral part of the third silencer box (the large diameter one which sits transverse to the system). The mounting for the rear silencer is in two pieces and is a clamp and saddle (UR13909 and UD4074) which bolts around the rear silencer box. The shock absorber mounting then bolts to this clamp.The shock absorber mountings are part numbers 1 x UR15708 and 2 x UR15707. I think these are the right parts for your car but please do check and confirm in the parts list in the Technical library before you go to any expense. Kind regards, Chris | ||
| Barry Brears Experienced User Username: turney_2009 Post Number: 44 Registered: 8-2009 |
Chris,You have been more than helpful I guess the only other thing would be for you to give me a hand (only joking). Barry |
