Just bought a 521

[mainer311]

Thanks! 

[mainer311]

Been re-teaching myself how to TIG. It’s been almost 13 years since I last touched a torch. I took the money I saved from having a stainless exhaust put on and bought a small welder. It’s been a lot of fun.

 

Edited June 18, 2021 by mainer311

[greenthumb]

Nice!

Did the same thing. Opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for fabricating. Mild steel, Stainless, Aluminum…

great investment

[d.p]

What welder did you buy? I always thought about learning to weld. 

[mainer311]

10 hours ago, d.p said:

What welder did you buy? I always thought about learning to weld. 

A “cheap” one from Harbor Freight. Most of their higher end welders actually get decent reviews. It’s a Vulcan ProTig 165. For about $100 extra, you can get yourself setup really well with a glass cup and super flexible hose.

[mainer311]

Some progress. Cars and coffee is tomorrow so it looks like the roadster will make an appearance because there’s no way I’m finishing this today.

 

 

Reshaping the stock clamp for the 2” tubing.

 

 

This is the mid pipe. It will have quick collars on both ends. The downpipe will be it’s own removable piece to snake it around the torsion bar. 
 

 

 

[mainer311]

Man it’s tight in here. I notched out the inspection plate/transmission flange a little bit to make room for the flange clamp. It just barely fits.

 

 

Downpipe is mocked up.

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by mainer311

[d.p]

Is that 2.25”? If so and you ever go to a 5 speed that pipe may not fit past the trans and torsion bars.   
 

looks good though.  

[mainer311]

2”. It’s plenty big enough, especially considering the exhaust that was on there is 1.5”

 

It’s 56% bigger than what is on there in terms of flow area.

Edited June 20, 2021 by mainer311

[mainer311]

Also, I thought about the clearance already, and decided to go to the outside of the torsion bar and along the frame rail:

 

 

[d.p]

Looks good, here is mine inside the torsion bar albeit a terrible picture.  

 

[mainer311]

34 minutes ago, d.p said:

Looks good, here is mine inside the torsion bar albeit a terrible picture.  

 

Nice. That looks good.

[mainer311]

Last piece of the puzzle going in: the fart pipe. 
 

 

 

I’m making the last mount for it right now. It will utilize one of the factory weld nuts from the axle bump stop.

[mainer311]

All finished:

 

[thisismatt]

No isolation hangers? 😬

[Charlie69]

Rigid mount to the frame?

 

Would not last two days on the chuck holes (I mean streets) in Phoenix.

Edited June 25, 2021 by Charlie69

[mainer311]

6 hours ago, thisismatt said:

No isolation hangers? 😬

I used the factory one on the crossmember. Rigid on the tailpipe. Should be fine.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Isolators help with noise from resonance and vibration. I predict cracks at the spot where it is solid mounted.

[d.p]

Yeah you would be amazed at what vibration can do to an exhaust.  With my M3 BMW had a titanium m-performance exhaust that cracked on the welds on sides where it met the can.  That was with rubber hangers and BMW level of design and production.

 

 

[mainer311]

2 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Isolators help with noise from resonance and vibration. I predict cracks at the spot where it is solid mounted.

 

I hear you're a crack expert.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Crack kills.

 

Just say no.

[datzenmike]

If it were hanging straight down, it would be fine.  Supported from the side like that exerts a lot of leverage on just a single  bolt head. On bumps the pipe and muffler can easily double their weight. This will work.... till it fails. I predict you will change this long before that.

[Charlie69]

12 hours ago, mainer311 said:

I used the factory one on the crossmember. Rigid on the tailpipe. Should be fine.

You are wrong.

[mainer311]

Switching my Goodyear Eagle RS-A’s out for these. That should do the trick.

 

[mainer311]

My Jakes Makes clear tail lenses came in tonight, along with his steering column grommet. Great parts!

 

 

And my rear 225’s are in as well.