> > Does anyone have an alternative to the copper gasket that
> goes between the
> > exhaust manifold and the down-pipe? The b*%$^@y thing has
> just blown on
> me
> > AGAIN - I seem to be replacing it almost monthly!
> Admittedly this time a
> nut
> > had worked loose, so there was some sort of excuse for Daffy, but
> sometimes it
> > seems to go for no particularly good reason.
> >
Richard et al,
I can relate my experiences with this problem - not on a Spitfire
1500, but a Dolomite 1500, a car which has an identical manifold arrangement
and the same problem with eating downpipe gaskets (average life expectancy 3
months).
All the experience at the local car club suggested ensuring that all
of the exhaust mountings were tight so that there was as little as possible
potential for movement. This I did religiously, and the gaskets kept
blowing. Then last year, I acquired a large quantity of TSSC "Courier"
magazines from the late 1980s - they were in the boot of my Spitfire MkIII
parts car. Now I joined TSSC in 1990, so I had never read most of these
magazines, and started browsing through them in the evenings. This was in
the days before tubular manifolds were available as easily as they are
today, so the downpipe gasket was more of a problem then. There was a letter
from one club member who recommended leving the exhaust relatively loose, so
that any engine movement did not make the exhaust flex against it's
mountings to the bodywork.
By this time, the mounting which attached the exhaust to the gearbox
had cracked on the Dolomite, so I removed it completely, and ensured that
all exhaust attachments to the bodywork had a reasonable degree of movement.
The result? - that gasket (which had already been on there a couple of
months when I mdofied the mountings) lasted a further 9 months, and the
current one has been on there beyond it's previously expected 3 months!
Doubtless the gasket was well on it's way before I modified the exhaust
mountings, so in time the new one should give a true indication of how well
the changes have worked.
As well as giving the exhaust plenty of movement, it's worth
ensuring that your engine and gearbox mountings are in first class
condition, just to minimise any movement in the engine.
` Hope this helps, and good luck with the gasket - it's a pig of a
design, but it can be improved without spending a fortune,
Cheers,
Bill.
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