Stainless or mild
Discussion
I've heard of cases where wrap causes non-stainless systems to corrode/rot. I would have thought the heat would prevent this. With a stainless you should not have this problem and will likely have a longer guarantee possibly lifetime. This is only info fromother uses and not my direct experience.
Again not from direct experience, but here goes 
. The mild steel will eventually rust, but probaly not in the lifetime of the car. The Stainless will probably never corode however it can be a brittle material and does not take to shock or shear loadings very well so may crack easier.
Anyone care to comment who has good and bad experiences of both
, Tim ?
All IMHO as per usual disclaimers blah blah...
Harry
. The mild steel will eventually rust, but probaly not in the lifetime of the car. The Stainless will probably never corode however it can be a brittle material and does not take to shock or shear loadings very well so may crack easier. Anyone care to comment who has good and bad experiences of both
, Tim ? All IMHO as per usual disclaimers blah blah...
Harry
If using a normal aspirated engine then stainless is a better way to go. Choose the right quality of steel and it will last a lifetime. Make sure the welds are stainless also. May also keep the engine bay a touch cooler. The wrap that you use on mild steel should only be lapped over itself by a half turn otherwise it keeps to much heat in. The pipe rots because of trapped condensation. I dislike the wrap stuff on the headers. I used it once on a pair of turbo's and the rust was flaking off in chunks, never again! I prefer an air gap and heat shields.
Agree
Stainless is better, with manifolds most of the cost is labour,(can take 12 hrs to make a good pair of TVR manifolds).
don't wrap mild steel manifolds as this will speed up the corrosion process, stainless used for manifolds should be fully annealed which should eliminate cracking etc.
Tim
Stainless is better, with manifolds most of the cost is labour,(can take 12 hrs to make a good pair of TVR manifolds).
don't wrap mild steel manifolds as this will speed up the corrosion process, stainless used for manifolds should be fully annealed which should eliminate cracking etc.
Tim
I'd ask for a 4-2-1 in stainless if possible. I don't think the ceramic coating mnakes a big difference to power or temps. You still won't be able to touch them if they are coated and they can still rust from the inside out. Can you get a 4-2-1 from Falcon? Or, maybe get it custom made depending on your budget of course.
My V8 has mild headers into a stainless system. The headers have been chopped and finish in about a foot of s/s to the mating flange (I'm told this is a good plan). However the s/s lengths were welded with normal MIG wire so the welds are crusty (only a bit though).
What's more of a problem is the areas around the bottom of the main drops from the heads: what with heat, condensation and grounding out, they've got more patches than a Microsoft product. (Note to self: another job to do before the weekend!)
The s/s system is years old and still fit... though as with my Tasmin (which also had a s/s system), how can one be sure there's any wadding left in the silencers? I bet they wouldn't have used s/s filling....
Ian
What's more of a problem is the areas around the bottom of the main drops from the heads: what with heat, condensation and grounding out, they've got more patches than a Microsoft product. (Note to self: another job to do before the weekend!)
The s/s system is years old and still fit... though as with my Tasmin (which also had a s/s system), how can one be sure there's any wadding left in the silencers? I bet they wouldn't have used s/s filling....
Ian
The ceramic coating would be inside and out, about £200.
The 4-1 system is from up North and made by makers of F1 set ups, so I understand, and at £400 twice price of other off the shelf suppliers.
I already have a S/S 2.5ins single exhaust. Its the Y connector and bottom areas that are going although could be patched, changing the block huggers should add some extra bhp
The 4-1 system is from up North and made by makers of F1 set ups, so I understand, and at £400 twice price of other off the shelf suppliers.
I already have a S/S 2.5ins single exhaust. Its the Y connector and bottom areas that are going although could be patched, changing the block huggers should add some extra bhp
I used to have an MGB GT V8.
When I bought it it came with the original (now unobtainable?) cast manifolds.
Predictably, one cracked beyond repair.
I fitted a mild steel tubular set of manifolds and Y piece into the standard exhaust. I was a student at the time and couldn't afford to do the job properly.
I was disappointed by the increased engine noise, not the nice V8 rumble, just increased harshness as the tubes failed to damp the exhaust resonance as much as the cast lumps.
I'm all for increasing performance, but my otherwise standard V8 was a lot less pleasant to drive after the tubular manifolds went on.
Pat.
When I bought it it came with the original (now unobtainable?) cast manifolds.
Predictably, one cracked beyond repair.
I fitted a mild steel tubular set of manifolds and Y piece into the standard exhaust. I was a student at the time and couldn't afford to do the job properly.
I was disappointed by the increased engine noise, not the nice V8 rumble, just increased harshness as the tubes failed to damp the exhaust resonance as much as the cast lumps.
I'm all for increasing performance, but my otherwise standard V8 was a lot less pleasant to drive after the tubular manifolds went on.
Pat.
Definitly go for the stainless manifolds, any reputable supplier will make this a 'fit and forget' job. I've wrapped my (stainless) manifolds and founds a big drop off in underbonnet temps, the air temp sensor (fitted on the back of the plenum on my car - Aftermarket ECU) showed about 10° cooler in traffic. So I'd say this works.
Matt
Matt
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