Exhaust clamp

[Skip Burney]

I have a new exhaust pipe, manifold and clamp and no matter how I
turn the clamp halves the pipe is still not sealing to the manifold I
have tried everything short of brazing a piece of exhaust pipe to the
manifold and using a regular muffler clamp. Does anyone have any
suggestions.

 

[Tony in SD]

Big side of the clamp goes on the bottom.

 

[Bruce (VA)]

This method of attaching the exhaust pipe to the manifold was developed for the Model A Ford in 1927. If you pay attention to what you are doing, it will not leak. You do not need tinfoil or gasket sealer to prevent leaks. Use the correct parts & install them correctly & it will not leak.



Make sure you are using the correct clamp. An automotive muffler c-clamp will not work. You need a clamp made for the N. If you have the correct clamp, it has a top & bottom. Make sure you have the clamp on correctly; check out tip # 8, below. All clamps are not created equally; the correct clamp should have 9/16 brass nuts.

Slide the tail pipe into the hanger clamp & then place the end of the exhaust pipe against the manifold. Look at it! Remember, the pipe will most always fit snugly to the OEM manifold w/o any problem, but a replacement manifold will likely not be the exact same size as the OEM manifold, so you will have some work to do. If it does not mate all the way around, put a broomstick down the pipe & into the manifold & gently bend the pipe until both surfaces mate snugly & squarely. If the exhaust pipe flange is bent, you will never get a good seal; check it out. The clamp is not a gasket; if the pipe & manifold do not mate tightly, it will leak. Do not try & hold the exhaust pipe against the manifold w/ your hand & while you tighten the clamp. Get out your floor jack & a block of wood; put the jack under the pipe to hold it tightly against the manifold. Confirm that the pipe is mated squarely to the manifold; if it is crooked, it will not seat. With the pipe jacked snugly and squarely to the manifold use your ? lb ball peen hammer and tap the pipe tight to the manifold flange all the way around. Its soft metal and this will only take about a minute. Tighten the clamp. (Don't get carried away w/ the jack or you will bend the pipe. Or, overtighten the clamp & snap it in two. BTDT). Put equal pressure on the clamp by tightening one side a few turns then a few turns on the other. Do not expect the clamp sides to touch; about 1/8? gap is normal.

When the clamp is tightened equally on both sides, remove the jack. If the pipe flops around, start over because you put the clamp on upside down. (Remember tip # 8)

Notwithstanding everything I just said......I saw a pic here a while back of a new Chinese clone manifold that had the strangest looking pipe mating surface I've every seen. I have no idea how that worked with the oem clamp and pipe. So post a picture.
75 Tips

 

[showcrop]

Bruce thanks for this, In the next day or two I will be going at the same type of connection on a 1967 car.

 

[Den N Ms]

Skip,That is what I did to a good manifold that had the pipe flange broken.I welded a short correct OD size pipe to the manifold,then cut the flange off the exhaust pipe.Split the top with 4 slits and clamped it on with a heavy duty 1 1/2" clamp.No leaks!I don't know if I would do it to a new manifold your choice but you would have no leaks.

 

[ratface]

Permatex sells a muffler connection pucky that you slather on. It's grey and blends well. If I remember right you wet the parts down, apply and clamp everything together and let sit for 10 mins and then run for thirty min. So far so good but it hasn't really been tested yet. It wasn't expensive and I got it at Menards. Even when I use the right clamp in the right direction I still got a little leak, even using the jack method to align the pipes.If everything is new and perfect they might not leak, but these things have been distorted thru the years.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 21:37:18 05/20/19) I have a new exhaust pipe, manifold and clamp and no matter how I
turn the clamp halves the pipe is still not sealing to the manifold I
have tried everything short of brazing a piece of exhaust pipe to the
manifold and using a regular muffler clamp. Does anyone have any
suggestions.

Follow Bruce's directions. I've put on a new muffler and exhaust pipe on my 8N and have had it off and on a couple times since with manifold changes.

Follow Bruce's directions and use a bottle jack under the pipe to push it snug against the flange then put the clamp on it. Using the jack really does make a difference.

 

[Skip Burney]

I have turned the clamp, rotated it and everything you can imagine. Our 9n had a broken manifold and I just brazed a small piece of exhaust pipe onto the manifold and it has been going strong for years now. I don't want to resort to that on this tractor but for the life of me this one leaks like a bucket with a hole in the bottom