Exhaust clamp vs. pipe size

Kind of an ignorant question but here goes.

If you have a 2.75" pipe like with the lethal over axle pipes. Is the correct size clamp a 2.75" or are you supposed to go one size up?

Also one pipe slips into the other one. Couple clamps I'm considering.

This is similar to what lethal ships the oap with:
Amazon.com: Dynomax 36461 Band Clamp: Automotive

Then there is this option which may provide a better seal. Just never tried one of these before. It is stepped slightly.
Amazon.com: Dynomax 33227 Stainless Steel Hardware Clamp Band: Automotive

Both will work equally well and, yes, match the pipe OD size with the band clamp size.

I've used butt type band clamps on slip joints and never had any issues with leaks. They will form into a slip style step joint as you apply torque.

The second one, as long as you have room.

Thank you both.

A couple years ago while swapping out axle backs, and fighting to get one off that I'd used a regular "strap" clamp on like in your first link, I started using those lap joint band clamps to hold on my axle back. You should have plenty of room to run them, and they don't crimp the pipe as much as the strap clamps making disassembly much easier.

I would use the stepped clamps for a slip fit connection. I also cheat and use exhaust cement in there too to make a perfect seal. Any clamp can leak with the slightest distortion or mis-alignment.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Dynomax/289/35958/10002/-1

It does make it tough for disassembly and needs to be taken off with a wire wheel before re-assembly and reapplied. But if you a pretty sure you're not making any more changes to the exhaust, I would recommend it. It has always worked for me.

Long story short one of my borlas won't stay centered and drifts down a little on me. Exhaust shop wanted to weld. I wasn't willing to go there. So they used air tools and zipped the clamps on as tight as they could get them instead.

Since I am probably going to have to pull my mid pipe to install the defoulers I am thinking that I might as well just take the opportunity to replace the clamps at the muffler and also up at the oap where it goes over the axle. This time I'm going to keep everything loose, center the tip, and then tighten from the midpipe connection back.

↑↑↑ Muffler cement could have been one option.

Tackwelding the joint that seems to keep slipping in two or three places would be another that might even allow easier removal later. Might have to grind any weld convexity smooth, though.

Thanks for the link in case I need these clamps.



FWIW, the FRPP cut/clamp X-pipe ships with a pair of the two-bolt clamps. I fully expect to end up using the MIG-welder before I'm done getting it installed.


Norm

Norm Peterson said:

FWIW, the FRPP cut/clamp X-pipe ships with a pair of the two-bolt clamps. I fully expect to end up using the MIG-welder before I'm done getting it installed.

Norm

Click to expand...

I believe those are the rigid exhaust clamps. If so, they do a much better job of sealing and clamping the pipes together tightly without any distortion of the pipes or movement thereafter. These are the same as the factory uses on the mid-pipe connection to the H-pipe.

Riptide said:

Long story short one of my borlas won't stay centered and drifts down a little on me. Exhaust shop wanted to weld. I wasn't willing to go there. So they used air tools and zipped the clamps on as tight as they could get them instead.

Since I am probably going to have to pull my mid pipe to install the defoulers I am thinking that I might as well just take the opportunity to replace the clamps at the muffler and also up at the oap where it goes over the axle. This time I'm going to keep everything loose, center the tip, and then tighten from the midpipe connection back.

Click to expand...

Well, that is one advantage of the lap joint band clamps- they grip the pipe on both sides so they can often help with this sort of situation...but, not always.

I haven't given up on it yet but I tried loosening up the clamps at the midpipe and repositioning the tips. First of all the lethal pipes are too long on the passenger side so I can't get the tips pushed back in any further. Tried lifting the one side up on the jack then tightening the clamp at the midpipe. Dropped right back down again.

I may end up having to bend the hangers on these things to get them pulled up into the cutout if I decide to get real serious about it. The lethal oap would have to be cut down for me to push the tips back any further which is dumb but it is what it is.

I'm in the same situation, my JBA headers don't have the collectors exiting in the same location or even at the same height so the pipes are all jacked up all the way back. The driver's side pipe is so close to the axle that it hits on big bumps, but I can't get it up any more than it is. Sometimes I hate the way they did the exhaust on these cars, honestly.

I'm open to suggestions from anyone here. To get the tips pulled up the only thing left I can think of is to try loosening up the oap clamps at the midpipe and then twisting it one way or the other to see if the tips will cooperate. After that nothing left to do but bend the hangers.

Not real happy with the lethal midpipe or the oap at this point. The latter in particular is a ripoff IMO.

Yes, that's how you do it. Loosen the clamps and twist the midpipes to get the tips lined up, then tighten everything working from the front to the back.

If you're trying to raise the muffler exit tips, you can alter the rear hanger so that the rod sits or hold up higher. I've had to do that a couple of times, including using a different bushing to move the hanger rod up in the bushing frame.

If the tip sticks out too long, the only solution after making sure all pipes are pushed all the way in (including the pipe into the muffler) is to trim off one of the pipes a little and clamp it back in place.

Some headers, H or X pipes and OAP's are built to such low standards that you'll have to fix them before you can begin to get everything aligned all the way to the tips.

I helped a friend battle a set of low cost (cheap) LT's, H pipe, OAP's and axle backs to no end. We ended up needing to cut/weld and/or heat/bend several pieces to get everything lined up and installed.

Riptide said:

I'm open to suggestions from anyone here. To get the tips pulled up the only thing left I can think of is to try loosening up the oap clamps at the midpipe and then twisting it one way or the other to see if the tips will cooperate. After that nothing left to do but bend the hangers.

Not real happy with the lethal midpipe or the oap at this point. The latter in particular is a ripoff IMO.

Click to expand...

I had one tip sitting up higher into the valance than the other, so I just cut a small section out of the hanger rod and re-weld it to shorten it up to bring the other muffler / tip to the same elevation as the higher of the two sat initially. Now they look good, but one sort of has a different angle on the tip, so I might have to do some more hanger work do get the angle the same if I decide to care enough one of these days.

Which hangers are you guys modifying when you do it? The hanger rods on the muffler itself or the Ford hangers with the bushings?

I got an email from Borla and I may not take my car back to that exhaust shop. They used a 1/8th bit to put the weep holes in vs. the 1/16th recommended in the instructions I handed them. Borla says it is unlikely to affect the sound but could hasten the expansion of the weep hole via corrosion.

Not sure where to post or who to contact, but trying to get admin. To approve my profile so I can post in the classifieds

RyanPreece40 said:

Not sure where to post or who to contact, but trying to get admin. To approve my profile so I can post in the classifieds

Click to expand...

That takes time and post count. Hang around, check some posts out and leave some comments. It'll all happen in due time.