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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Side Exit Dual Exhaust

I've seen in the archives and some car shows, that various folks have installed side exit exhaust pipes. Any one have recent experience? I have the V6 with duals out the same side. Pipes are deteriorating and am thinking simplification. Comments please.
Bob. F

Yes, I have one, noisy, very noisy, I like that. I use the car for trackday.
Regards.
http://membres.lycos.fr/mgcontact/fileupload/uploads/sideexhaust.jpg
michel

Bob:
I ran dual side exhaust when I built my MGB GT V6 back in the 80s. I welded a washer onto the outer rear spring hanger and used that to support the tailpipes just in front of each rear wheel.

Routing the pipes was easy, as all of the fuel, hydraulic and electrical lines had been relocated to the interior per rally car practice.

The RH pipes matched the routing of the LH side under the matching cut out in the cross member. I actually used a pair of Stebro MGB middle muffler assemblies with the right one turned upside down and the outlet angles changed.

I would not do it again as personally the outlets in front of the rear wheels made the car look a bit awkward.

The 3' blue flames out of both sides of the car on overrun were however pretty impressive.


Kelvin.

Kelvin Dodd

It depends on the use to which you put your car - ground clearance can be an issue.

Back in the 1960's I had a Ford Anglia with a 1650 cc Lotus Twin Cam engine, which was really a racer, with side exhausts.

I drove it on the road for a while when it's days as a racer were finished; it was incredibly noisy, and as kelvin says flames out of the pipes on overrun were however pretty impressive at night.

In the end I grew up (a little) and bought a much more sedate car - an MGB.
Nigel Steward

Sorry Bob to bother with that question that has nothing to do with that thread but I would like to ask Michel fom France if he can tell me a bit more regard strange SU setup that I saw on his homepage with name SUcarbs.
toni

Hello Toni,
Sorry for my vocabulary,
For compete in rally or circuit with Austin Cooper 1275cc, only SU H4 are homologated, The set up use H4 (MGA) 1 in buterfly, with modified piston, reduced spindle,altering needle, float chamber capacity increased by add spacer for avoid surge in long corner, aeroquip plumbing, K&N air filter, I don't have any problems with this carbs, At your service,
Best regards

http://membres.lycos.fr/mgcontact/fileupload/uploads/suh4.jpg
michel

Hi Michael,

thanx for prompt replay and explanation. Unfortunately I was not very precise, my question was about following SU carb:
http://membres.lycos.fr/mgcontact/fileupload/uploads/index.php?pic=SUcarbs.JPG
toni
toni

If I am not mistaken, those are sidedraught SU carbs. I believe Peter Burgess mentions these in his book.
Never seen a pair in real life though!
Michel, have you got more info on these?
Alexander M

Toni,
once I have seen these instruments on a motorshow. They are impessive and extemely rare and were fabricated for racing with Lotus DOHC engines.
The guy I talked to during this fair told me that only 18 pairs of these duble SU carbs had been made in those days.
Maybe you shold try to get in contact with Highflow, (those with the superchagers), as they custom fabricate SU style carbs for customers or try to find some Lotus enthusiasts who can give you further hints.
Ralph
Ralph

On side exhaust...

My experience isn't "recent". The pipes have been on since about '92. I have them exiting just ahead of the tires... but I got them a little two close to the leaf springs (so I had to hammer dimples into the pipes for clearance, which I don't like and need to fix sometime.)

Yes, they seem noisy when you're passing buildings (but I like the noise).

Does this look "awkward"? http://www.storyboardtoys.com/a-mgbe.jpg
I think they look pretty discrete, and no one's ever complained. They do soil the wall of my garage on start-up (with sooty condensation droplets.)

In terms of performance I still think the decision was pretty good - it's got to save a couple pounds of pipe and bracketry - but if I had it to do over I believe I'd center the fuel tank and go that route. I'm not sure which is really "simpler"... since my '71 sits real low, I pocketed turbo mufflers up under the seats. De facto heated seats are great in winter... but obviously not so great in summer.
Curtis

Curtis: I believe I saw your car at the V8 show in Annapolis. I think that is where the idea was planted. I like the look of your car. I did my bumpers like yours and am thinking of adding the same front spoiler. What did you do at the rear? I see the bumpers, but am wondering what you did for the exhuast cut out? I guess it could be fiberglassed to complete a smooth line.
Bob F.

I've also had side pipes on mine for quite awhile:

http://blackwoodlabs.com/

The stainless tips are removed in this photo and they help the looks a bit. I needed a solution for the low ground clearance, the exhaust was constantly against the blacktop it seemed. So when the V8 went in so did this custom system and has since been refined. Certainly not for the casual enthusiast, but it does solve the clearance issues.

The exhaust exits the engine compartment through custom equal length headers via cutouts in the inner wings and dumps into a collector inside the front fenders, then routed through glasspacks located inside the rockers which have been replaced with a perforated stainless grille on the outside and a stainless heat shield/barrier and sill support on the inside, exiting the rear fender just forward of the tire. Yes it is loud. But it is very free flowing and the exhaust note adds noticeably to the speed of the car ;) Also worth mentioning is that it is close to the occupants, so sitting in traffic you might breathe a bit of exhaust.

Jim
Jim Blackwood


For the exhaust cut-out... I didn't really do anything, but the chap who painted my car kindly welded a piece of scrap metal in there. Fiberglass would work just fine.
Curtis

This thread was discussed between 27/04/2006 and 01/05/2006

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical index

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