Mk3 gt6 tubular exhaust manifold

[Danwedges]

Looking for a cheap exhaust manifold stainless or mild steel as I'd probably have to heat wrap it anyway

I know you can buy them new for around £200 or so but if I'm wrapping it I'm not bothered about it looking shiny and new so if anyone has one they're not using and wants rid let me know

Thanks

Dan

[Clive]

Don't bother with the 6>2>1 as they don't do much if anything to help the car out.

And most of the 6>3>1 are far from ideal. The best are the old Mike The Pipe ones, but they fetch very good money....

But do your research and be choosy. You want equal length primaries.....or as near as is practical (the MTP one did this)

In fact if you want better performance, the most reliable/best value way is to get hold of the rather clever TR6 manifold and downpipe, but the downpipe needs some cutting/welding.

BTW I think you £200 is 4 cylinder?  A 6>3 is about £500, and that is for the iffy phoenix type with horrendously unequal primaries and usually need bashing about to fit.

[Colin Lindsay]

18 minutes ago, clive said:

  A 6>3 is about £500, and that is for the iffy phoenix type with horrendously unequal primaries and usually need bashing about to fit.

It's funny how many people say that, but I fitted a Phoenix in 2003 and have had it on the GT6 ever since with no issues. It has never caused any problems at all in normal road use, and fitted first time with no fettling required.

[Clive]

The 2 I have helped fit have been bad. One needed the collector cutting and rewelding to stop the exhaust hitting the road 12" behind it! and that was after the first had been sent back. The other needed "tweeks" to clear the steering column.

Your photo illustrates perfectly the very unequal lengths?

Maybe you got a good one? They do seem to vary a lot.

What would be very helpful would be to try all these manifolds out on a rolling road. Optimise the car as standard, then fit the manifolds and tweek the car to suit, see what it does. Somebody did that for the 4 pots back in the early 90's, but never seen anything about the 6 pot. It needs a proper comparison.

[Danwedges]

I'm sure rimmer bros have an unbranded stainless manifold for the 6 for £250 and to be perfectly honest I'm more after one for aesthetics than performance any performance gains are just a welcomed bonus 

[Danwedges]

My front pipe is Swiss cheesed and a replacement is £60 so if I could get a manifold for a smidge more I'd rather change out the old cast one and dispose of the holed front pipe with it 

[Clive]

Oh, if only for looks, fair enough. 

[Pete Lewis]

One thing you get with tubular is the constant  tubular pink from the detonation  they make the engine bay noise much louder than any cast manifold

Maybe a wrap helps to deaden the racket ive never used it

The 3-1 collectors can be a pig to seal on some, steering column fouls are common ,  and tube fractures due to the high rates of expansion 

hence the 3 -1 slip joints  which if they slip ...leak       and if clamped restrict pipe shift.      

In a second life I just wouldnt bother with the idea again, 

Pete in dinosaur mode