Exhausted

An issue that I always had with the Tourist Trophy (TT) exhaust system on Maggie was that every few months the manifold gasket burned through. This became worse after a hole close to the bracket that connects all downpipes had to be welded. All manifold downpipes are welded together at the bottom, it is a single piece manifold – unlike LCBs that connect into a Y-hose. The problem occurs because the mounting surfaces of the three exhaust pipes are not aligned properly.

Maggie however had to get back on the road – I had some business trips I need to do and on long distances the MGB GT is a best option. One of the two bigger items I brought along from the UK back in June was a new Maniflow exhaust system. I gave them a call and after discussing the spec of my engine, fuel system and intended use – the recommendation was a LM062II – Stage II LCB with the CLST063A exhaust system. This is not listed on the webpage, and I highly recommend reaching out the Maniflow – they will help you find the best system for your car.

Exchanging the two systems was straight forwarded – even though it is somewhat challenging without a proper car lift – I just used jack stands. The middle section is not as close to the car floor as I would like it to be – after some discussions in the MG forum I believe that either the uprated engine mounts like be the cause – or the Ford T9 gearbox mount is too low. Either way – it works for now. The sound is similar but not quite as loud as before. The Weber 45DCOE is now the loudest part when accelerating – my next MGB GT will have an SU carb….

One thing I need to mention: the Tourist Trophy is not a bad exhaust system. The fixings and hangers are superb, it has a nice sound (a bit too loud maybe) and as it is stainless steel – it will hold for a long time. Moss also offers a 5-year warranty and I need to give them a big shout-out that the keep this promise. After a brief email exchange they provided a new TT manifold. Due to Brexit and tax this is wating for me in the UK – I will pick it up on my next visit. I intend to add a silencer in the middle – similar to the Maniflow system – and reuse the system on Mildred.