Deej Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Just a quick little write up of how I did the side exit on my Disco. I decided to do it because a) I think they look good and b) it replaces the back box which limits your departure angle slightly once the tow bar has been removed. I don't think I've seen two side exits done in the same way yet, but anyhow this is the method I chose and it seems as good as any other. I started by chopping off the back box just behind the rear exhaust hanger, leaving an inch of pipe over so that I had something left to attach the new section to: Seeing as I didn't have a holesaw the right size I marked where the opening needed to be, drilled a load of small holes and then filed it out. A bit of a crude method but it doesn't really matter as the small imperfections are covered by the finisher: I was going to buy an exhaust panel finisher but the only supplier I could find was Devon 4x4 who wanted £25! So I thought sod that, I'll make my own. I could have got work to make it on a CNC wire eroder, but I have been taking the p*ss a bit recently nicking bits of metal etc so I thought best not. Instead I very quickly knocked up a CAD drawing of what I wanted, printed it out to scale and marked it on to a piece of scrap 4mm aluminium sheet (which had previously been borrowed from work!). I then cut and shaped it using just a drill and a file as above. This took quite a while I'll be honest, but I was quite pleased with the result in the end. However, I would not recommend such a labour intensive process if you were to use stainless steel unless you have far too much time on your hands. Cleaned up the end of the pipe ready to weld on the new section: New stainless pipe welded in place. I considered using an exhaust clamp to join the new section, but I figured one knock whilst offroading and I would probably have lost it, so it seemed better just to weld it on. Some people have managed to find offcuts of pipe from exhaust places or scrapyards to do this job, but after searching for a while I decided to just get a short section made to the exact size I needed rather than continue my grand tour of the Tyne & Wear kwik-fits. Cost me £30 for the section of stainless pipe including the time for the bloke to bend/flare it to shape which I thought was ok, not exactly a bargain but not a rip off. Here it is all finished: I'm considering replacing the machine screws (M6 x 20 if you are interested) with stainless cap-head bolts, but purely for aesthetics. For now it's got the cheese-head machine screws as work didn't have any stainless cap-heads! If anyone happens to want the template for the panel finisher, I can email you a pdf which will print out the correct size on A4. The inner diameter is 80mm and the outer 120mm. Dave PS. If anyone is going to ask about the legality of a near-side exhaust exit I honestly don't know. I researched this for quite a while and encountered not one definitive answer. This is similar to the issue of whether straight through exhausts are acceptable. The only conclusion I have come to is that there isn't a rule at all, and I haven't come across anyone saying they have been pulled up on it by the plod or Mr VOSA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 A nice bit of quality workmanship there - but for goodness sake man - if you are going to use cheese heads (which I like) you really should line up the slots in some way! I also have seen nothing to say that they are illegal and, although having had mine for a few years I think that I wouldn't do it again since they are a bit anti-social - mostly when in traffic in summer, next to someone with their window down, or crawling through a busy, narrow Scottish village when you realise that it's just nicely at baby-in-pram head height ! Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deej Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 A nice bit of quality workmanship there - but for goodness sake man - if you are going to use cheese heads (which I like) you really should line up the slots in some way! Roger Ha! I had considered that as well, but couldn't be arsed seeing as I am going to change them for some of these: Also, my OCD for perfection doesn't quite extend that far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deej Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Oh and before any hawk-eyed forum members point out that I have a single cable tie holding my NSR brake pipe on, I've sorted that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPendrey Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Oh and before any hawk-eyed forum members point out that I have a single cable tie holding my NSR brake pipe on, I've sorted that What did you do, put a second cable tie on? Anyway, do you still have the centre box softening the noise a little? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deej Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 I used some large jubilee clips I had knocking around, seemed like a more robust solution. Yea I haven't touched the rest of the exhaust, really can't decide if I like the sound of a straight through on a tdi. Also, that combined with a side exit and it does start to get a bit dubious I suppose, so I think I'll leave it as it is. If anyone is wondering, removing the back box made no noticeable difference to the volume or note of the exhaust at all, and so I'm not really sure why it needs to be there in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Have you thought about countersunk bolts? My OCD would still have me aligning the hexagons. I can't see any connection between the ring and the end of the pipe. Do you get much movement between them causing rattling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I also have seen nothing to say that they are illegal and, although having had mine for a few years I think that I wouldn't do it again since they are a bit anti-social - mostly when in traffic in summer, next to someone with their window down, or crawling through a busy, narrow Scottish village when you realise that it's just nicely at baby-in-pram head height ! what about bringing it up and through the D post corner, under the rear lights?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 what about bringing it up and through the D post corner, under the rear lights?? Thought of that - especially since it's a pickup and I could go OVER the lights... and My OCD has me aligning hex heads also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deej Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 I can't see any connection between the ring and the end of the pipe. Do you get much movement between them causing rattling? The two parts are completely independant of each other, but there isn't a rattle as the side exit pipe is so close to the rear exhaust mount that it doesn't really move at all. The 10mm of clearance around the exhaust is enough to prevent any contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratmanrover Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Nice neat job buddy, I done a similar idea on my LR90 but never trimmed it. might do that now!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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