keebler65

i have a pacesetter catback exhaust (no flaming, we all know some like it, many dont like it, etc...please dont get distracted). anyways i've had it for awhile now but i got to thinking if i could improve it a little...i dont know if any of you are familiar with it, but it comes in three pieces so it has two connections. the connections are made with an oversized end fitting on a normal size end. it doesnt take a ton of effort to mate the pipes. the, a clamp is placed on top. i drew a pic in case you have no idea what i'm talking about. anyways, i was wondering since its not welded, is there a good chance its leaking? if so, would it affect performace? the only reason i'm wondering this is because you always hear about people replacing exhaust gaskets, so i thought it might be important that it doesnt leak anywhere. then again, this is after the cat, where there's possibly less pressure since there's less restriction (thats just my hypothesis). i know they sell that wrap stuff that you can put around your exhaust connections and it melts on to form a seal. would this be a waste of my time? would it sound any different? (slightly quieter?)

all input is welcome reguarding the topic at hand (i.e. yes i know its a cheap kit already, so dont tell me )

BreakStuff

Very nice pic I must say.. : )

Your clamp should actually be slightly tighter than the pic shows.. If you tighten the clamps up untill the pipe compresses, then you should not have a leak.. You will know if you have a leak if you visually see black carbon deposits from the edge of the larger mating pipe.... just a thought... and btw...nice pic!

keebler65

yeah i'm sorry, i put effort into the pic, but not enough to be accurate. the actual clamp is tight, its just i'm not the best at drawing fast. good tip though on the deposits - i'll have a look at that.

thankyou!

texan

If it were leaking you'd be able to see black soot at the leak point, do you see any of this? Anyways, an exhaust leak that far down the system won't really affect performance (especially such a small potential leak point), it's more of an issue when you are at the header and it's a large leak. If you are dead set on trying to elimnate any possible leakage, just get band clamps instead like Borla uses...
[img]ftp://ftp.mr2.com/pub/geoff/mr2/marc_s/marcs14.jpg[/img]

kinesistech

Just be carful when you tighten them not to go too tight. You can warp the circle and cause a leak if its too tight. A small air leak in the exhaust will actually help emissions.

Prod

Something I did on my Audi was get these bad *** 4" wide band clamps...they seal up real tight. I'll see if I can find a URL for ya...I'm not a fan of the U bolts

I'm suprised no one mentioned using some Wurth exhaust paste on the joints to help out sealing.


[Modified by Prod, 4:11 PM 11/14/2002]