Exhaust Leak at Manifold??

I have a 1974 Mini. It has a Exhaust leak around the manifold tail pipe connection. I have tried using liquid muffler repair stuff, I let it harden over night. It seems to last a few days. Any suggestions on how to get this joint to quit leaking would be great!!

Have you tried Permatex Hi-Temp?

https://www.permatex.com/auto/autouh.asp?automotive=yes&f_call=get_item&item_no=26346

That would be my first choice. Clean off the old muffler repair stuff, and try the Permatex.

At the bottom of the page, enter your zip code and it'll tell you where you can get it.

I have not tried that one. I have tried sevral others of that type. I will get some and see how it does.
Have you tried it?
I was thinking some kind of fabric would work but have been unable to find any.

No, I've not personally tried it, but every other Permatex product I've used has worked well.

I've seen what looks like fibreglass tape wrapped around various "long center branch" manifolds on some Minis, but I don't know where you'd get it....or how well it would seal. I'd try NAPA or some other large Auto store.

Make sure the exhaust system is secure. That joint gets a lot of flexing, because the engine rocks back and forth. Also double check the engine mounts. If they are "iffy" replace them and you'll have less exhaust problems. As a last resort; purchase an LCB exhaust header and that joint will be eliminated. (It'll just wiggle and leak down under the car, but the LCB looks cool.)

I agree with ThomP. If it continues to give you trouble, I'd suggest that you go with a Maniflow LCB header.....

https://www.minimania.com/web/Item/C%2DSTR817/InvDetail.cfm

I was wondering if there is any fabric that would be flexible? Or can you change the lower pipe mount to some kind of flexible mount instead of a firm one?? may be the whole system allowed to move as the motor does move a lot?
Any Ideas?? Thanks Randy

I've never seen a flexable solution to the exhaust problem on a Mini, but that is the exact solution the factory offered for the Big Healey. There is an 18" length of flexable exhust tubing in the Healey's system. I presume it is to allow the engine to move while the remainder of the system does not. You'd have to fabricate you own, but I don't know why it wouldn't work.

If your enging is moving so much that's pulling your exhaust pipes loose, you'd better check that your engine steady is tight. If it is, consider adding a secondary engine steady.

I don't think that flexible piping is a good solution. My '59 Morgan +4 had about a 24" section of it as a header pipe (this was the factory solution for matching the TR3 engine to the Morgan chassis), and it usually didn't last very long.

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I was wondering if there is any fabric that would be flexible? Or can you change the lower pipe mount to some kind of flexible mount instead of a firm one?? may be the whole system allowed to move as the motor does move a lot?
Any Ideas?? Thanks Randy

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Ideally, the whole exhaust system should be mounted on flexible hangers so that it can move with the engine separately from the body. Many, if not most cars, were originally done this way. Of course nothing will completely compensate for extremely worn or soft motor mounts, that let the engine flop from side to side under torque.

There also IS a remarkably well built flexible section available. It looks like a braided stainless steel outside with weld flanges on the ends. Not exactly stock looking but far better than the original flex pipes. I could send you an email pic, but most exhaust shops should have it.
D

Thanks for all your ideas!! I will try them one at a time and see if I can come up with a combantion that will work.

Again Thank you!!!