TR2/3/3A Question? TR3A exhaust system

[TFR]

My TR3A's exhaust is terrible. It sounds okay but the fitment is not good. Rattle, resonates, bounces...
Who makes the best fitting, sounding exhaust for the TR3?

The old one needs to go.

 

[TR4]

I helped a freind put on a Stainless Steel system from The Roadster Factory about 5 years ago and that fit very well with no rattles. Sounded good too but sound is a personal choice. This one in my opinion sounded as an original system would have sounded. I remember the hanger bracket at the center of the car being a real bear to get back together. You could check to see if your car has that clamp. My TR4 is missing it and when I turn the car off, the exhaust rattles.

 

[Tinkerman]

I replaced that hanger bracket with a TR4 hanger bracket and it was much easier to get back together. Mind you its not running yet so I don't know what it sounds like............sigh.

Tinkerman

 

[TR3driver]

My local muffler shop does a wonderful job. Price is good, he stands behind his work ("any problems, just bring it back" but so far I've never taken one back), and best of all, I don't have to fight with it.

When I took the project TR3 to him, he fabricated brackets to mate up with the stock mounting points (including the lateral strap inside the frame); put on two "Cherry Bomb" glasspacks (same construction as the original mufflers, but formed instead of having all those rolled joints to rust out); and bent tubing to make it all work. I pointed out the problem with the rear axle at full droop, so he made sure it didn't hit the exhaust (which was a problem I had with the pre-formed system).

Price installed was about what the parts cost from Moss or TRF. And it fits much better than the pre-formed system I got from Moss (several decades ago). Made an appointment for 8 AM, was on my way by 9:20.

The previous job he did on my TR3A (after the Moss system rotted out) with only one muffler was just a little bit loud for my taste; so this time I asked for a more mellow sound and he suggested the second muffler (just like the factory did). It's just right now, a nice bass rumble with no tinny overtones. No more setting off car alarms or dirty looks from the police

 

[Mickey Richaud]

When I had the '57 TR3, I put the Falcon stainless steel system on as well. Great sound, and it'll outlast much of the car.

I still have an extra stainless steel downpipe that was sent in error. If you have a need for it, let me know.

Mickey

 

[Don Elliott]

Don't buy a new one if all you have is rattles, etc. I installed a new Falcon stainless steel system that I bought in 1989 in England for £75.00 ($150.00) complete - downpipe, muffler & resonator. It still sounds great after a little more than 101,000 miles. But mine stated to bang and rattle on the cross "X" where it passes throught the hole in this box section. Between 2800 RPM to 3000 RPM it would vibrate nwith a horrible sound. So this past spring, I took it all out (easy when it's stainless) and my friendly neighbour used his press to make the tube just a little bit oval (flatter top to bottom) where it passes through the holes in the center "X" box. It did non change the flow area or the total cross-section so it's just as efficient as before. I re-installed it and checked that I now had enough clearance. Like Dick, I have had the TR4 center support for 20 years and I made sure it was tight after I re-installed the muffler and the resonator. I had to rotate one against the other to make sure than it was not touching the frame at the rear axle or the inside of the frame beside the smaller resonator. Now it's solid and I have no rattles.

Take it to a muffler shop as Randall suggests. They might use their pipe bender to give it a little more bend here or there so it doesn't hit somewhere.

Even if you buy a new system, it may not have the correct bend angles here and there and you may end up going to have the muffler shop bend you new system too.

BTW, I rallied my 1958 TR3A extensively from 1959 to 1965. When I dismantled it in 1987 to restore it, that center "X" box section was so full of gravel and sand wedged in
there, I had to use a hammer and a cold-chisel to literally chisel out all that mass of compacted gravel which was as solid and as hard as concrete.

Maybe you have picked up some gravel and that's what's causing your rattles etc. Check it out.

 

[Geo Hahn]

I installed the stainless system from TRF in 1987 and it still performs and looks as new. I think the label finally cooked off a couple of years ago but the muffler is still shiny.

IMO the center bracket on the TR3A is easier to work with than the TR4 approach but maybe that's just me. Certainly you will want a nice solid fitment with good clearance as it passes thru the cruciform box.

 

[Perrymip]

I just finished installing the "Sport" stainless steel version from Falcon. I like the sound (a bit throatier than stock) and the relative simplicity under the car (no resonator). Hardest for me was getting the old gear off, not least the brass nuts fastening the down-pipe (I rounded one of those off nicely).

I've never had anything against the old, original TR3 clamp. It secures the joint between the down-pipe and the muffler and holds it under spring tension. It seems to me a good arrangement to keep rattles at a minimum.

 

[TFR]

My problem wit the stock system is fitment. It rubbed the OD unit and two more places. Always rattling and squeeking.

Guess I might try a custom shop or the Falcon unit.

 

[Adrio]

I had a problem with fitment and it hitting the O/D once I put in an O/D. I did as Randall and took it to the muffler shop. I think I was in for under 100 bucks and he fixed it all up with little bends here and there. These guys know what they are doing, he was done in less time then I spent looking at it thinking "how am I going to solve this". Like Don says, I don't think you have to get a new system.