Powerspeed exhaust fitting....stuck with too much friction...ideas?

[Alastair B]

So after having to dismantle my new Powerspeed exhaust system and fettle the hole in the sideskin I am putting it back together. I have used Copper RTV as suggested on the primary to collector pipes. The primaries are 'wobbly' as instructed. Taking apart was not easy though, again loads of pipe friction.

I am now really struggling to overcome the interference on the 4 pipes to collector, so to line up the center and rear mounts. I am using a rubber mallet and having to hit very hard the rear of the collector, it has been slow up to now but I still need another 15-20 mm of travel and further hits are not making progress at all.

Any suggestions? Are they all like this?

I'm off to do something different for a few hours at its driving me mad!

[SM25T]

Are all the primaries loose. I would try removing completely from head and just twist and push them one at a time. Or tighten them up lightly to the head and tap rear of silencer. I think with all loose but attached, they are possibly splaying and stopping forward movement .

[SM25T]

Do you have a separate collector. My 4-2-1 collector is a fixed part of the silencer.

[Alastair B]

My collector and 4-2-1 section is one fixed component.

The primaries are 'wobbly' meaning attached to head but able to move by a few mm or so at the open end. I've got them aligned and engaged then yes using hammer on rear of silencer....but not tapping!

Twisting and pushing one at a time - just can't see me getting the leverage/force to engage the primaries for the full travel; twisting will become very limited at the head end I think, but will think more about this idea.

Does your system simply and easily push/pull apart?

I will also call Powerspeed tomorrow and ask to speak to James

[Mankee]

I loosen my primaries right off the head so that the manifold nuts are barely on. Tonnes of room at the collector end to easily twist the lot together, no hammers or implements of force required. My collector and silencer are also one big lump. A few mm of room desn't sound like enough; I have inches of room!

[Alastair B]

Mankee - when you say 'twist the lot together' can you describe that a bit more for me please? What is the 4-2-1 collector bit doing compared to the primaries - are you counter twisting both components, just the primaries, one pipe at a time etc?

Thanks

[Mankee]

Really hard to describe with words! There's so much room with the primaries loosened right off that I just put all the primaries into the collector roughly and then "twist and push" the silencer/collector. It doesn't take much effort until the primaries go all the way into the collector and the silencer brackets line up with the bobbins. I recall an earlier thread of yours; how did you fit it all the first time round?

[Alastair B]

Will give it a go. So you are twisting each primary, one at a time but working all 4 sequentially, whilst pushing the collector onto the primary, is this right?

Previously bashed it together, rubber mallet on rear of can....it was easier, but not very easy the first time.

[DJ.]

Try gently tapping the primaries into the collector. When I did this (admittedly with a four into one) I found they went in easier one by one, a fraction at a time.

[Alastair B]

OK, all now done and sorted.

First tried Copper RTV, wished I hadn't, just made the whole assembly process more difficult by putting another substance into the tight fit which it didn't need, the Powerspeed light interference fit is sufficient alone.

Called in a friend, multiple Caterham owner and knows 4-2-1 systems well. His method worked a treat. Ensure no burrs by lightly emery the primaries lip edges. Aligned the primaries loose to get them to engage the collector. Then tightened the primary pipes securing nuts to create some resistance. Then by slowly holding the rear of the silencer articulate in a series of small up/down/side to side motions whilst pushing reasonably hard from the rear, the silencer 'crawls' forward onto the primaries...only took 10 minutes if that. Very appreciative of his help.

So thanks for all the advice, I can now go out tomorrow and give it a good blat!