38 replies to this topic

[itguy]

Hi Everyone

We've got a problem with our MPI in as much as the exhaust is hanging too low in the middle of the car.

It currently has an LCB fitted of unknown make (it has a two-spring cup/ball flexi joint) and it looks like its making the exhaust hang too low and also off centre down the middle of the car.

Is this normal with an LCB?

We're having real problems with speedhumps and carparks with the cat grinding along the floor etc.

Does anyone know of a decent LCB that has exactly the right angles to keep the exhaust system height 'stock' and nice and tight againt the bottom of the car?

I must have a good 2 or 3 inches above my cat spare at the moment.

Failing this I'm thinking about reverting back to using a standard MPI exhaust manifold and a normal downpipe to my cat, then keep using my RC40 back boxes.

As an aside I only just scraped through the MOT on the lambda reading too so my guess is that the LCB that is on the car now has the boss fitted in just one of the branches, not at the collector like it should be too.

Any help gratefully receieved!

[bcjames]

Hey,

I have the same issue with my MPi. I purchased a Maniflow LCB, thinking it would be the best quality/design, but it causes endless problems with speedbumps etc. The angle at which the downpipes turn under the car is too shallow, so the whole exhaust line points down to the rear of the cat, then back up at the first box. I keep thinking I have the knuckle upside down, but I don't think I can since it needs to kick to the right to clear the selectors, and it is doing so.

This leaves the entire exhaust sitting beneath the tunnel with no protection:


Stupid angle by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

Although i dented and eventually split my standard MPi LCB, I'm thinking about getting another to use again. I can't remember it having such a daft angle!

-James

[itguy]

Ditto - that's exactly how ours looks.

I've never had a standard manifold or downpipe so I'm just going to go back to that - we're not looking for ultimate power or anything like that, just a nice drive where we don't have to plan specific routes just to avoid speedhumps!

When you say 'Standard MPi LCB' do you mean the bog standard OEM factory manifold or something else? minisport/spares etc?

Cheers

[mini 4o]

HI
standard manifold and downpipe, but i cut around 1 1/2 out of the lenght to fit closer to the floor,
measure before you cut in case yours is a little different.
same problem with gound clearance, not with speed bumps just pot holes.

john

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[charie t]

HI
standard manifold and downpipe, but i cut around 1 1/2 out of the lenght to fit closer to the floor,
measure before you cut in case yours is a little different.
same problem with gound clearance, not with speed bumps just pot holes.

john

Thats exactly what i did to mine. I couldn't get out of the drive way without grounding out. It now sits right up inside the tunnel and have no issues with knocking or grounding now

[jamesmpi]

I have exact same problem. And seriously annoys me because I often go to shows with the misses and my 3 year old. All of the weight in car means I have no hope clearing speed humps. In fact the last one almost caused the pipe to separate at the y piece!

I use a specialist components stainless steel manifold with the metal ball and cup flex joint with play mini side exit back box.

Looking at my setup the manifold and y piece look like they're pointing downwards rather than horizontal. So the whole system sit low. But even if I do manage to raise it, the pipe will clash to the gear mech unit in the exhaust tunnel. Think my solution will be to removal the whole lot and redo the system.

I wasn't happy with the manifold from day one. Quality of it was very dodgy despite coming straight from SC. In heinsight I should of sent it back but didn't have time to order a new one.

Without meaning to hijack this topic, what's the smallest diameter exhaust that should be used for a 1380?

[minimoz]

Sorry if this is hijacking a little bit, but I had a quick look under my car and the exhaust is low but at the flexi joint end, the joint has started to thread away and exhaust is hanging low at the front because of this, what's best way to sort this? Also the lowest part of the whole exhuast system is the right under the engine where the manifold meets the exhaust, is this normal? Will put a pic up soon. Cheers Moz

[Sprocket]

looking at the connection between the cat and rear section, it looks like it uses a ball type of socket. In which case, loosen the bolts and lift the cat then re tighten the bolts

[greg.harvey]

Hi all,

We just bought our Mini with the MPi engine, and it looks just like bcjames' one underneath - hardly any clearance at all, maybe 3.5" at best, I reckon - grounds out on almost anything! In fact, I've already dented the cat!

So does that mean the exhaust system is not factory right now? I can't imagine the thing left the factory like that - as described by others, the exhaust is hanging right out below the tunnel it seems it should be sitting in. I don't have the tools or the time to sort this out myself, but what's involved in 'fixing' this so the exhaust system is back where it should be? Is it like this because someone fitted an LCB in the past? What's the standard Rover fitting?


Thanks in advance!

Greg

[greg.harvey]

Hmm, this just became an urgent problem. Car beached on our driveway today, the exhaust system is so low! Forward would've meant tearing the mid-section off, back would've removed the cat! In the end some inventive use of planks and fire bricks, plus about 5 cms of possible back and forth, managed to get it up and over the ridge, but our drive is *not* a sharp ramp at all. Basically the way this Mini is now it would beach on anything bigger than a large snail! Worst of all, it's supposed to be my wife's day-to-day car and she now (understandably) refuses to drive it until it's sorted out.

So I was under it today having a look... there is a clear 4-5 cms between the cat and the tunnel for the exhaust system - I can fit my hand in there and wave it around! It seems to me the downpipe sticks out the 4-5 cms where it shouldn't. It seems to go far lower than necessary, and as a consequence everything else hangs lower. The flexi joint itself looks OK to me, doesn't seem to be sagging. Am I right in thinking fitting a shorter downpipe will probably make a lot of this go away? I'm trying to work out what I need to get to sort this out, because right now the car is nearly undriveable, especially around us where vicious speed bumps are the order of the day. =(

[Joethechippy]

i have the same problem with speed humps srapping my exhaust. As far as i know i have a standard exhaust (i have not had it renewed yet)

[greg.harvey]

i have the same problem with speed humps srapping my exhaust. As far as i know i have a standard exhaust (i have not had it renewed yet)

Oh noes, that doesn't sound promising! Anyway, going to get a good local mechanic to look at it. I'm sure there's space to shift it up, indeed, I know there is because 'mini 4o' has done it! =)

Cheers,


Greg

[bcjames]

Any photos of what you've got Greg?

Mine is still hanging low. Chopping and rewelding the manifold looks the only way to sort it. It's been up on the ramps a few times and we can't get it to sit any higher using only adjustment from the knuckle and rear-of-cat ball.

-James

[Guess-Works.com]

On ALL the MPi I've had here which have had the exhaust manifold replaced with an LCB. They've all hung really low...

Those fitted with the standard exhaust are fine..

I think the problem is that Ball/socket coupling, it does not provide any support as it's designed to be flexible, the springs obviously clamp it together, but it's no substitute for a solid pipe, plus the fact that the exit for the LCB is angled downward slightly..

What I'd be tempted to do is get an adjustable top engine steady, and angle the engine slightly forward just to bring bottom rear of the engine upward therefore lifting the exhaust at the front..

[Joethechippy]

On ALL the MPi I've had here which have had the exhaust manifold replaced with an LCB. They've all hung really low...

Those fitted with the standard exhaust are fine..

oh ok, maybe i have an LCB then, hard to believe though, when i got the mini it had only 25k miles...can't imagine the manifold needing replacing that early. Maybe thought i guess...it is a mini