Acclaim exhaust

[scg]

A bit of a long shot, but does anybody know of an Acclaim exhaust system for sale, or can anyone recommend a specialist who could make a new one from scratch?

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

Can anybody recommend a stainless supplier or share their experiences  with acclaim exhausts, people, makers etc. Your input at this point would be highly valued.

Cheers B

[Jonny-Jimbo]

Looks simple enough! If I wasn't getting kicked out my workshop I'd have a good go at making one myself either in mild or stainless... Sadly, I may be selling everything up.

If I get anything sorted we can disucss making a short production run if I can get an Acclaim to trial fit it on to.

Have made exhausts before for single seaters and touring cars etc. I think the biggest issue would be finding a back-box with offset inlet and outlets.

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

I'm sure I can provide a ride for you to tinker with

[scg]

Thanks for the offer, Barry. I am getting some quotes together, but will hold off a little while to see if Jon has any luck with premises. Meanwhile, is anybody else interested if I end up having a batch made?

[scg]

Incidentally, I got my car on a ramp yesterday to take some pictures of the exhaust on there. Comparing it to your picture Barry, it looks as though mine has already been cobbled together out of non-standard parts. Certainly the back box is a different shape.

[Jonny-Jimbo]

Hoping to arrange a viewing of a workshop tomorrow - a tadge smaller than my current one, but better condition (newly refurbished in fact!).

Barry, if you could offer an Acclaim, with a good exhaust on that would be grand. Obviously having an original one to work from would be a great help.

Just to get the ball rolling, could you tell me the diameter of the pipe and the approximate overall length so I can look into material costs?

Also would 100% originality be important? For example, the silencer box might be hard to find, and a slip joint would be much easier to produce than a bolted flange. I can do it, but just thinking of ways to keep complexity down.

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

I can give you the approximate dimensions, but I'll need a couple of days to dig out an example and measure it up
There are two types fitted to the Acclaim, The one in my first picture is the Mk1 system with the flange, by far the better system. The Mk2 system was much cheaper and had a slip joint as you suggested. The system in your photo looks like it was off a marina estate.
not too fussed about big bore or originality, but you need to include a small piece of flexi pipe just under the engine or the pipe will crack and break just under the manifold flange.

cheers

B

[Jonny-Jimbo]

Hi Barry,
That's fine. It's not like we're in a rush to get Acclaim exhausts to market!
If you have a good solid example, that would be good to use as a jig and template, then when I have actually made one we could trial fit one to a car?
Does the Mk1 type fit a Mk2 and visa-versa.
To be honest, I would rather produce a good product than something that saves a few quid. I can understand saving a few quid when the company is in trouble and saving a a fiver per car could equate to half a million quid... BUT, if the flanged type is better I am happy to do that.

The flexi-pipe should be easy to include as you can get weld in flex sections.

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

flexi would have to be after this

[scg]

Thanks for all the help and advice, Barry. In case anybody else is reading this, could they let us know if they are also interested in an exhaust? Obviously the unit price will be better for us all if we can commission a batch. Not looking for deposits, just trying to gauge interest and then we can come up with some prices.

[citroentim]

I would be interested in a complete system for mine. Not in a rush as mine is fine at present but I have no intention of ever selling so always nice to have a spare for the future.

[ferny]

Depends on price as you can get them from Germany - minus the back box. I've got plans to yet again remake the one on mine. It's currently using the MX5 resonator and a straight through stainless back box, joined together by a mixture of existing exhaust pipe and leftovers from making the Herald system.

[Jonny-Jimbo]

Is that the clamp after the manifold Barry? What is the diameter of the pipe? 1.5" / 38mm, and does that continue for the length of the system?

That leads to another interesting point - were the exhausts different on Triomatic cars, rather than manual?

Ferny - the ones from Germany look to be quite poorly made, so I am hoping to do a bit better than that if I can, and I'd also hope to produce a full system from the end of the downpipe to the tailpipe, including silencers.

[scg]

So far I've got interest in four exhausts, so it is definitely viable. I will get back to those who have expressed an interest once we have a better idea of the choices concerning price, material and originality.

[Toledo Man]

Jon, there's no difference between the manual and Triomatic. It was the later cars that had a different exhaust. The later cars had a spring loaded ball joint right at the manofild/downpipe joint which allowed for some movement (a common problem with the rigid early ones hence the clamp which most cars lost after a visit to a "fast fit" place) and a normal sliding type joint for the rear silencer.

[Jonny-Jimbo]

I see - the later ones follow the same path though don't they, just that some of the fitting types are different? I think doing two different exhausts could be a pain in the backside for the likely volumes that would sell. If a good exhaust could be made that would be common to both early and late cars that would be ideal.

Simon, doing four wouldn't be too bad, plus I guess you'd add a few extras to that maybe for future interest. So maybe we'd currently be looking at around 5 sets, +1 prototype?

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

I have the measurements you requested

It's been a long day so my spilling is a bit carp so bare with me please

The system is about 3520 mm in length, i have not measured around any bends or radei It is just a rough approximation

the first half of the system from the manifold is in 42mm ED.

the first expansion box or resonator is 260mm long and has a diameter of 90mm. The pipe that leaves this is 38mm ED, although I think that I would continue in the 42mm ED, but not being an expert I do not know if that would effect performance or economy. the distance covered by the front half section is about 2620mm


After leaving the resonator, it does a double right angle dog leg which is about 470mm from the outside radius to the other outside radius, then to the joining flange. the dog leg takes the pipe round the petty tank to the osr suspension where it will pass under the transverse radius arm, but before it gets there it joins the rear box by way of a 3 bolt flange. The rear box is 305mm long with a diameter of 185mm. the exit pipe is 295mm and the length of the section is 940mm not including wiggly bendy bits.

The section shown in the front has a lambda sensor fitted as an experiment, and is not fitted as standard.

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

the resonator has support braces welded to it, and the example you see in the pictures was made by walker
68-07544
FOO 2619
85 2 25

as far as the flex joint is concerned, BL ops, Austin rover did try to fit a ball and socket type shown in the second image, but the flange snapped off in the usual place, so Dan came up with this that is fitted to Rupert in the third picture. its far enough back so as not to be a problem with the manifold clamp, but gives the engine the ability to move without stressing the system
B

[Jonny-Jimbo]

Right, I've done some shopping around for materials, I could do the whole thing in either 44.5mm tube or 38mm tube (or a combination of).
The 44.5mm size is much more common, with a wall thickness of 16swg (1.6mm).
For the centre box I could either make a can using 88.9mm tube, and then having a perforated tube down the middle, with packing around it. I could make this serviceable so that people can either add more packing, or remove some if they want to make it rortier. This would have to be in mild steel.

Other options would include buying an off the shelf centre box from Custom Chrome, with a 'Cherrybomb' mid-tube.

I can also buy steel flanges that are laser cut, with gaskets to make a bolt together joint, but this would only be two bolts, not three. Alternatively, if you can still get the standard gaskets, I could use one of these to get the hole spacing, and then get a set of plates laser cut.

The major struggle will be sorting the back box, if we are to keep it standard with the way it has offset inlet and outlet pipes that will have to be custom made. Again, I can do that, but would need to get sheet material cut and rolled to suit, then weld end plates on.

If I bought all the materials from Custom Chrome (in Nuneaton, so very close to me) I could get the materials in MILD steel for £50 if I make the centre box, or around £80 with a ready made Cherrybomb. In STAINLESS (304) I could buy the materials for around £180 with a Cherrybomb, a bit less probably if I bought perf-tube and got the outside sections of the resonator rolled.

Either way would need numbers adding to that for the backbox. Both of them are 'round numbers' - if there is much interest one way or the other I can do a better cost breakdown.

[Jonny-Jimbo]

I've just been on the blower to Custom Chrome and they'll do a decent enough discount if I order enough stuff for doing 10 systems - maybe less discount for less parts.

For instance, they'd knock the cost of the Cherrybombs down from £33 each to £25 each including VAT.

[scg]

The interest so far is for four systems, though I am the only definite. I am happy to stand behind a run of five though, as I am sure the rest will sell eventually even if it takes a while. Personally I am not too bothered about an exact match to the original for the rear silencer etc, and would be happy for Jon to decide the final spec based on all the helpful advice from Barry and elsewhere. I can also leave my Acclaim with Jon so that he has a car for the prototyping to ensure it all fits properly (would that be possible Jon?), but would appreciate a lift back from Warwick towards Bourne in south Lincolnshire – any offers?
One last thing Jon. I know you are inclined towards mild steel to keep the cost down and make the prototyping easier, but I think people would be more inclined towards buying a system if they were stainless steel.

[logicaluk]

Ive just started looking at just the same idea using stailess steel dairy pipe as i can get it cheap but it had stalled as ive been busy tryng to do compleate 4 project cars at once and keep down a full time job.

I was looking at dairy pipe as good mandrel bends are available off the shelf and  its good quality stainless i hadent sorted out the manifold flange yet. But i think there a fairly standard patten
It will defiantly need a flexible section in around where i fitted the wideband sensor.
Your welcome to borrow the exhaust barry photographed as a pattern.
Dan

[scg]

Thanks for that Dan, and the offer of lending the exhaust to Jon. I am also trying to find an original pipe closer to him in the Warwick/Coventry area, but we may well take you up on that. Can I just check – is it an entire system you have that we could borrow, or just the resonator section that Barry pictured above?

[Barry Acclaim Guru]

It would be the whole system, Dan wont mind, I don't think he has noticed that I have pinched it off his Acclaim yet. Ssshh! mums the word.