this is more of a ran than anything so don't bother reading if you don't care.

i want to know who thinks that 2 bolt flanges are a good idea... everytime i need a gasket i have to spend an hour ******* around with auto parts stores to try and find the right size gasket for each exhaust system because they're all different sizes and the gaskets- nonexistent.

sure i could just order a stack of 3" universals but i shouldn't have to, exhaust is on every car on the road but why do all manufacturers still refuse to use proper 3 bolt or donut style flanges is beyond me. the 2 bolt flanges warp to holy hell and leak all the time.

so to you manufacturers that still use this antiquated '50's techonology!

 

I agree the 2 bolt gaskets can be a real biotch to find one that will work. Every time i take off a exhaust i need a new gasket. Im lucky if i find one that i can slightly trim to make it work. Never have time to wait to order one offline...

 

Speaking of this, where is a good source to get the 2-bolt gaskets for the RB downpipe/presilencer? I hit up my local parts store and found something that fits almost perfectly, but the metal ring is a bit small and I have to trim the holes to get it to fit (although for $2.50 it is hard to argue with)

 

http://www.racingbeat.com/RX7-1986-1...t-Gaskets.html

 

A thick, solid 2 bolt flange works pretty well... and cheap **** is cheap ****.

 

they freaking suck. i have an exhaust leak cuz of that

 

yeah and the DAMN bolts are always screwed up too.

that being said i am not sure if VW/audi's $40 slip on clamp is better....

 

Yep they suck for sure. Bought my 2 bolt gaskets, holes not far enough apart had to trim, 2 weeks later all of them blew back out.....

And the bolts, I 2nd they suck ***.... So much so they stripped comming off, now I have to cut them, drill them out, what a pain in the ***.

 

i've been contemplating just ordering a shitload of 2 1/2" and 3" v-band clamps. no more gaskets to worry about and they seal quite well.

 

imma use these to redo mine, http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performan...ductId=1256861

i need to find the right header length, without a welder

 

I <3 v-bands. Makes exhaust work so much easier.

 

I use black permatex and slop it on both sides of a used gasket. has worked for me numerous times.

 

Black permatex? I learned to use "muffler mud" from and old friend. I don't know what it's really called, but it goes on and solidifies into a cement-like substance that seals really well. And once you remove the gasket, you can scrape it off without any problem.

2 bolt flanges are stupid. And for those who think v-bands make life easy, try working on one of Ford's 7.3 or 6.0 diesels. You'll never waste more time of your life trying to get a v-band clamp back on and aligned properly.

 

Honestly I have never had ANY problem with them and have made quite a few custom exhasts. Of course I rarely deal with other peoples exhast these days so maybe thats why I think they are so great I buy THICK Stainless flanges and napa always has gaskets for me with that nice soft steel ring on them(I have 4 spares in my toolbox). I use fat stainless flanged bolts and nuts in nearly zero clearence holes so they line up right and I dont hafta fiddle with washers.

I have seen some really **** hardware. If thats what you start with then yeah, they suck just like anything else. I love the ones where the bolt holes are right next to the hole for the exhast so you can only get 1/8 inch bolts in them. Those go right in the recycle bin. With no ring to seal it up, uneven surfaces and flex at the joint your going to get leaks. Done right they work just fine.

Now slip joints, those really **** me off, turns a quick job into an ordeal.

 

You can be like the previous owner of my car and actually just weld all the flanges together....

 

In my case that is what I am going to do I think. Considering I need 4 new gaskets, at mazdas cost of something like 10-15 bucks a piece, I can get them welded for that or cheaper.
Piece of mind knowing its gonna hold for a long, long time.

 

you guys use exhaust gaskets?

 

My current favored flange style is to expand the one end to a loose slip fit that won't expand and seize (or really seal), slip the other end in and then put the cheapo sheetmetal pressed V-band rings on either side of the joint to seal it.

The loose slip fit makes it easy to align the v-band clamps (which is a real pain with close tolerance machined v-band clamps without a lead in), it doesn't cost bank, no gaskets and seals pretty well.

 

I never had an issue with slip joints on my vws, but they were never very rusty either.

If you want a sealer, I'd recommend permatex copper, as it is made for high temps.

Blue, you have a pic of that setup?

 

2 bolt flanges work but they have to be high quality and they have to be placed correctly