The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Owners of the Dolomite 1500 model will be acutely aware of the problem with the exhaust manifold to downpipe gasket blowing at frequent intervals. Spitfire 1500 owners have the option of curing this permanently by using an all in one downpipe/extractor manifold which doesn't have that joint. Unfortunately Spitfire manifolds won't fit the Dolomite and so the only option is to make do with the original set up, albeit making sure that the mating faces of the manifold and downpipe are filed perfectly flat, nuts and bolts used instead of studs/nuts, chewing gum, or bits of string are used to hold the two assemblies together. The added bonus with extractor manifolds is that they do release a bit more BHP, especially when used with a less restrictive exhaust. We're looking into the feasibility of having an extractor manifold designed for the Dolomite 1500/HL/SE (it could also be used on the Dolomite 1300/Toledo/1300FWD/1500FWD/1500TC) and we would like to gauge possible demand for the item before any money changes hands. We have absolutely no idea of price at this stage, nor whether it would be stainless or mild steel, and although voting "yes" is by no means a commitment to buy, knowing the level of interest would be very useful to us.

To confirm four branch manifolds for FWD and OHV RWD models are now available to order. RWD in stainless only £300. FWD in stainless £400, FWD in mild steel £300. Prices do not include carriage, we normally try to deliver them to shows for collection or pass to the customer via the "Dolly Network". Please enquire. Order from TDC Spares - details in our Club magazine or in the Members Only section of this Forum.

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Add in 1300 models too....Its very hard now to get the OE downpipe and I converted mine to a 1500 and twin carb setup, which was a big
improvement.

I do hope this comes off, even though I dont own an ohv dolly any more and another one is unlikely.

Whether or not the remaining ohv population will go for this when it IS possible to get a seal to last if the all important gearbox support is
present remains to be seen...but it IS a massive plus on Spitfires.

Jonners

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Note from Admin: sadly Jon passed away in February 2018 but his humour and wealth of knowledge will be fondly remembered by all. RIP Jonners.

If it helps you'll find stainless very expensive. We've just had some Jaguar ones made up in stainless and they are more than twice the price of mild steel. Of course the manifold is usually the last piece to rot out as it generally does not get wet in the same was as the tail pipe.

Again I no longer own an OHV but I have suffered from the problem and it is a real pain. I would welcome anything like this for the benefit of other members.

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Mark

1961 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon
1980 Dolomite Sprint project using brand new shell
2009 Mazda MX5 2.0 Sport
2018 Infiniti Q30

We've been in touch with a potential supplier already. Development should start in the next few weeks and hopefully we could be seeing a product available for testing this side of Christmas.

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This is great news as it'll be ready to go straight onto my (hopefully) very fast 1500tc. I could do with treating myself to a Christmas present. Who are you talking with as I'm only 30minutes away from the main suppliers in Collumpton?

We can't divulge that, but we are in need of a 1500 manifold, downpipe and cylinder head to use for measurements. Also a 1300FWD setup as well. If anyone can lend us these items, please email info@triumphdolomiteclub.com or send me a PM. Thank you.

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Will this work? The problem with the current setup is there is insufficient support for that section of exhaust. The movement is taken up by that joint, and it fails. If you put an all in one manifold/down pipe, won't the danger be fatigue failure at the weakest point of the new setup?

I honestly don't know if that would happen, but the movement/stress on the system has to be taken up somewhere.

I use one of those stainless steel flexible 6" sections welded in behind the downpipe. That helps keep movements and vibrations down although the occasional pulling of an exhaust joint and gumming it back together with assembly paste is a given with any classic.

The proposal is to create something very similar to the tubular manifold which is already available for the Spitfire. Logic dictates that if Spitfire owners don't experience problems with that design of combined manifold and downpipe then neither should we. We aren't proposing to market something made from bog roll tubes held together with gaffa tape

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Are you enjoying using our forum? If so why not support the owners club which provides it by joining The Triumph Dolomite Club? Help us to preserve these great cars for future generations.
Club membership costs just £27 for one year or £50 for two years. See viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2412 for details.

There are numerous tubular manifolds for Spitfires from a variety of manufacturers.

I had a couple of nightmare sessions fitting some years ago. Getting the flanges to join flat at the head face was an issue as the two sections
would not then fit properly into the joining Y section. These were "Triumph Tune" mild steel efforts and they were not that great - sorry Terry.

Moss later sold a stainless one made I think by Bells and I had no issues with fitting a few of these. Mine has been on the car now for at least 15 years with no issues. I think the TSSC also sold this one but it was never cheap.

Avoid any design that lets the flanges at the head drift from being parallel and flat against the head. The gasket here is quite thin and getting a good seal is sometimes an issue even with the OE manifolds.

Jonners

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Note from Admin: sadly Jon passed away in February 2018 but his humour and wealth of knowledge will be fondly remembered by all. RIP Jonners.

Interesting to see how this turns out

I'm interested so long as the quality is right and knowing you Alun it will be. I'm too old, jaded and time poor to place price above quality any longer (think rolon, points that last a week, condensers that 1 in 3 is dead out of the box, 'stainless' heat shields that rust out in a year etc etc).

My only comment on mild vs stainless is a question rather than a preference. I've never heard a stainless system as quiet as a mild system even when the stainless claims to be standard rather than sports. Is that a result of the material? Is it simply more prone to resonate? It must be possible to make a quiet stainless system as modern cars seem to use them.

Just a thought really to throw into the equation when the material choice is being made.

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1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.

An update; thanks to everyone who offered to lend us parts to enable development work to start. We now have what we need and they will be passed to the supplier shortly. Once a prototype has been developed it will be rigorously tested before being put into full production.

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Are you enjoying using our forum? If so why not support the owners club which provides it by joining The Triumph Dolomite Club? Help us to preserve these great cars for future generations.
Club membership costs just £27 for one year or £50 for two years. See viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2412 for details.

I can't claim any credit here Julian, it is absolutely nothing to do with me, but thanks for the compliment.

A short update; the parts we needed (cylinder head, manifold and downpipe) have been delivered to the supplier and they'll start work this week on measuring them and forming a prototype.

_________________
Are you enjoying using our forum? If so why not support the owners club which provides it by joining The Triumph Dolomite Club? Help us to preserve these great cars for future generations.
Club membership costs just £27 for one year or £50 for two years. See viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2412 for details.