MARSHSEIS "Classic Mini Challenge" Creating a Time Machine.

Objective-8 Establish a Route for the Exhaust Run.

At first glance we thought we were facing an almost unachievable goal to take what some would call the traditional route for the exhaust run on a classic mini. How ever with a little bit of out of the box thinking and again a liberal application of Marshseis magic we were able to nail down an exhaust solution that seen us take the exhaust pretty much exactly the way it would have run on the original mini clubman.

This was the major stumbling block and for those of you who are not familiar with modern car exhaust systems this is the catalytic convertor from the modern MINI Cooper, which forms an integral part of the clamping arrangement to connect this to the outlet of the turbo. The housing also serves as mounting points for the before and after CAT-LAMBDA or oxygen sensors. The problem with this whole arrangement.... there was simply not enough room to squeeze this in and also create an output from it that would get us to where we needed to be.

The answer... Simple! Remove the catalytic convertor from the equation and relocate it somewhere else but use the housing from it to create a connecting solution to get the newly fabricated exhaust system connected to the turbo outlet. Above is that solution complete with fabricated down pipe that got us on our desired exhaust route and in exactly the right place. Note we were also able to use the original flexible bellows type coupling and the picture here shows the fabrication process of manufacturing a clamping arrangement for that, rather than it being a welded connection.

And as if by magic....BOOM....here it is in-situ showing just how little space we had to work with. The eagle eyed amongst you are going to say, "well that puts the after LAMBDA sensor in the wrong place" and you'd be correct, but the mounting point for that sensor will be blanked off and relocated behind what will be an in-line catalytic convertor....further down the line.

We're getting there... The exhaust now exactly in the right place and ready with a clamping arrangement to accept the new under car system running exactly where it is meant to be, and rightly so running as it should in the way the original designer, "Sir Alec Issigonis" intended, straight through the existing exhaust tunnel..... Marvellous.. I love it!!

BINGO.....there it is! Couldn't have worked out better with the only thing left to do now....to acquire an in-line catalytic convertor and weld it in up front there, together and complete with an after lambda sensor mounting point..... I just love it when a plan comes together or is that sounding a little bit too much like "The 'A' Team". >----< Ah well, speak it like it is :-)

That's about all for this blog....All the best and take care and be sure to keep an eye out for our next blogs where you'll find out exactly how we got on with "Creating a Time Machine".