Exhaust down pipe removal

In my last post I said that this is not a job for the feint-hearted especially on a RHD vehicle where the steering column is in the way, a vehicle ramp or pit would make the job a lot easier and I don't have either so it's out with the trolley jack and axle stands. Removal of a lot of bits and pieces is necessary and some special tools are required. So here goes. Caveat: These steps are for a RHD, Manual gearbox, Carburettor model. Probably not the quickest way but this is what I did.

• As always with any job in the engine bay, disconnect he battery. Why? have you ever seen a wedding ring welded to the permanent live on the back of a starter motor? I strongly suggest you don't search for it!
• Place front of car on axle stands at a height where it is comfortable to work from under the bonnet and underneath the vehicle, slacken off o/s/f suspension sphere with use of a strap wrench or sphere removal tool and release hydraulic pressure at the regulator.
• Remove air filter, a little awkward, but I replaced the two M7 mild steel steel nuts with stainless steel ones, the rust on the manifold studs is not an issue anymore. A 11mm ratchet spanner is useful here. Remove air intake to carburettor and breather pipes from rocker cover and crankcase.
• Remove heat shield above manifolds.
• Removal of gear change rod is not necessary, however it does make things easier and would be a good time to check the bushes.
• Remove o/s/f suspension sphere. Keep the sphere away from any contamination source especially dust or grit. I use a clean carrier bag and some paper towel to soak up any LHM. And use a bung for the suspension cylinder.
• Steering column/wheel is removed from inside the vehicle. Set the road wheels to the straight ahead position and note the position of the steering wheel, it should be at about twenty past four position. Remove bottom pinch bolt securing the column to steering pinion valve. Slacken off special screw retaining a sleeve at the top of the column. Caution when you do this as there is substantial spring holding a cone at the top of the column in place. From inside the vehicle remove top of the switch housing, there are two screws underneath securing this, slide along the gear change diagram and lift the cover out. With the key in the ignition and the steering lock released you can now remove the column, have someone under the bonnet to catch the clip, washer, tube, another washer, spring, another final washer and a cone. Keep these parts in the correct order.
• Remove exhaust manifolds. Undo four nuts connecting manifolds to down pipe and eight nuts securing manifolds to cylinder head. This require the patience of a saint and an array of sockets, universal joins, spanners etc. and the hands of a four year old!
• With the manifolds removed the down pipe can be uncoupled from the flexible pipe and removed upwards from the engine bay.

Removing the middle section made it easier to remove the flexible pipe but not necessary, as I had a new middle section to go on after it was a good time to do it.

The air filter, gear change rod and suspension sphere removed ready for steering column removal.

Heat shields removed.

Both manifolds off and steering column removed.

With the flexible pipe removed the downpipe can be lifted up and out.

I will continue with the refitting on my next post.

Exhaust down pipe

Well what can I say... other than it's been a strange couple of years!

Hope you're all okay.

So work continues on the restoration of the DS, will it ever stop? Some classic car owners say that restoration never stops because there is always something to do due mainly because of the manufacturing techniques and materials used in classics, I don't think they were really expected to last more than 10 years let alone 40, 50 or more. Or maybe they are perfectionists trying to make every detail correct. It's for this reason I decided to insure the DS and make everything road legal and use it as a rolling restoration, work from now will be to achieve this condition and I will worry about the correct details later.

DVLA registration class has now been changed to classic and no MOT is required but must be in a legal and roadworthy condition. Classic car insurance now allows me 3000 miles fully comprehensive with breakdown recovery for less than my 'laid-up' policy, so this should be quite achievable.

The exhaust has been progressively becoming noisier and noisier and now fumes are also becoming apparent. So before I pass out in the drivers seat I thought that now was a good time to replace the offending downpipe. This section of exhaust looks to be the original part but has been badly welded before in various places and looked like 'The Eagle has landed' (Any welder will tell you what this means!)

This is not a job for the feint-hearted especially on a RHD vehicle where the steering column is in the way, a vehicle ramp or pit would make the job a lot easier and I don't have either so it's out with the trolley jack and axle stands. Removal of a lot of bits and pieces is necessary and some special tools are required.

Here we can see the offending exhaust down pipe with a visible hole in the thin metal at the rear and where the Eagle has landed at the front.

New old stock downpipe

Close-up showing original part number

My last purchase was a new old stock downpipe with the original (DX 182-44) part number still visible. Apparently remanufactured exhausts don't sound quite as good as the original, but I'm not too sure. The black paint was only ever to serve as a crude rust preventer while stored in a parts department.

 All the black paint was removed and bare metal treated and coated with black VHT paint, hopefully this will make it last another 40 years.

I will continue with the removal on my next post.