Dax Exhaust Manifolds

[craggle]

Hi Nick

Sorry to hear about the pipes.

Is there any chances of posting a couple of pictures to show how little space you have between the cylinder heads and the footwell sides? Are your aluminium panels touching the fibre glass underneath or is there likely to be a gap?

My pipes are close to the footwells but fit in quite nicely. Are you using the Edelbrock RPM heads like I am? Could Dax have supplied you with the wrong headers by any chance? Do the engine flanges look like they will match the heads?

I notice you are fairly close to me. I live near Dorking. If you ever need to come and have a look at my car for any reason please feel free to ask.

Craig.

[john w]

Hi Nick

Its simple, send them back & get a refund, I'm going to make my own as their is so many variations on a kit car, plus I have an extended tunnel.

John

[craggle]

Just re-read your post and am unsure if the pipes are too tight between the engine and the footwell side or if the pipes are touching the front of the footwells. If they are touching the front of the footwells is it possible your engine is mounted too far back for some reason?

I am curious as everything I brought from Dax was a perfect fit. Maybe I was the lucky one.

Craig.

[Nobby]

Hi Craig, 2 pics of the drivers side. I am using Edelbrock E-tec 64cc heads and the ally panels were installed by Dax on the drivers side. There is an air gap and they said it was OK. I ordered Chevy Smallblock headers for extended footwell. And Simon confirmed this when I collected them.

I've just been looking at it again and I reckon I have 3 options:

Get a custom pipe made to come upwards from the exhaust port.

Or

Hack a huge chunk out of the footwell and Ally panel from inside the car, fit the pipe and then try and repair the damage.

Or

Get someone else to fit a custom system and have all the hassle!

I am not happy with any of these solutions. I paid Dax's inflated prices because of all the other problems I've encountered - and because I expected their exhaust to fit their car?

One other thing I just noticed: The spark plug is in the way of the down pipe on both sides for the rear most cylinders if I ever get them fitted? is this possible? Is there something different about E-Tec heads? Is the spark plug in a different position?

Your offer to have a look at your car would be most welcome - I've built the car in isolation - a chance to meet another nutter would perhaps save my sanity!

cheers and thanks for the moral support!!

[kdavies3]

Just a thought but you might have mixed up the header pipes and are trying to fit the wrong one to that cylinder.
maybe from the other bank.
As for the rear spark plug, you can remove them but it's chuffing close, I made up a special shortened plug socket. :thumb:

[craggle]

Hi Nick

Cheers for the pictures.

Could you possibly measure a distance from the exhaust mounting face on the heads to the inner wing to give me an idea how much room you have? I can then compare this measurement to mine and see what the difference is.

I made and fitted my stainless engine lining myself. There is an air gap between the panel and the footwell but this is 5mm at most. Maybe you could drill a small hole through the fibreglass from inside and take a measurement between the glass fibre and the aluminium panels.

I am using the Edelbrock performer RPM heads which are avalible in 2 versions. I have the angled spark plug ones instead of the straight versions which gives a little more room for the headers to miss the plugs.

Drop me a PM if your in the area one day and fancy having a look at my car.

Craig.

[clive a brown]

Hi Nobby, I had my headers made up by a Co in Egham - not a million miles from you, very reasonable and have had no problems since.

Classic Exhaust Engineers Ltd 01784 471232

Merry Xmas

Clive

[Nobby]

Craig, Thanks for the reply. Will measure it tonight.

Clive, Thanks for the number, i'll give then a ring and see what they can do for me. Maybe I can just get the one pipe (drivers side rear) modified by them? The others I can probably fit by bashing the ally panel inwards? Did they have to have your car to make the headers?

Also will hassle Dax in January to see if they will sort this mess out for me!

Point is though - Why should I have to mess around like this? Dax parts on a Dax car - Why don't they fit? This isn't the first time I've had this hassle either.

Moral is : DON'T HAVE ALUMINIUM PANELS ON DAX EXTENDED FOOTWELL!

Cheers

[Nobby]

Just had another thought - Is there a special plug socket to remove the spark plugs? Nothing I have will fit. If so where can I get one?

Cheers

[clive a brown]

Hi Nobby, Yep I took my car to them and they fabricated from the heads to the side exhausts.

very reasonable and good quality

Regards Clive