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A-Body Exhaust Manifolds
#1620230
05/15/14 12:00 AM
05/15/14 12:00 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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What are the original specs for A-Body Chrome tips ? Were they all the same ? I am looking for tips for a 71 Duster, not worried about concourse correct, just something that looks right....prices seem to vary from $85 to $150... These SS ones are only $85 but not sure if they look accurate... http://www.ebay.com/itm/161272265095?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
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Re: A-Body Exhaust Manifolds
[Re: ]
#1620231
05/15/14 03:08 AM
05/15/14 03:08 AM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655
Cut and Shoot, TX
kentj340
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655
Cut and Shoot, TX
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Here's the dirty little secret on A and B body Mopar chrome tips of the muscle car years. They had a manufacturing defect that doomed some of them to premature failure.
The hanger bracket was spot welded to the top of the unit BEFORE chrome plating. This is a no-no, because the acid used in the chrome plating process sometimes seeped into the interface where the two pieces of steel were sandwiched and spot welded. If the acid got in, it continued to eat away at the metal until the spot weld broke, and the tail pipe fell.
This happened to me on one of my 69 Barracuda chrome tips in 1971. The other one's spot weld is still good today.
I discussed this with one tip vendor at Carlisle, and he knew about the defect. He pointed out that his design looked original but didn't have any possibility of acid intrusion.
My advice is to avoid any tip with a hanger bracket that is spot welded before chroming. At a place like Carlisle where there are lots of vendors you can examine the tips up close. I saw stainless ones that looked just as good as chrome.
If you don't see two dolphins, you need a vacation.
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Re: A-Body Exhaust Manifolds
[Re: kentj340]
#1620232
05/15/14 05:16 AM
05/15/14 05:16 AM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655
Cut and Shoot, TX
kentj340
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,655
Cut and Shoot, TX
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Another "problem" with some original tips was their inlet was a smaller diameter than the muffler outlet. As a result, the back end of the original tail pipe was necked down to accept the tip. I don't know how much this affected performance, but you'd think this was a bad idea. In some cases you can buy a non-necked down tip and a non-necked down tail pipe to match. That's why B/E&A offers both 2-1/2" and 3" tips: http://www.beaparts.com/list_items.aspx?body=A&cat=E&subcat=25If anybody has chassis dyno data on necked down vs. non-necked down, I'd sure like to see it.
If you don't see two dolphins, you need a vacation.
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