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Fri May 10, 2013 4:07 pm

Acura uses an aluminum washer as an oil drain seal on the pan, trans and diff. I used an old one as my seal. Don't remember where I got that plug but it fit perfect and seals up tight. Might have been Tognotti's.

Fri May 10, 2013 4:09 pm

Just FYI, I have had no success with VHT lasting more than 1 season. What I use now is wood stove paint that can be bought by the pint at fireplace shops. And it paints on with a paintbrush which I love. Has held up well for 2 years now and is very easy to patch chips. The only disadvantage is its black, but I'm no purist. I just want my exhaust to not rust into oblivion.

Fri May 10, 2013 4:32 pm

tootype2crazy wrote: Just FYI, I have had no success with VHT lasting more than 1 season. What I use now is wood stove paint that can be bought by the pint at fireplace shops. And it paints on with a paintbrush which I love. Has held up well for 2 years now and is very easy to patch chips. The only disadvantage is its black, but I'm no purist. I just want my exhaust to not rust into oblivion.

I've already got the parts cleaned, sanded and primed plus I already bought the paint so I'm committed now.

What process did you use to paint your exhaust?

For me my parts were new or had the manufactures primer on it. I stripped it with aircraft paint remover.
I washed everything down with water and scrubbed off any remaining paint.
I then sanded all the parts using a maroon 3M pad (320 grit).
I then wiped everything down with acetone.
I then sprayed in the primer and because I wasn't sure of the next step I have to wait 7 days to do the rest of the coats.

Fri May 10, 2013 4:42 pm

I've used high temp aluminum paint and it has worked well except where rocks and gravel chip it away. It is easy to recoat too. Power coating like Matt does and Westfabulous use is great too but the cost is there and you have to be careful what you coat.

Fri May 10, 2013 5:21 pm

My bus is no show bus so for now its just to keep the rust at bay.

Fri May 10, 2013 10:35 pm

ivwshane wrote: tootype2crazy wrote: Just FYI, I have had no success with VHT lasting more than 1 season. What I use now is wood stove paint that can be bought by the pint at fireplace shops. And it paints on with a paintbrush which I love. Has held up well for 2 years now and is very easy to patch chips. The only disadvantage is its black, but I'm no purist. I just want my exhaust to not rust into oblivion.

I've already got the parts cleaned, sanded and primed plus I already bought the paint so I'm committed now.

What process did you use to paint your exhaust?

For me my parts were new or had the manufactures primer on it. I stripped it with aircraft paint remover.
I washed everything down with water and scrubbed off any remaining paint.
I then sanded all the parts using a maroon 3M pad (320 grit).
I then wiped everything down with acetone.
I then sprayed in the primer and because I wasn't sure of the next step I have to wait 7 days to do the rest is the coats.

I did electrolytic rust removal which gets it perfectly to bare metal, primed with vht primer, then painted 4 coats with vht flameproof. I should mention that I was extremely anal about the prep process as I've been through this so many times. It started coming off in about 6 months and by 1 year was toast. Where I live the exhaust is very prone to rust because of harsh and salty winters, and wet springs and falls. The old fashioned paint that really used to stay on contained lead. If I could get a hold of some leaded high heat paint I would use that. No chance of finding that these days though.

I had one heater box powder coated with very high heat 1500 degree paint and it didn't last the winter either. So far this wood stove paint has worked well. I believe it must have some kind of heavy metal in it, such as aluminum mentioned above. Since you are in cali, the VHT may work for you, but where I live the conditions are too harsh for it. I also use my bus for work and drive it daily so there's that to consider too.

Sat May 11, 2013 1:15 am

tootype2crazy wrote: ivwshane wrote: tootype2crazy wrote: Just FYI, I have had no success with VHT lasting more than 1 season. What I use now is wood stove paint that can be bought by the pint at fireplace shops. And it paints on with a paintbrush which I love. Has held up well for 2 years now and is very easy to patch chips. The only disadvantage is its black, but I'm no purist. I just want my exhaust to not rust into oblivion.

I've already got the parts cleaned, sanded and primed plus I already bought the paint so I'm committed now.

What process did you use to paint your exhaust?

For me my parts were new or had the manufactures primer on it. I stripped it with aircraft paint remover.
I washed everything down with water and scrubbed off any remaining paint.
I then sanded all the parts using a maroon 3M pad (320 grit).
I then wiped everything down with acetone.
I then sprayed in the primer and because I wasn't sure of the next step I have to wait 7 days to do the rest is the coats.

I did electrolytic rust removal which gets it perfectly to bare metal, primed with vht primer, then painted 4 coats with vht flameproof. I should mention that I was extremely anal about the prep process as I've been through this so many times. It started coming off in about 6 months and by 1 year was toast. Where I live the exhaust is very prone to rust because of harsh and salty winters, and wet springs and falls. The old fashioned paint that really used to stay on contained lead. If I could get a hold of some leaded high heat paint I would use that. No chance of finding that these days though.

I had one heater box powder coated with very high heat 1500 degree paint and it didn't last the winter either. So far this wood stove paint has worked well. I believe it must have some kind of heavy metal in it, such as aluminum mentioned above. Since you are in cali, the VHT may work for you, but where I live the conditions are too harsh for it. I also use my bus for work and drive it daily so there's that to consider too.

I see, thanks for the info. My parts were new so no rust on them but I still sanded them per the directions I read. Did you sand your parts after the rust removal?

Fri May 17, 2013 10:38 pm

how are you coming along with this project? Did you find a crossover tube?

Fri May 17, 2013 10:43 pm

SGKent wrote: how are you coming along with this project? Did you find a crossover tube?

I'm still waiting for my parts from germansupply:|

I'm going to try and re use my crossover pipe. It's in decent shape but its welded to the muffler. I'm hoping I will be able to cut/grind it off.

Worse case scenario I'll get a used one from bustedbus.

Sun May 26, 2013 9:28 pm

Update:

All right, my parts finally came in:D

I had some time after work tonight to remove the existing exhaust system and the good news is that I was able to remove the crossover pipe from the muffler (bad weld job), I grinded down the welds that held the muffler strap in place enough to get the new strap on.

Did the crossover pipe originally have a ceramic coating on them? Mine has a smooth hard finish on some spots that make me think so.

Here are some pics of the pipe, what do you think? Pretty solid? I plan on doing some electrolysis on it to remove all the rust and paint it with the VHT flame proof paint but with that ceramic coating I'm not sure how well it will turn out. What do you guys think? What would you do if you wanted it to last?

Sun May 26, 2013 9:47 pm

that looks fine. You can try dressing the flanges with a mill file but usually that steel is really hard from all the heat cycles.

Mon May 27, 2013 11:46 pm

A small update:

I've got the crossover painted but I couldn't cure it in the oven because it's too long so hopefully I can cure it on the bus.

Any recomendations on how to install the exhaust? Attaching the Y (F) pipe to the crossover and CAT to the muffler and tail pipe before it goes on the bus doesn't seem like a good idea because A) it will be too heavy and big to position and bolt up B) because I have a feeling things will need to be adjusted and aligned up just right in order to fit properly.
However I think attaching the Y pipe and crossover together first and them mounting those first may be the way to go. I then plan on losely attaching the CAT to the muffler and then mounting that to the Y and crossover pipe.

The exhaust hardware kit I bought from GS has washers in it but Bentley doesn't show washers being used a majority of the time, any reason not to use them?

And lastly, since my crossover pipe and heater box flanges aren't perfectly smooth, should I use some sort of sealant? I think I've seen people using the orange RTV stuff?

Tue May 28, 2013 6:02 am

red rtv. the copper rtv gets soft and mucky under the high heat on a late bay. The red will cure.

Tue May 28, 2013 1:30 pm

Update:

All right the exhaust is installed. I'll need to check the timing again and tune it.

I didnt have time to get some RTV so if there is an exhaust leak what are the symptoms? I didn't hear any hissing and the air from the tail pipe felt strong.

I don't know if its just me or maybe the timing is off but the bus feels a tad peppier.

Wed May 29, 2013 7:42 pm

ivwshane wrote: Update:

All right the exhaust is installed. I'll need to check the timing again and tune it.

I didnt have time to get some RTV so if there is an exhaust leak what are the symptoms? I didn't hear any hissing and the air from the tail pipe felt strong.

I don't know if its just me or maybe the timing is off but the bus feels a tad peppier.

use a thick rag or potato on the tail pipe when it is idling to see if you can stall the engine. If you can or almost it is pretty tight.

Fri May 31, 2013 11:14 pm

I passed!!

Here are the results:

CO2%
15mph 2363rpm = 14.3
25mph 2378rpm = 14.4

O2% was 0.0 for both speeds

HC
15mph (max: 204, AVE: 45) = 71
25mph (max: 169, AVE: 37) = 55

CO%
15mph (max: 1.66, AVE: .26) = .39
25mph (max: 1.46, AVE: .22) = .32

NO
15mph (max: 1534, AVE: 586) = 226
25mph (max: 1394, AVE: 517) = 102

As I mentioned in my other thread the guy said I almost failed because the timing was off. He said his book tells him to test the timing with the vacuum hose disconnected and I had originally set the timing with it connected.

Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:56 am

ivwshane wrote: I passed!!

Here are the results:

CO2%
15mph 2363rpm = 14.3
25mph 2378rpm = 14.4

O2% was 0.0 for both speeds

HC
15mph (max: 204, AVE: 45) = 71
25mph (max: 169, AVE: 37) = 55

CO%
15mph (max: 1.66, AVE: .26) = .39
25mph (max: 1.46, AVE: .22) = .32

NO
15mph (max: 1534, AVE: 586) = 226
25mph (max: 1394, AVE: 517) = 102

As I mentioned in my other thread the guy said I almost failed because the timing was off. He said his book tells him to test the timing with the vacuum hose disconnected and I had originally set the timing with it connected.

For a while I would leave it where it is other than the timing. You have 0.0 on O2 in both tests which means you have more fuel than oxygen AND both are richer than the 14.7 which is what modern water cooled cars run at. Already your fuel is rich enough to consume all the air so the fuel is cooling the heads some. You can do a test at WOT and if it is higher than 12.1 to 12.5 then richen it a little. Normally we shoot for about 13.3 at 65 mph on ours. From where you are to what I would consider perfection is part opinion and so minor it may not be worth chasing. The numbers you have are excellent although your timing should be the same hose on or hose off as the port is blocked at idle. Your low NOX shows that the engine is running cool. That may be a stock cam or lower compression from age if the engine is not a fresh rebuild. Mine only has about 2,000 miles on it.

my last test numbers were

CO2%
15mph 1998rpm = 13.66
25mph 2056rpm = 13.63

O2% was 1.2% and 1.25%

HC
15mph (max: 204, AVE: 45) = 55
25mph (max: 169, AVE: 37) = 29
CO%
15mph (max: 1.66, AVE: .26) = .11
25mph (max: 1.46, AVE: .22) = .0.0

NO
15mph (max: 1534, AVE: 586) = 781
25mph (max: 1394, AVE: 517) = 754

Sat Jun 01, 2013 11:07 am

SGKent wrote: ivwshane wrote: I passed!!

Here are the results:

CO2%
15mph 2363rpm = 14.3
25mph 2378rpm = 14.4

O2% was 0.0 for both speeds

HC
15mph (max: 204, AVE: 45) = 71
25mph (max: 169, AVE: 37) = 55

CO%
15mph (max: 1.66, AVE: .26) = .39
25mph (max: 1.46, AVE: .22) = .32

NO
15mph (max: 1534, AVE: 586) = 226
25mph (max: 1394, AVE: 517) = 102

As I mentioned in my other thread the guy said I almost failed because the timing was off. He said his book tells him to test the timing with the vacuum hose disconnected and I had originally set the timing with it connected.

For a while I would leave it where it is other than the timing. You have 0.0 on O2 in both tests which means you have more fuel than oxygen AND both are richer than the 14.7 which is what modern water cooled cars run at. Already your fuel is rich enough to consume all the air so the fuel is cooling the heads some. You can do a test at WOT and if it is higher than 12.1 to 12.5 then richen it a little. Normally we shoot for 13.3 at 65 mph on ours. From where you are to what I would consider perfection is part opinion and so minor it may not be worth chasing. The numbers you have are excellent although your timing should be the same hose on or hose off as the port is blocked at idle.

Thanks. Should I hook up a vacuum gauge to the hose to see if its got a vacuum at idle? If it does what does that mean? Bad distributor?

Sat Jun 01, 2013 11:17 am

ivwshane wrote: SGKent wrote: ivwshane wrote: I passed!!

Here are the results:

CO2%
15mph 2363rpm = 14.3
25mph 2378rpm = 14.4

O2% was 0.0 for both speeds

HC
15mph (max: 204, AVE: 45) = 71
25mph (max: 169, AVE: 37) = 55

CO%
15mph (max: 1.66, AVE: .26) = .39
25mph (max: 1.46, AVE: .22) = .32

NO
15mph (max: 1534, AVE: 586) = 226
25mph (max: 1394, AVE: 517) = 102

As I mentioned in my other thread the guy said I almost failed because the timing was off. He said his book tells him to test the timing with the vacuum hose disconnected and I had originally set the timing with it connected.

For a while I would leave it where it is other than the timing. You have 0.0 on O2 in both tests which means you have more fuel than oxygen AND both are richer than the 14.7 which is what modern water cooled cars run at. Already your fuel is rich enough to consume all the air so the fuel is cooling the heads some. You can do a test at WOT and if it is higher than 12.1 to 12.5 then richen it a little. Normally we shoot for 13.3 at 65 mph on ours. From where you are to what I would consider perfection is part opinion and so minor it may not be worth chasing. The numbers you have are excellent although your timing should be the same hose on or hose off as the port is blocked at idle.

Thanks. Should I hook up a vacuum gauge to the hose to see if its got a vacuum at idle? If it does what does that mean? Bad distributor?

No - it means that you are either hooked up to the wrong nipple or the throttle plate is not fully closing. Maybe the cable is too tight for example. You can put a timing light on the engine and remove the hose. You might see the timing barely bump a tiny bit but normally it will hold steady at warm idle.

Sat Jun 01, 2013 11:21 am

SGKent wrote: ivwshane wrote: SGKent wrote: ivwshane wrote: I passed!!

Here are the results:

CO2%
15mph 2363rpm = 14.3
25mph 2378rpm = 14.4

O2% was 0.0 for both speeds

HC
15mph (max: 204, AVE: 45) = 71
25mph (max: 169, AVE: 37) = 55

CO%
15mph (max: 1.66, AVE: .26) = .39
25mph (max: 1.46, AVE: .22) = .32

NO
15mph (max: 1534, AVE: 586) = 226
25mph (max: 1394, AVE: 517) = 102

As I mentioned in my other thread the guy said I almost failed because the timing was off. He said his book tells him to test the timing with the vacuum hose disconnected and I had originally set the timing with it connected.

For a while I would leave it where it is other than the timing. You have 0.0 on O2 in both tests which means you have more fuel than oxygen AND both are richer than the 14.7 which is what modern water cooled cars run at. Already your fuel is rich enough to consume all the air so the fuel is cooling the heads some. You can do a test at WOT and if it is higher than 12.1 to 12.5 then richen it a little. Normally we shoot for 13.3 at 65 mph on ours. From where you are to what I would consider perfection is part opinion and so minor it may not be worth chasing. The numbers you have are excellent although your timing should be the same hose on or hose off as the port is blocked at idle.

Thanks. Should I hook up a vacuum gauge to the hose to see if its got a vacuum at idle? If it does what does that mean? Bad distributor?

No - it means that you are either hooked up to the wrong nipple or the throttle plate is not fully closing. Maybe the cable is too tight for example. You can put a timing light on the engine and remove the hose. You might see the timing barely bump a tiny bit but normally it will hold steady at warm idle.

I'll put the timing light on it and see what happens when I remove the hose. I don't see how I can have it hooked up wrong because there is only one hose on the distributor and my setup looks just like the diagram you posted. If the cable is too tight how hard is it to adjust?