Datsun
Roadster Parts from Rallye Enterprises, Ltd.
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CURRENTLY
NOT AVAILABLE NEW
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EXHAUST
MANIFOLD *68-70 2000
Manifolds
attach to the front pipe via a 3 bolt flange, which is an
improvement over the 67 clamp that struggled to hold the
manifold and front pipe together. Original manifolds are
designed to fit and keep engine compartment heat to a
minimum and cut noise. By their nature they are quieter
than a header. These manifolds are very efficient flow
wise, which is very unusual in an original equipment
manifold. You may notice a dent or two in the above
picture. Over the years we have had a number of people
order these and then call thinking we sent a damaged
part. Each one of those dents is put there when the part
is manufactured and is there for a reason, to add
clearance against another part of the car or provide the
ability to remove a nut or fitting on the intake
manifold. Nissan designed this complicated piece to
combine the benefits of a header and a manifold. Unless
you are using an equal length set of headers that dumps
out the wheel well, which is only really workable on a
full race car, a header won't offer noticeable gains over
a stock manifold. Typically a production manifold on a
car is a cramped part with lots of 90 degree bends. Here
is one part that Nissan really did its homework
on!
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Making
it Live Longer...Manifolds
do crack, but not necessarily any quicker than headers
burn out. These manifolds suffered greatly because lazy
mechanics and/or owners "forgot" to reinstall the brace
that runs from the front of the manifold to the engine
mount bracket. This brace serves two purposes. One is to
lessen stress on the manifold that is generated by the
engine jumping around with the exhaust system firmly
mounted. With the brace in place, the forces that are
trying to bend the manifold are reduced greatly because
the leverage is reduced. The brace also helps the
manifold gasket to live longer as the constant motion of
the engine in relationship to the exhaust system tends to
eventually crush the manifold gasket. Unless the manifold
is snugged down the gasket will eventually fail. The 2000
usually lets you know this by the presence of coolant
staining on the side of the engine block below and behind
the carbs.
Keeping
your engine properly tuned up will also increase gasket
and manifold life. An engine that jumps around at idle is
very stressful on the exhaust system in general, the
manifold, the gasket, and even the engine
mounts.
The
above described stresses can also be lessened by
installing a section of "flex" tubing just to the rear of
your front pipe's mounting flange. This is not the
lightweight low quality flex tubing popular in the 60's
for "modificiations" it is a webbed tubing that is used
as original equipment many cars. Your exhaust shop can
fabricate this for you. (When I get a minute I'll make
some more "ready to install" replacements.) This also
applies to headers. The headers have no provision for a
lower brace so the flex tubing is very
helpful.
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This
item is no longer available new, we still have some of the 67 style
with the wrap around lower flange. To use that manifold you'd have to
have your old flange welded on or fabricate a front pipe to mate with
the 67 2000 type manifold. Possibly an easier procedure would be to
have a universal type 3 hole connector welded to the manifold and to
your front pipe.