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Dan - when I got my 65 NOM L78 Roadster home in 2019, one of the first things I wanted to check on was an exhaust leak. Now, the aftermarket side pipes were nearly brand new
but due to the manufacturers style of internal baffles, it sounded god-awful and was eventually replaced but...there was also an exhaust leak.
Check out the two pics. The first shows the 'as-found' where they used just the standard size brass nuts and no lock washers. One was down about 3/8 of an inch and the others were
barely finger tight. The new side pipes (by Gardner), now have lock washers and the longer type of brass nuts. I believe they should do the trick but that 65 L78 has only an hour and a half of run
time and is about to be put back on the road.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Don - from what I gather, it was another forum member who did most of the work to the 65 Roadster, back around 2010/2011, and don't think the car got much use between that time period and when I bought it in 2019 so
the jury is out as to whether they just ran the small brass nuts up part way or the heat cycling was the cause of the not-so-tight nut.
But...check out this other pic showing the rubber fuel hose between frame mounted fuel pipe and the fuel pump. Yes indeed, the hose clamp musta been 'optional'. :-O.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Dan, back in the sixties to pay my way through college I worked mornings in a Cadillac-Olds-Chevy store as a B mechanic. My first week there I was given a 62 Cadillac to put a complete exhaust on.
Upon completing the install I took it for a road test and all seemed OK. A few days later the car came in on the hook with the front Y-Pipe hanging off of the car. The Service Manager directed me to get it up on the lift. With the two of us under the car inspecting what went wrong he asked me if I had used the long brass nuts. I was eighteen or nineteen and had disregarded his directive and used shorty steel nuts. These did not hold.
Ordered up a new Y-pipe and reinstalled using the long brass nuts torqued up tight. He made me deliver the car to the customers house and I was told to apologize. I was totally mortified but I learned a valuable lesson. I never had that happen again because the long brass nuts work like a charm. - Fred
Don - from what I gather, it was another forum member who did most of the work to the 65 Roadster, back around 2010/2011, and don't think the car got much use between that time period and when I bought it in 2019 so
the jury is out as to whether they just ran the small brass nuts up part way or the heat cycling was the cause of the not-so-tight nut.
But...check out this other pic showing the rubber fuel hose between frame mounted fuel pipe and the fuel pump. Yes indeed, the hose clamp musta been 'optional'. :-O.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Oh I so hate inattention to detail........Also, something important to note when tightening....Always try to make an effort to achieve equal torque on each nut so that each one is "doing it's job" so to speak. No torque wrench.....just a hand job........
Judging guide mentions "Stover" type lock nuts (basically the same as the prevailing torque ones mentioned by Talvarez) in the heat riser section. Doesn't reference anything else. I've seen brass used, but didn't see it called out in the JG.
I have a stock of the tall brass nuts which came in a bubble pack with the studs and split lock washers. I have had even the tall brass nuts loosen up when I didn't had a bad split lock flattened from prior use.
I refuse to use carbon steel nuts on the studs as the heat cycle draws moisture during cooling and rust begins. I recall cutting off many of the original nuts as shown in the ZIP catalog but generally had to use liquid wrench (oxy-acet) to remove the whole stud.
Carbon steel might be alright on a car that is never driven, but I don't own one of those.
Just personal preference for what it is worth.
Ron
I have a stock of the tall brass nuts which came in a bubble pack with the studs and split lock washers. I have had even the tall brass nuts loosen up when I didn't had a bad split lock flattened from prior use.
I refuse to use carbon steel nuts on the studs as the heat cycle draws moisture during cooling and rust begins. I recall cutting off many of the original nuts as shown in the ZIP catalog but generally had to use liquid wrench (oxy-acet) to remove the whole stud.
Carbon steel might be alright on a car that is never driven, but I don't own one of those.
Just personal preference for what it is worth.
Ron
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Exhaust stud lock washers
