Exhaust pipe sizing -Ensure compatibility -Ⅱ

Continued.

The other type of connection used in a system is what is known as a butt joint meaning that both components are going to have the same outer dimensions as one another. Exhaust flexible pipe is a common area where you are going to encounter this. This means that when you try to go connect the two pieces, you will notice that if gives you a seamless fit, but at the same time, you are going to have trouble getting the two components connected to one another without the proper clamp or being able to weld the two components together. This can prove to be difficult for the do-it-yourselfer who doesn’t own a welder, is at home in their own garage trying to build a system independently of buying a preformed system specific to their vehicle. Here at Summit Racing, we carry a couple different clamp designs that are going to be used depending on the type of joint you are trying to connect together.

The first two we are going to be focused on are lap joint connection clamps, first being the saddle clamp which we are probably most used to seeing. This clamp here is going to use a U-shaped bolt essentially, and a saddle bottom which is basically going to crimp the two pieces of pipe together to create the seal. We do have another option though which is what is known as a band clamp, and a lap joint band clamp is going to be evident, because you are going to notice that one side is going to be visibly larger than the other. It’s literally going to taper, meaning that you have one pipe that is going to be fitting on the inside of another. These do not clamp as much as they hold the two pipes stationary and create a full 100-percent seal via this seam internally here. These are the more desirable of the two clamp designs, because you don’t get any distortion of the pipe when they are connected together.

In comparison, when connecting a butt joint connection, your only option in the clamp world is going to be to use a band clamp—the reason being is that a saddle clamp will not have enough meat to connect the two with a saddle clamp design.

If you look at the difference between the two-band clamps out there, you will notice that the lap joint has the tapered end on it where as the band clap used to connect the butt joint. It’s going to be the same diameter throughout. There is no tapered edge. It’s the same internal diameter. This is a good solid way to connect the butt joint, but the best way to connect the butt joint is via welding.

There is a way also to go ahead and convert your butt joint over to a lap band joint. This is a tubing expander that is basically going to go ahead and create the extra clearance internally inside the tube to make it, so that whatever component you’re trying to connect will now slip into the component you are expanding. This is a good option if you want to go ahead and use the saddle clamps as an end result to build your system. 

Tags: exhaust clamps, exhaust pipes, exhaust systems