N/A decat rubbing on steering column.......safe to use ?

Did my 2nd decat a few months ago and having recently picked up a 1st decat I thought I'd put it on this evening ....been itching to get it on since I picked it up , well after lots of struggling on the drive with basic tools and alone , I got it on only to find that my steering is now stiff and a 2mm line is appearing on the column where its rubbing , it is a 2nd hand one and I was assured there was 10mm clearance to the column......there isn't ...my question is , is it safe to get me to work in the morning (6 miles) and hopefully I can call into a garage on way home and get it heated up and manipulated out of the way .....in situe ?????

It's your call, and i don't think anyone will tell you its fine as it's a safety issue really. I wouldn't, just imagine if you need to swerve quick and cant because the steerings tight. Not worth spending the rest of your days regretting something for the sake of a decat...

end of the day the steering column is metal so it aint going to break before its rubbing

I'm guessing heat transfer to the column could affect wires/plastic parts under the dash ?

Personally I'd take it off and modify the decat... It may get worse with the engine movement from mounts etc...(more friction when taking off and driving)

Thanks for your input guys , don't get me wrong, I do realise that its a serious issue but its too late at night to do anything about it now and I don't have any oxy/accetalene to get it hot enough to modify it, it's my daily drive so I need it for work, also it's totally leak free first time (no blowing) so I don't really want to take it off again, there is a garage round the corner from work where I plan on taking it when I finish in the hope that it can be done without removal ..... Fingers crossed for tomorrow

Only drama you may have is when driving, the vibrations will travel through the steering column.

Also the vibrations could crack the decat.

Metal on metal vibrating isn't a good thing bud

As the engine is on flexible mounts acceleration or deceleration *may* lock the column up, I'd be wary of driving it, but probably would if it wasn't at all far and I drove very discretely.

Thanks people for all your views, I drove to work this morning (very carefully) and it felt frightening , the steering was so tight it felt like something was going to "give" at any moment and lose steering ....but it didn't . So after work I went to the garage I was after using and it was closed ...I then drove to B&Q and picked up a blowtorch and made it home ....real tight steering .....took the manifold off heated it up and beat the living crap out of it , figured 5 or so mm would have been enough ....but then another 5mm ....and another couple for good measure, didn't want to have to take it off again , put it back together .....1-2mm clearance ....good job I manipulated it as much as I did .....1hr 50mins from start to finish

1 to 2 mm clearance is not safe! I wouldn't want any engine part nearer to the column than a half inch. The engine moves a LOT when it sees on and off throttle movements and gear changes. I can't understand why the decat pipe is at all close. The ones I used to make were miles away from the column. Is there something "odd" about this de cat pipe?

The odd thing I find is that the guy I bought it off say's that there was about 10mm clearance on his !!! That was before I adjusted it .....there is a picture of it on here, it was listed about 5 weeks ago from SpeedyAndy ..... I can just squeeze 2 pieces of 800's paper between the column and pipe ...... and that is at cold .

Hmmm, I don't think I would be happy with things that tight.Just a thought, you aren't trying to use the O ring crush seals between the manifold and the two de cat pipe "legs", are you? It could throw things out (maybe). Link me to a photo of this de cat please.

Sorry Chris, I don't know how to "link" ..... There is a thread called "a few things for sale" by SpeedyAndy and there is a picture on there .....The decat/manifold is a one piece system, I am using the standard N/A manifold gasket (steel/copper?) connecting to the whifbitz 2.5" 2nd decat via a universal 2.5"gasket, nothing else, yes I am concerned about the distance but to create a half inch gap would mean severley restricting one of the collector pipes .

No sorry, still can't link

You mean this one piece manifold and first decat assembly?

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=171519&d=1371999236

It's probably designed for a LHD car. I thought you had a separate 1st de cat pipe off the stock manifold.....

As Chris says, I guarantee you are trying to use a LHD manifold, this is not good, people always get caught out by these and spend ages trying to make them fit then end up just throwing them in the bin.

Also, ignoring the engine movements, 1-2mm would be taken up when the manifold expands under heat, I wouldn't risk the manifold if I were you, you seriously risk locking up the steering under acceleration.

Yeah as stated sounds like its the manifold is the wrong one

I thought you were using just a decat pipe.

These are a pain to modify

1 to 2 mm clearance is not safe! I wouldn't want any engine part nearer to the column than a half inch. The engine moves a LOT when it sees on and off throttle movements and gear changes. I can't understand why the decat pipe is at all close. The ones I used to make were miles away from the column. Is there something "odd" about this de cat pipe?

I'd go for an inch. Even more if possible on an exhaust section that close to the manifiold.

You mean this one piece manifold and first decat assembly?

 

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=171519&d=1371999236

 

It's probably designed for a LHD car. I thought you had a separate 1st de cat pipe off the stock manifold.....

Yes that's the one mate........LHD ...you're joking

As Chris says, I guarantee you are trying to use a LHD manifold, this is not good, people always get caught out by these and spend ages trying to make them fit then end up just throwing them in the bin.

 

Also, ignoring the engine movements, 1-2mm would be taken up when the manifold expands under heat, I wouldn't risk the manifold if I were you, you seriously risk locking up the steering under acceleration.

Yes its touching again once its warm .....not happy .

That model requires this modifibashing for RHD.

"it is a 2nd hand one and I was assured there was 10mm clearance to the column......there isn't "

Personally, I would just return the item if at all possible and get one that's designed for a RHD.

That is a Xerd header, they were only ever made to fit the LHD US Supra.

This is a pic of one I use to manufacture which was designed to fit a RHD Supra, there was a 15-20mm clearance from the steering column, which was sufficient.

As David showed in his pic, if you remove the manifold, heat the area closest to the steering column and apply a big hammer, you should be able to get enough clearance for it to fit.

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7632/dsc00305dl3.jpg

That is a Xerd header, they were only ever made to fit the LHD US Supra.

 

This is a pic of one I use to manufacture which was designed to fit a RHD Supra, there was a 15-20mm clearance from the steering column, which was sufficient.

 

As David showed in his pic, if you remove the manifold, heat the area closest to the steering column and apply a big hammer, you should be able to get enough clearance for it to fit.

 

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7632/dsc00305dl3.jpg

DONE !!

Had to drive it for the past couple of day's with it rubbing as all my spare time when not in work has been taken up with moving my girlfriend into her new house and it's felt horrible .....the vibration and stiffness () ...made me hate driving it .....finished work today though, rushed home and ripped it off and adjusted it (heat and hammer) to fit .....oh it feels wonderfull and smooth again, its a different car . Still an absolute arse of a job that I didn't bank on .....manifold on.......manifold off......manifold on.......manifold off ....etc etc

Playing that game with a supercharger conversion, 60m of thermal wrap, two herniated discs and multi-level degenerative spine disease, requires a few stronger expletives.