LCB Exhaust manifold for mk1 with rubber couplings

[whistler]

After much research I've only found one manufacturer of an LCB exhaust manifold for the early mini engines with rubber or QH couplings. Maniflow make the LM004A and charge just under £200 for them, approximately twice the price of the conventional pot joint version.
Does anyone else make a performance LCB type manifold suitable?
I wish Janspeed still made manifolds for minis.

[whistler]

Tried phoning Maniflow this morning and no answer, just answerphone. Didn't leave a message as they haven't previously answered an email query I sent a while back, so not much faith in their customer service I'm afraid.

Sent a contact form to Minispares yesterday and tried to phone this morning. No answer, probably very busy.

Just spoke to Somerfords and whilst very helpful could only say that Maniflow would probably make a special for me.



Anyone else had this problem and found an off the shelf answer?

[cheesebadger]

Hi,

I have a rubber coupling running an LCB (I think) made by maniflow.
It was fitted to the car when I bought it over 10 years ago, and ran fine.

I am in the middle of a rebuild, so all the parts are stacked up in the garage. I will have a look and let you know if I can see anything to ID it...

Cheers, Rich

[whistler]

Hi,

I have a rubber coupling running an LCB (I think) made by maniflow.
It was fitted to the car when I bought it over 10 years ago, and ran fine.

I am in the middle of a rebuild, so all the parts are stacked up in the garage. I will have a look and let you know if I can see anything to ID it...

Cheers, Rich

Is that on a small bore engine (997/998/1098)?
Vaughan

[timmy201]

An alternative is the maniflow freeflow manifold - it fits in fine with the rubber couplings

What engine were you going to install it on?

[1071 S]

Or just swap to pot joints....

Cheers, Ian

[Daz1968]

I had no issues with a budget lcb when I had qh nylon couplings fitted, but I have now fitted a freeflow manifold which is another alternative.

[Andrew1967]

I have a Maniflow Cooper Freeflow on my 998 Cooper and it’s fine with the rubber couplings.

[cheesebadger]

Hi,

I have a rubber coupling running an LCB (I think) made by maniflow.
It was fitted to the car when I bought it over 10 years ago, and ran fine.

I am in the middle of a rebuild, so all the parts are stacked up in the garage. I will have a look and let you know if I can see anything to ID it...

Cheers, Rich

Is that on a small bore engine (997/998/1098)?
Vaughan

Hi,

Yep, fitted to a small bore.
My mistake though, it is a freeflow not an LCB. Sorry for getting your hopes up.

I did have a look on the maniflow website, and there are a variety of different LCB, one of which specifies as working with rubber couplings...

Good luck.

Cheers,
Rich

[whistler]

Hi,

I have a rubber coupling running an LCB (I think) made by maniflow.
It was fitted to the car when I bought it over 10 years ago, and ran fine.

I am in the middle of a rebuild, so all the parts are stacked up in the garage. I will have a look and let you know if I can see anything to ID it...

Cheers, Rich

Is that on a small bore engine (997/998/1098)?
Vaughan

Hi,

Yep, fitted to a small bore.
My mistake though, it is a freeflow not an LCB. Sorry for getting your hopes up.

I did have a look on the maniflow website, and there are a variety of different LCB, one of which specifies as working with rubber couplings...

Good luck.

Cheers,
Rich

THanks Rich but the maniflow one for rubber couplings is for a 1275 not 998/1098 and as the 1098 has a shorter block that would have the effect of dropping the manifold downwards and maybe not clear the rubber couplings. I'm hopefully going to phone Maniflow tomorrow, Monday, and ask them.

[cheesebadger]

Let me know how you get on...

[whistler]

Phoned Maniflow but just had answerphone so I left a message. I put a post up on FB to see if anyone knows whether they are in lockdown or not.

[whistler]

Had a call back from Maniflow. They're going to modify a LM002 manifold to suit rubber couplings so good result.

[dodge44]

Had a call back from Maniflow. They're going to modify a LM002 manifold to suit rubber couplings so good result.

Be interesting to see what Maniflow do to 'modify' an LM002 as the only way a standard manifold will clear the coupling is to introduce some deformation into one of the downpipes and even then it's tight and often rubs on the coupling. Vis:-

[whistler]

That'll be why they're doing a special for me, to stop that happening.

[cheesebadger]

That'll be why they're doing a special for me, to stop that happening.

Great news. Any chance you could post up a few pictures when you get this fitted?

Cheers, Rich

[dodge44]

For many years there has been no choice but to deform the pipe as no-one made a rubber coupling version of the LCB. The centre pipe is the tube that clashes with the coupling so I'm guessing Maniflow kink the downpipe back towards the subframe and make the final horizonal part into the 'Y' piece shorter.

[Polarsilver]

i had an issue when fitting a new Maniflow LCB onto my Engine in that the standard engine tappet cover "bendy down type" breather pipe impacted onto the Maniflow LCB Exhaust Manifold just enough to stop the manifold & head aligning.. also some light grind off clearance adjustment were needed to the exhaust manifold square plates just to allow some clearance to the intake manifold.. my Maniflow LCB does a good job and is an excellent product.
Note ..All the LCB fitting & alignment issues i had were easy to overcome because the Engine was out & sitting in the Subframe on the Garage Floor otherwise it would have been a challenge to fit correctly.
I have HS joints .. BUT If you have rubber drive joints then add a Dent clearance will be needed to be applied to the downpipe

[mk1]

I have NEVER had an LCB that didn't need some "manipulation" to fit around rubber couplings. Even the Downton / Maniflow rubber coupling special still needed hammering to fit correctly.

[whistler]

That'll be why they're doing a special for me, to stop that happening.

Great news. Any chance you could post up a few pictures when you get this fitted?

Cheers, Rich

Hopefully, but the engine/gearbox is not in the car but should be able to see what clearance there is around the couplings.
Seems strange that I couldn't find a manifold off the shelf, considering that most minis up to the early /mid 70's had this type of coupling. You'd think that with the amount of Mk1/ Mk2/Mk3s and early Clubmans being restored lately there would appear to be a demand, for the small bore engines.
I've seen many lcb manifold pipes that have been worn through or dented because of the shortage of this type of manifold.