Stainless steel or plain exhaust clamps

Always pay extra for stainless.

Pay once, cry once.

 

Stainless will last longer for sure. But steel usually lasts as long as the exhaust pipes. Especially in the north where they salt and brine the roads. Heard this saying so i have to pass it on. "The bitterness of poor quality is long remembered, after the sweetness of low price is forgotten ".

 

Yes, stainless last longer. This goes for any flex piping also.

Also pay the extra for the formed (stepped) “sealed” type, if you don’t want that little black line coming out of it.

 

Does anyone make a clamp(stepped or standard) that isnt so paper thin?

 

Part of the reason they are paper thin is so they will stretch and seal the piping with metal to metal contact. If you get them to thick they can collapse the pipe your clamping.

The sealed versions of the clamps really only have a little piece of high temp cloth that seals the seam of the clamp where it can’t stretch. It has a waxy type feel so there could be a high temp wax, anti-seize, or something infused.

 

Probably anything high temp. Apply it to and around the seam.
It doesn’t have to plug much of a hole. It’s just that little bit extra.

 

They make an exhaust paste. Makes slipping joints together easy, and supposed to seal up minor leaks. I’ve seen them use it at Peterbilt once. Looked like black grease. I’ve noticed it when taking apart old exhaust on my last Truck. All dried up, crumbled, to pieces. I’ve never used it, but think it’s not a bad idea. Main thing is use full round SS clamps, cheap ones break, when torqued. Always leak.

 

New s pipe, no more broken flex pipes. Less movement. Note clamp