Good work there Tom! Bummer about the blowing though!
Did you tighten the sleeve nuts evenly? Literally just 1 or 2 turns at a time on each - sounds a pain but that's what i found with the ones i used which look very similar to what you've got there.
There is a sealant i can recommend, it's in a cartridge to be used in a skeleton gun (highly appropriate!
) and it remains flexible. I can't remember the name of it but i'll find out tomorrow and let you know.
Also when you come back to sort out all the blows, start with the clamps etc loose, run the engine and work front to back getting each joint gas-tight as you go.
Re the over-axle pipe, if you loosen the middle silencer and O/A pipe clamps and also the on on the back box where the O/A pipe joins it, give everything a good wiggle while running the engine and quite often they find their own gas-tight position - if/when it does (maybe with some encouragement from you wiggling it more) tighten the clamps working from front to back. With everything you have there, welding shouldn't be needed!
