Originally posted by Derek D.:
Mandrel bending on a 2.5L V6 is NOT absolutely necessary. I believe, and correct me if i'm wrong, that mandrel bending only really makes a difference on exhausts with a diameter greater than say, 2.75".
Quoted by MikeNeri from another forum...is this true?
If that was true, just about every car built by Ford would have crush bends, since I assume mandrel bending is a more costly process (higher tooling charges and development costs when compared to crush bending). When it comes down to it, if Ford is doing something that costs more, it definitely has good reasons behind it. At an auto manufacturer, people fight (and I mean everything short of fisticuffs) over pennies per vehicle. Guys make careers out of shaving a few cents here and there from every aspect of manufacturing.
