V-bands, what the hell?
 

I bought a some 3" V-band sets and a grab bag of 3" mandrel bends to do my exhaust a while back. Now I go to start putting things together, and the v-bands don't slip fit over the 3" pipe. They are also too big to be a good butt connect fit. What the hell? Anybody encounter this before? Am I being retarded?

Does the piping have v-band flanges? Your saying the v-band clamps are not fitting over the 3" pipe at all? Maybe they shipped the wrong pipe or clamps

You misunderstand. I intend to weld v-band flanges onto the 3" pipe. The flange components will not fit over the pipe. The clamps are the correct size for the flanges. The flanges are undersized by a little less than 1/16". They didn't all come from the same source, but they all don't fit.

Where'd you buy the v-band flanges and clamps?

Measure them? Are they supposed to slip over? Seems kinda silly. Butt weld them?

butt weld them.slip over components suck to tig.

Next time buy the expensive vibrant v-bands, they will fit perfectly.

Buy a lathe and make your own. That way you are guaranteed to get proper stuff. Unless you suck.

My Columbia mandrel bent pipes were all out of round, which made for hell fitting them into the silicone intakes v bands. The silicone intake v bands are a VERY tight fit for the pipe they're supposed to go on. Proper application of a sledge hammer and a block of wood will get them on though. Now the silicone intakes aluminum v bands going onto their brand of Al tubes is impossible. I had to chuck em up into the lathe and open them up so that they'd fit.