I plan to have a single 2.5" pipe exit for the exhaust through the ally side panel. The panle is heavily contoured in the area that I need to drill the hole. Two questions...what sort of clearance should I give the pipe and will a normal drill and hole cutter do a nice neat job being that the panel is contoured.

just looking for peoples experience really.

thanks
Dave B

[Edited on 29/11/08 by Dave Bailey]

I cut a nice 45mm hole in a 10" steel cylinder with 2mm thick wall with my Aldi hole cutters, aluminium should cut fine. I'd give it 10mm all round for clearance.

As above you can get a neat hole, the only tweak I would add is drill a pilot hole and replace the drill bit in the arbour with a bit of rod so it cannot walk about as the drill bit will try and make a larger hole.

good idea on the rod...thanks for the tip!