190E 2.6 Which replacement exhaust?

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Rob77

MB Enthusiast
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Bolton
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1990 W201 2.6 Sportline; 2011 S204 C350 CDI Sport; 1978 Foale/Suzuki GS750; 1994 Aprilia Pegaso 650
I'm told my exhaust has had it. This is a full, front to back, genuine MB item that I had installed around 9 - 10 years ago and it's covered about 60k mikes.

Now, I've picked up a Remus back box and am looking for a centre box and front (downpipe) section to install with it.

I'm not hugely impressed that the MB one didn't last all that long (and wasn't cheap) so does anyone have any ideas for other brands I should consider?

I'm not looking for noisy, standard sound aided by the Remus will be loud enough for me. I suppose my priority would be quality, fit and finish, ideally without having to pay through the nose for it.

I do quite fancy the idea of individual manifold/downpipes too mind :thumb:
 
I have used iamsaff systems off eBay.de for some of my older Fiat's and very nice and almost genuine except for fiat stamped on it and very reasonable as an eight box system for my fiat dino is around 600 euro shipped.
 
Get the front and middle sections custom made in stainless steel, you wont regret it.
 
Get the front and middle sections custom made in stainless steel, you wont regret it.

That's exactly what the previous owner did on my 2.6 bar using a genuine M-B downpipe which was purchased cheap on the net. Can't recall the cost but it wasn't expensive and included a de-cat too.
 
I'm told my exhaust has had it. This is a full, front to back, genuine MB item that I had installed around 9 - 10 years ago and it's covered about 60k mikes.

Have you inspected it yourself?

Seems quite a coincidence that all the sections (3?) have worn out at the same rate. IME downpipes usually last a very long time, longer than the middle & back box sections.
 
Have you inspected it yourself?

Seems quite a coincidence that all the sections (3?) have worn out at the same rate. IME downpipes usually last a very long time, longer than the middle & back box sections.

No but this isn't the first garage to tell me this and he's well aware I'll be buying the replacement myself for him to fit.
 
Get the front and middle sections custom made in stainless steel, you wont regret it.

Who would I get to make them? My S124 had a SS rear box fitted when I bought it and it was dreadful. I had to change it and so I'm wary of getting a poor one.

Edit: you mean a Powerflow one?
 
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Who would I get to make them? My S124 had a SS rear box fitted when I bought it and it was dreadful. I had to change it and so I'm wary of getting a poor one.

Edit: you mean a Powerflow one?

The quality of the job is only as good as the parts used. I've seen some terrible one's fitted to customers cars, you need someone that knows what they are doing.

Powerflow are good quality parts, I have a dealer local so make my own, but they will be able to guide you.
 
I have a full front to back genuine M-B exhaust (downpipes, middle & back boxes) for a 190E 2.6. Used, but in really excellent condition. I'll PM you my phone number as I'm not too far away from you. Give me a call for more info.
 
I had a SS system made up for mine with 3 silencer boxes. Its quiet but has a deeper tone, tucks away under the bumper so very neat. I did away with the cat which gained me a few more MPG and the car feels a bit nippier.

On a 2.6 it would sound lovely.

Wish I had done it before wasting money on ill-fitting aftermarket parts which rotted away after a few years.

* added photo
 

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If for whatever reason you don't want a stainless system making or a good used genuine exhaust then 190 (W201) E 2.6 will give you the part numbers for Eberspacher, Walker, Bosal etc. Google the part numbers and you should find a few different suppliers. Any of them will fit as well as genuine parts, last a LOT longer than cheapnese pattern crap and probably be cheaper posted from Europe than something crap from one of the usual UK suspects
 
If for whatever reason you don't want a stainless system making or a good used genuine exhaust then 190 (W201) E 2.6 will give you the part numbers for Eberspacher, Walker, Bosal etc. Google the part numbers and you should find a few different suppliers. Any of them will fit as well as genuine parts, last a LOT longer than cheapnese pattern crap and probably be cheaper posted from Europe than something crap from one of the usual UK suspects

Thanks everyone. There's a Powerflow dealer on the other side of town so I'll try and get over there next week for a quote. MB has quoted me for new parts, over £200 for the front and over £100 for the middle, so that's a possibility.

I have no objection to good used parts and that's an option.

Regarding Eberspacher, Walker and Bosal though, I don't know anything about them. Is any one better than the other and how do they compare, for quality, with MB please?
 
Regarding Eberspacher, Walker and Bosal though, I don't know anything about them. Is any one better than the other and how do they compare, for quality, with MB please?

Hard to beat original M-B exhausts for quality from my experience.
 
John Jones Jr said:
Hard to beat original M-B exhausts for quality from my experience.

Absolutely. You pay for what you get and and you may well be bitterly disappointed by putting a cheap system on. I put a Klarius on one of my cars and it ruined the car as far as I was concerned. Utter rubbish, low frequency drumming and poor fit . While spoil a good ship etc.
 
Regarding Eberspacher, Walker and Bosal though, I don't know anything about them. Is any one better than the other and how do they compare, for quality, with MB please?

Along wth Ernst they're OEM suspects/quality. Dunno if all of them have ever supplied MB but obviously MB don't actually make exhausts themselves...
I might be making this bit up but i'm pretty sure that the last time i bought exhaust bits from MB (they used to be pretty competitive pricewise) the box had Ernst stamped into it.
The Eberspacher back box i bought (from some German supplier) the other year fitted perfectly and the aluminised coating is still mint unlike the flat black VHT paint on the MB supplied part which was falling off when the parts muppet handed it to me. The U clamp that came with the Eberspacher box even had copper plated nuts with it
 
Thanks again. I'm not averse to buying a new MB front and mid-section. However, as I said, the MB sections I bought last time did not last well at all and I think I'd prefer to go elsewhere for a replacement this time.

From the above, I can't see Eberspacher (or Ernst) being any worse than the MB one and it's cheaper.

Does anyone else have any thoughts?
 
I've gone for the Powerflow replacement using my Remus backbox.

It's in the garage now and they've just been on the phone to say they're worried the manifold bolts might snap and suggested I keep a bit of the old exhaust.

I don't want to keep any of the old rotten exhaust so he says he "is just going to go for it" :crazy:

Finger's crossed! I've previously had the exhaust replaced and never heard anything like this!
 
Eberspacher and Ernst were OEM suppliers to MB back then I believe but many of these companies have changed hands- manufacturing plant since then.

I would favour a pukka MB mild steel down pipes front section [ they seem to "ring " less than ST/ST in many installs ] with a centre and rear section in stainless but its all a matter of personal taste.
 
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Eberspacher and Ernst were OEM suppliers to MB back then I believe but many of these companies have changed hands- manufacturing plant since then.

I would favour a pukka MB mild steel down pipes front section [ they seem to "ring " less than ST/ST in many installs ] with a centre and rear section in stainless but its all a matter of personal taste.

To late for that now, it's on the ramps :dk:
 
To late for that now, it's on the ramps :dk:

If its all decent st/st shouldn't be a problem.
Some pics of the install would be nice?
 

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