CLK320 (W208) Exhaust Rattle

[nsiddiqui]

I have had a rattle from under the car which has been rather annoying. I had the car up on the ram today (as the wheels were being balanced) so decided to have a poke around and as soon as i give the lower cat a quick bang there is the rattle.

i have heard people just knock the insides out and it all works fine. But if the process of knocking the insides out is the same as replacing the cat (removal and re-install) then should one just install this from GSF. CATALYTIC CONVERTER 215ME0350

Also, is there a benefit to knocking it out rather than replacing with the above part (assuming it's the right part) as it isn't that expensive?

lastly, on ECP there is a front right and a front left cat at different prices? have they got something wrong or am i missing something?

 

[Auto-mobile]

Remove the secondary cats, emmisons will pass on the pre cats, it will need cutting open and then welding back together.

 

[nsiddiqui]

Thanks. Also, does gutting the lower cat have any effect on the sound as there is one in line before it anyway? I'd rather it wasn't any louder (I've had decats before on a previous car). In which case I might just replace with the GSF part I mentioned above.

 

[Auto-mobile]

Not really a great deal of noise no.

 

[bdman]

I had the exact same car for five years - my cats went and i had them knocked out. The sound was awful. All the air was whooshing around the empty cat holders and it was raspy and tinny.
My advice would be to straight pipe or x pipe it.

 

[nsiddiqui]

thanks for the advice. i'm still pretty new to the world of MB. so where do i get a straight pipe or x pipe? or is it something that needs to be manufactured?

 

[markmifsud]

be aware that if you use any pipe system to bypass the cats then you may fail the MOT on the basis that CATS supplied at manufacture were not present, either replace them (i did with MB CATs) or have them gutted and put up with the droning that you may get.

Also note the CATs that you linked to are not for fitting to a CLK post 1999 (I think its just a type approval thing but who knows?)

 

[Howard]

No droning when I gutted the cats on my old clk430 ... In fact no noise change at all

 

[markmifsud]

No droning when I gutted the cats on my old clk430 ... In fact no noise change at all

could this be that the v8 already has quite a decent sound whereas the v6 exhaust is almost silent?

 

[GazM]

No droning when I gutted the cats on my old clk430 ... In fact no noise change at all

out of interest what is the process (and cost) to gut the cats
Thanks

 

[Parkster]

Hi
Could some explain the ticking noise coming from under the car when I've been out and driven 2 miles or 20 miles when I've parked up.
I drive a c180 2013 model
Many thanks

 

[Tim203]

Hi Could some explain the ticking noise coming from under the car when I've been out and driven 2 miles or 20 miles when I've parked up. I drive a c180 2013 model Many thanks

Assuming the engine is off then thermal contraction of hot exhaust parts cooling down is probably the culprit particularly if heat shields are fitted which cool at a different rate.