Comedy exhaust note

[Ade B]

The CE exhaust has been blowing progressively where it enters the back box for the last 4 weeks. Its booked in for a stainless steel replacement on 2nd Feb, in the meantime I've just made a local trip in a car which now sounds something between an american muscle car and a WW1 fighter (in a box of cotton wool).

Whilst this is all good fun, what's the worse that can happen between now and replacement day. I've a trip to Notthingham next Friday which I could train, but aside from that any driving will be local.

CO poisoning springs to mind....


Ade

 

[trapperjohn]

Possible back box may split from the pipe, come off its hangers, hit the road, bounce back up and damage the rear bumper valance. Happened to my lads 190. His tow bar keeps things held together.!! Then again this may not happen.

 

[bennesspipers]

Where is it blowing from ? One way to test is press your boot (or a rag) over the tailpipe, this will accentuate where the leak is.

 

[davidjpowell]

I well remember an exhaust falling off a Merc that my dad had. (I was about 8, and all I remember is that it was green...) A clamp had fallen off and the exhaust pipe caught on the ground lifting the front wheel off the floor. We ended up on the wrong side of the road.

I'd guess you just need to identify where the leak is to be able to see if there is risk of fumes getting in the cabin.

 

[KNU7S]

the worst that could happen, in my mini i had a straight through exhaust, and the roundabout at the bottom of a hill i pulled in behind a hearse and in front of the lead limo, trouble was i has to go up hill at 5000rpm very very loud ...... and down the other side is was popping and banging.

It was a victor meldrew moment

 

[Ade B]

Well this afternoon in Ikea carpark it went from amusing to serious... its completely sheared from what I think is the section from the cat back to the centre box...

view from OS

View from NS

Now ordinarily I'd have it booked in tomorrow for replacement however some of you may remember I managed to procure a stainless steel exhaust from CKS which is due to be fitted on the 2nd Feb.. it only had to last another week

The car can sit in the drive until then but does anyone have any tips for how I can lash this up to get to from South London to Watford? Long journeys are out of the question. Does anyone know how many hangers there are for this bit, or is it about to drop into the road with an expensive outcome..

The car sounds positively anti social now....

TIA

Ade

 

[Sp!ke]

You might be able to lash it up temporarilly by cutting up a baked bean tin and wrapping it around the pipe with a jubilee clip at either end holding it in place.

 

[Ade B]

Thought had occurred to me as my old Granada exhaust was held together with tin cans, exhaust bandage and jubilee clips..but on the OS I'm not sure I can get a clip onto anything as it looks like its sheared right against the box... I've also a cheapo arc welder in the shed, but really think I'd need to get the pipe off the car before I started messing with that which I would imagine would be a challenge in itself on a driveway..

Need to get under the car and have a proper poke about which may have to wait until next weekend..


Ade

 

[Sp!ke]

You could put a couple of tac welds on if you were careful just to hold it in place. I suspect the exhaust will be too thin to weld with an arc welder though.

Best disconnect your battery terminals first before trying..

 

[stevesey]

Thought had occurred to me as my old Granada exhaust was held together with tin cans, exhaust bandage and jubilee clips..but on the OS I'm not sure I can get a clip onto anything as it looks like its sheared right against the box... I've also a cheapo arc welder in the shed, but really think I'd need to get the pipe off the car before I started messing with that which I would imagine would be a challenge in itself on a driveway..

Jubilee clip job should do it, if you make sure whatever "tin plate" you use extends underneath the box side as far as you can that should help support it even if the seal is not very good becuase of the short overlap.

Also a bit of coat hanger wire may be helpful to form an additional exhaust hanger if on closer instection you think the floating part is putting too much strain on the existing hanhers (and the temporary joint) and you are worried about it falling off altogther.

 

[Adam230K]

I've had this exact thing happen to me on the 230K, which prompted me to get a C36 backbox and get the rest made up stainless steel.

I just took the backbox off and drove it round like that... it was hilarious while it lasted

 

[bouncer]

Find yourself a 6inch length of tube to slide into the pipe / box. Cut a couple of slots into the old pipe with a hacksaw this will help the pipe to clamp down when you tighten the clamp / jubilee clip around it.
Stick the 6 inch length of pipe into the old pipe, you should be able to push the box forward on the rubbers and allow it to come back over the pipes. This will give it a bit of strength, better than tacking it with a spot of mig.
Or you could mig the new tube into the box. . . even better. Should last till your new one is ready.
If its not fully sealed then drive with the window open a bit.

sTeVe

 

[Stratman]

Way back when, I had a Series 1 XJ6 4.2 with a completely rotten exhaust system. I cut the pipes in front of the boxes, made an appointment with an exhaust fitter and drove there. I made sure the windows were down and used manual override on the 'box going through tunnels and under bridges

 

[Ade B]

My days of crawling under cars seem to be dwindling. In a fit of 'organisation' yesterday the car was booked in and dropped off this morning for a replacement centre section and back box.

The noise was pretty entertaining.

Didn't actually want a free stainless steel performance exhaust in the end.....

Thanks for your replies.


Ade