R129 exhaust - squeaking

[R129mine]

My exhaust has been squeaking for a while, indie suggested replacing exhaust at cost of £1k

Got under the car this weekend and when i move the exhaust I can make it squeak but it is difficult to pinpoint where it is coming from

40% of outer casing of middle section has come off (sparks flying at one point



connection to both catalytic converters not looking too bad (both cats have been replaced in last 5 years, due to faulty cattle grid smashing holes in both, expensive repair!) the bracket holding rear end of cat section not looking to healthy but bolts and nuts between middle section and cat looks like it can be easily removed)

Rear Muffler also not the best looking but not troubling me


Options I have are

1. triple checking exhaust mounts are not the cause and replace
2. remove remainder of outer casing middle section and see if that resolves the issue
3. pay the £1k for new MB exhaust
4. ask local exhaust specialist to replace middle section only (i think the sound is coming from middle section)
5. replace with non MB exhaust from this shop Stainless Steel Exhaust Manufacturers | Classic Exhaust and Manifolds or similar
6. .......????

I am really not fussed about getting a louder sound out of the exhaust, just want the squeaking to stop!

 

[Flyinspanner]

Look up your nearest PowerFlo /Longlife stainless steel exhaust centre (Aylesbury, Reading, Slough) and get a quote.
Search eBay for a full exhaust - can be surprisingly cheap! Then fit yourself or get a fitter to fit for some cash

 

[RichardF]

Does it squeak @ idle?

You could try crawling under the car with the engine running and a water spray, spray bits to see if squeak changes or stops.
My exhaust looks similar to yours in terms of condition, been like that for yrs and hasn't deteriorated any further. Sometimes it attracts an MOT advisory, sometimes (if I mention it) a shrug.

 

[Doodle]

That centre section has life in it yet, OE 129 boxes are double skinned. The back box is just flaking paint.

Check for signs of contact between the link pipe to the back box and the cross brace, there's not a lot of clearance there. What tends to generate the squeak? If your engine mounts are on their last legs you could be getting enough movement to be making contact. Another prime culprit is the hanger in the NSR wheelarch, as this is intended to control movement rather than just support the weight of the exhaust.

 

[R129mine]

Does it squeak @ idle?

You could try crawling under the car with the engine running and a water spray, spray bits to see if squeak changes or stops.
My exhaust looks similar to yours in terms of condition, been like that for yrs and hasn't deteriorated any further. Sometimes it attracts an MOT advisory, sometimes (if I mention it) a shrug.

No it does not squeak @ idle only when driving, and you go over a speedbump or pothole or just corner quite fast

when i was under the car I was able to make it squeak by moving the exhaust around. I am thinking if i remove the remainder of the outer casing perhaps that will stop the squeak? I mean the bottom half is gone already so protection is hardly an issue anymore

will give the water spray test a go,

 

[R129mine]

That centre section has life in it yet, OE 129 boxes are double skinned. The back box is just flaking paint.

Check for signs of contact between the link pipe to the back box and the cross brace, there's not a lot of clearance there. What tends to generate the squeak? If your engine mounts are on their last legs you could be getting enough movement to be making contact. Another prime culprit is the hanger in the NSR wheelarch, as this is intended to control movement rather than just support the weight of the exhaust.

speedbumps, potholes and fast cornering generates the squeak, also fast acceleration, not always but i think when the exhaust sways left to right causes the sound

engine mounts were replaced 2 years ago.

will check the hanger in the NSR wheelarch.

I need to get some axle stands as the 2x ramps don't provide me with a lot of space

 

[R129mine]

I managed to get under the car yesterday and the NSR wheelarch hanger is no longer there, it must have been attached to the outer casing of the middle muffler.

and from an exhaust diagram i can see it is supposed to have some kind of a metal prong attached to it to fit to number 18 on the diagram



I also noticed that the rear heatshield for the back box does not have a fastener on it anymore, the thread is almost gone from the pin sticking out and i tried some quick fixes yesterday but they did not stay on.

There is no squeaking when the car is idle and the water bottle trick did not reveal anything.

Replacement exhaust quote from 1 company came in at £1650 and still waiting for a price from other company, I think I am going to do a DIY job on try and get the middle muffler attachment back on so it hangs properly on the NSF hanger.

 

[Doodle]

Ouch, that is expensive. I paid half that for a custom centre section, which included a new sports cat.

 

[R129mine]

I managed to get rid of 90% of the squeaking by fabricating this hack which means the middle muffler is now re-attached to the NSR wheel arch

it is not pretty but it works (for now)

When I get the car up in the air (properly) I will remove the remaining outer layer of the middle muffler which should remove the last 10% of the squeaking