| Author |
Message |
    
Martin Cutler
| | Posted on Thursday, 07 June, 2001 - 15:32: |    |
Hi guys and Girls,
The original exhaust system on my MK VI is just about dead. I have been quoted $1400 for a mild steel system, and $2500 for a stainless one. Is it worth the extra money? I mainly do weddings at the moment, but hope to use the car for pleasure once the bank loan is paid off.
Any thoughts? |
Richard Treacy
| | Posted on Thursday, 07 June, 2001 - 21:28: | |
Go for stainless, but shop around as the price seems high. A car used only occasionally chews through the system (rear mufflers especially) in a couple of years, although the downpipes are very long lived. Make sure the stainless is of the same gauge as a mild steel system for noise control and durability, and use the original aluminium muffler covers.
I had an excellent stainless steel dual system made for my R-Type at Powatone in Canberra: a really beautiful job and not at all expensive. There is also an exhaust specialist in Flinders St near Taylor Square in Sydney the direction of Moor Park, who has a listing for your car using Australian made pipes and mufflers. While I was at it I had a stainless flexible joints fitted before each front muffler to protect the manifolds against motor movement or hard objects beneath. The system carries a lifetime guarantee. I also fitted a downpipe securing bracket by the sump to stop the manifolds being stressed.
Good luck !
RT. |
Martin Cutler
| | Posted on Friday, 08 June, 2001 - 09:44: | |
Hi Richard,
I made a mistake yesterday, the stainless cost is $1725. Thanks heaps for the other pointers, manifold damage is a thing to be avoided! |
David Jones
| | Posted on Friday, 15 June, 2001 - 20:13: | |
I have had a number of cars and i would always recommend the fitting of SS parts to replace the mild steel systems. It is money well spent and as richard has advised if you use a speialist in this area you will not go wrong. I fitted a full SS system to my jaguar XJ6 in 1995 and the system is purfect to this day.
Regards
David Jones |
Bill Vatter
| | Posted on Sunday, 17 June, 2001 - 14:37: | |
I have seen stainless exhaust pipes cause exhaust manifold breakage. Stainless has a higher coeficient of thermal expansion, and when it gets hot and expands there will be some force applied to the exhaust manifolds. I am not sure how to avoid this completely, but I would make sure there was absolutely no stress on the exhaust manifold when I tightened the nuts on the pipe-manifold connection. You might also want to loosen and retighten the pipe-manifold joint after the pipes are warm but not hot. It seems to me that this would put the manifolds under stress when both hot and cold but in different directions and with a lesser stress magnitude.
On my Silver Wraith (1949), the original front exhaust pipe is still in fine shape. It is thicker metal and gets hot fastest of all the exhaust parts, driving all moisture off the metal. I have had other parts of the exhaust rust out, and I replaced them with stainless. I think that keeping the front pipe in mild steel but everything else stainless might be the best way to go. Perhaps your supplier can get you something like this, or maybe your front pipe is still OK also. I don't believe in replacing parts that are still serviceable. |
Martin Cutler
| | Posted on Tuesday, 19 June, 2001 - 13:59: | |
Hi Bill,
The pipes on my car are the originals all the way through. The exhaust guy recommended getting the complete system all the way through. I didn't argue about the front pipes (maybe I should have). As per Richards suggestion, I am getting a flexible joint fitted before the first set of mufflers. The car was put in this morning for the work, so I should have it back tomorrow night, all going well. |
Martin Cutler
| | Posted on Monday, 02 July, 2001 - 11:08: | |
Hi all,
Took the Bentley for a good drive on the weekend with the new stainless pipes. I noticed a slight raising in noise levels, but a very pleasing tone. Power seems to be greatly improved! Maybe the old mufflers where all choked up. I am hoping on an improvement in fuel economy as well. I'm very happy, although my Visa card will take a while to recover......... |
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