Slot together exhaust systems....
Discussion
Why, why, why do manufacturers use these god awful systems?
Peugeot have it right with their clamp together system. Vauxhall bolt sections together... But no. Volkswagen have to make a stupid system that slots together and interwines with the rear suspension arm so it's impossible to remove the exhaust without splitting it into sections, which is impossible when it's seized itself together over god know how many years...
Anyone got any advice for splitting these sections whilst its still on the car? I'm trying not to damage the system too much as ideally I would like to refit it. I'm just replacing the cat you see. I've tried whacking the join with a hammer to try and free it up, I've kicked it, pulled it and swivelled it until I can't swivel any more. This method has worked for me on these style systems in the past but I'm totally beat with this one...
Short of cutting the bloody thing off and replacing the lot, how can I get it off?
Peugeot have it right with their clamp together system. Vauxhall bolt sections together... But no. Volkswagen have to make a stupid system that slots together and interwines with the rear suspension arm so it's impossible to remove the exhaust without splitting it into sections, which is impossible when it's seized itself together over god know how many years...
Anyone got any advice for splitting these sections whilst its still on the car? I'm trying not to damage the system too much as ideally I would like to refit it. I'm just replacing the cat you see. I've tried whacking the join with a hammer to try and free it up, I've kicked it, pulled it and swivelled it until I can't swivel any more. This method has worked for me on these style systems in the past but I'm totally beat with this one...
Short of cutting the bloody thing off and replacing the lot, how can I get it off?
Hmmm, well I'm not conversant with exactly the type of system you are discussing - but what I DO know is that trying to split apart any type of exhaust system on cars that has been in place for a decent while is ranging from difficult to futile.
Unless it's a fairly new stainless system, or has never been out in the rain, then you are going to have fun attempting to do so, on any car.
But if you must try...brute force, hammering and generally stressing will not do it. Corroded sections will only give up their hold with a liberal application of heat. Penetrating oil and hammers? You may as well try re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.
Get a decent blowtorch at least - or better still, find someone with an oxy-acetaline setup, and get a torch on there to get the joints you are interested in separating to red hot, glowing heat. That's the only way you might persuade them to part.
Good luck!
Unless it's a fairly new stainless system, or has never been out in the rain, then you are going to have fun attempting to do so, on any car.
But if you must try...brute force, hammering and generally stressing will not do it. Corroded sections will only give up their hold with a liberal application of heat. Penetrating oil and hammers? You may as well try re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.
Get a decent blowtorch at least - or better still, find someone with an oxy-acetaline setup, and get a torch on there to get the joints you are interested in separating to red hot, glowing heat. That's the only way you might persuade them to part.
Good luck!
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
But if you must try...brute force, hammering and generally stressing will not do it.
For rusty old slip fit joints (which is what the OP is describing), hammering is exactly what will do it. You need to work around the full circumference of the pipe several times, ideally with a heavy club hammer held on the opposite side to absorb the blow. This will eventually break the corrosion that welds the two pipes together, but it can be a slow process. Heat doesn't help much on these, unless it's from an oxy-acetylene torch and you are cutting the bloody thing off.If a previous monkey has overtightened the exhaust clamp then it forms a depression in both pipes which locks them together and makes the job even harder.
I did think heat but don't have a blow torch and don't know anyone with one either.
Looks like I'm gonna have to cut it off and replace the parts. Not got enough access to hammer it properly under the car (already tried for an hour) and it can't be removed without splitting so I have little choice...
It's a good system for fitting but a nightmare for removing...
Looks like I'm gonna have to cut it off and replace the parts. Not got enough access to hammer it properly under the car (already tried for an hour) and it can't be removed without splitting so I have little choice...
It's a good system for fitting but a nightmare for removing...
I tried to do this on a car that belonged to a woman at work, her cat had fallen off on the drive to work and the centre pipe was touching the ground. She drove all the way to work with the centre pipe bouncing up and down under her car, before realising something was terribly wrong when she got out to have a look.
I thought we could probably save the backbox so she'd only need a new centre section, but alas it was a slot together system and was more than seized in place. Knowing the nearest garage was some a couple of miles away, she just asked me to save what I could but make it driveable again. Two stout men pulling at it with all their weight and strength couldn't even budge it. In the end, lacking proper mechanics tools I cut the rubber hangers with a stanley knife and ripped the whole exhaust off and threw it in a skip. The woman drove to a nearby exhaust place and they fitted a new system there and then, I think it cost about £250 for the cat and another s
tty mild steel exhaust. That was about a year ago now, the new exhaust is probably about due to start falling to bits, having already no doubt seized months ago.
I thought we could probably save the backbox so she'd only need a new centre section, but alas it was a slot together system and was more than seized in place. Knowing the nearest garage was some a couple of miles away, she just asked me to save what I could but make it driveable again. Two stout men pulling at it with all their weight and strength couldn't even budge it. In the end, lacking proper mechanics tools I cut the rubber hangers with a stanley knife and ripped the whole exhaust off and threw it in a skip. The woman drove to a nearby exhaust place and they fitted a new system there and then, I think it cost about £250 for the cat and another s
tty mild steel exhaust. That was about a year ago now, the new exhaust is probably about due to start falling to bits, having already no doubt seized months ago.PhillipM said:
I love slip jointed systems, easy to adjust, easy to seal, lightweight and (if made correctly) no need for stty gaskets/sealant that blows out 6 month later.
This I agree with!tty gaskets/sealant that blows out 6 month later.To separate a slip joint, try to bend the joint by pulling the pipe up either side while holding the join down, this will open up the female part of the joint and should eventually break the rusty seal!
Slip joints mean you have lots of options to tweak the fitting of the system so tolerances can be looser.
Having removed my fair share
Hammer it to shock it then insert a chisel and start peeling back the joint.
You'd be amazed how much abuse it can take yet when you re fit it with a smear of exhaust paste it'll seal 100%
Having removed my fair share
Hammer it to shock it then insert a chisel and start peeling back the joint.
You'd be amazed how much abuse it can take yet when you re fit it with a smear of exhaust paste it'll seal 100%
^^^^^ Works for me. So far I've never had one I couldn't separate that way.
I now use one of the 1mm cutting discs on an angle grinder to lengthen the slot. As long as you don't go mad & stop before you get to the single layer past the overlap resealing is straightforward. Sometimes a second clamp helps.
I now use one of the 1mm cutting discs on an angle grinder to lengthen the slot. As long as you don't go mad & stop before you get to the single layer past the overlap resealing is straightforward. Sometimes a second clamp helps.
Not a fan of clamped slip joints myself, ones held together with springs are good though!
Who remembers the ridiculous Mk1/2 fiesta exhaust design? The slip joint at the front had to resist the entire rear half of the exhaust twisting (saved the cost of an extra rubber mount I suppose), hence aging Fiestas with the exhaust almost touching the ground was a common sight.
Who remembers the ridiculous Mk1/2 fiesta exhaust design? The slip joint at the front had to resist the entire rear half of the exhaust twisting (saved the cost of an extra rubber mount I suppose), hence aging Fiestas with the exhaust almost touching the ground was a common sight.
PhillipM said:
I love slip jointed systems, easy to adjust, easy to seal, lightweight and (if made correctly) no need for stty gaskets/sealant that blows out 6 month later.
Me too ! the propper way is to use a pipe cutter and cut the bit you DONT WANT, then sort it out on the bench, wronge tools will make it harder but WD and a hammer never fails, sometimes you have to hammer the pipe into the other pipe to break the rust weld before it will come out or twist it in the other pipe again to break the rust seal.tty gaskets/sealant that blows out 6 month later.TBH the first system fitted by the factory is usually a 1 piece item that will allways need cutting cos it goes on before the suspension
I have one of these, fantastic bit of kit 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXHAUST-CUTTER-PIPE-CUTT...
also have a small lump hammer and a chisel for generating noise
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXHAUST-CUTTER-PIPE-CUTT...
also have a small lump hammer and a chisel for generating noise
In our instance, the slot together exhaust is on a competition car, so it often needs to be removed for maintenance, but both sides of the join need to be preserved. We find it only takes a few months before it becomes very difficult to separate - so does anyone have any innovative ideas for making subsequent separation easier? I have tried Copperslip in the past (other brands are available 
), but although it makes the assembly easier, it has not had any notable effect on the separation. I did wonder about inserting/wrapping some form of copper shim around the male part, but then wondered if PTFE tape could help, just to keep the mild steel surfaces from corroding together.
Any ideas?
TiA
), but although it makes the assembly easier, it has not had any notable effect on the separation. I did wonder about inserting/wrapping some form of copper shim around the male part, but then wondered if PTFE tape could help, just to keep the mild steel surfaces from corroding together.Any ideas?
TiA
ArthurH said:
does anyone have any innovative ideas for making subsequent separation easier? I have tried Copperslip in the past (other brands are available ), but although it makes the assembly easier, it has not had any notable effect on the separation.
Silicone grease MIGHT help as it it pretty much can't melt, aside of that your thought on a thin copper shim to isolate the parts might also work. ), but although it makes the assembly easier, it has not had any notable effect on the separation. ArthurH said:
In our instance, the slot together exhaust is on a competition car, so it often needs to be removed for maintenance, but both sides of the join need to be preserved. We find it only takes a few months before it becomes very difficult to separate - so does anyone have any innovative ideas for making subsequent separation easier? I have tried Copperslip in the past (other brands are available ), but although it makes the assembly easier, it has not had any notable effect on the separation. I did wonder about inserting/wrapping some form of copper shim around the male part, but then wondered if PTFE tape could help, just to keep the mild steel surfaces from corroding together.
Any ideas?
TiA
Not an expert but could you (or your friendly exhaust place) weld flanges on so its bolt together? ), but although it makes the assembly easier, it has not had any notable effect on the separation. I did wonder about inserting/wrapping some form of copper shim around the male part, but then wondered if PTFE tape could help, just to keep the mild steel surfaces from corroding together.Any ideas?
TiA
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