How much for an exhaust?

[GuinnessMK]

My parents have an '07 plate VW Touran. It's started sounding a bit fruity.

So they took it to a couple of drive in, quick fit type places.

They have diagnosed a split in the front section of exhaust. So from the mainfold, under the sump, over the cross member.

The first lot wanted £600, the next lot £450 plus. Aparently there is a CAT in the first section of pipe.

I've had a look on ebay and found the part for £185. Had the thing up on the axle stands on Sunday and it doesn't look like a challenging replacement.

It looks like take the undertray off, undo the wires to the sensors. Undo the bolts at both ends and try to get the thing out. Then slip the new one in, re-fit the sensors and plug them in.

Or is it more complex than that, involving engine out, subframe off???

If it's a simple repair, I'll save them the £300 and do it next weekend.

[Manicminer]

Difference being you don't need to pay for premises, staff and make a profit.

Good luck though, I suspect at that price you'll be changing it again in a couple of years when it rots through.

[Carpal]

Have you costed an oem exhaust fitted by a decent indy? The fast fit places will be expensive, and whenever they have fitted exhausts on my cars they have never lasted long.

[Superhoop]

GuinnessMK said:

re-fit the sensors and plug them in.

Or is it more complex than that??
.

One thing that's worth thinking about.... O2 sensors can be an absolute bd to remove from the old exhaust, quite often damaging the threads of the sensors beyond repair, or in some cases, just snapping off. If you think about the constant heating and cooling of the exhaust you can understand why.

You'll probably find that the exhaust companies and indies are factoring this in when pricing it up

[lbc]

Getting the old exhaust off is probably the hardest part, plus if it all goes wrong DIY, you only have yourself to blame and you could end up paying someone to put it right!

Let the experts that do this job everyday get on with it, stress free for you, and you also get a guarantee.

[Codswallop]

^^ Since when has this place turned into Mumsnet?

It's a pipe held on with nuts and bolts. Get plenty of penetrating fluid on there and give it a go.

I also highly doubt any of the quotes the OP got included replacement sensors "just in case of breakages, and if they don't break we'll give the customer a nice surprise and lower their bill".

[CraigyMc]

lbc said:

Getting the old exhaust off is probably the hardest part, plus if it all goes wrong DIY, you only have yourself to blame and you could end up paying someone to put it right!

Let the experts that do this job everyday get on with it, stress free for you, and you also get a guarantee.

Couldn't disagree more. What you're saying sounds like this to me:

"You're about to be mugged, so the best thing you can do is ensure that you've lubed up properly; that way you might cope better with it.
It's going to be fairly expensive but look on the bright side: at least it'll be painful".

Fastfit type places have been universally appalling in my experience. I'd never set foot in one, given the choice.

C

[Welshbeef]

5 years old....
My old ist coupe lasted 14 years in fine condition from new. VW golf still going strong 12 years old our Cupra 12 years old seems fine.

So why is yours worn out ?
Is there not a ten year warranty on OEM exhausts? Worth checking as that's a big saving for you.


Oh and £185 is dirt cheap and is going to be poor quality metal so it will need replacing again soon. Buy a quality part whatever you choose to do fitting wise.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

GuinnessMK said:

Undo the bolts at both ends and try to get the thing out. Then slip the new one in, re-fit the sensors and plug them in.

Have you ever attempted or seen someone remove an exhaust from under a car?

First off - without a ramp, it's nigh-on impossible.

And most of all, none of those bolts will come undone - and it's also unlikely the exhaust will easily come away at it's joins. Generally speaking, you need lots of room and an oxy / acetalyne torch to get stuff undone. Normally, it's all so rusted together that you have to use the oxy torch to just cut bolts, brackets and pipework clean off.

Samw with trying to remove O2 sensors. It will probably snap in half when you get a socket on it and start to try.

It's a hideous thing to even contemplate doing at home. I'm a decent driveway spanner twirler - and I wouldn't even consider doing it.

[Welshbeef]

I reminder in high school my old man and I replaced three exhausts on the drive... Only heat source was heat used for central heating joints.

It's a pig of a job always took hours - lots of cuts filthy job. And then after that yep it leaks so more time reviewing it and re fixing it. I recall when I changed the exhaust on one of mine my old man wanted to DIY however when he realised how cheap it was head in hands all that wasted time effort or what.

Bolts seized solid need a good hammer and you need to be pretty strong to move it about under the car holding it in place.


I would never attempt to do it again. Likewise Tyre changing we did one at home took two hours pointless spend the money where it's needed. These jobs are not worth DIY. Also if they are pricing it high then there is heaps of work involved.

[jagnet]

Exhausts aren't something I like to tackle at home either. The chances of everything coming apart without problem are minimal. Without a ramp there just isn't the room to get the front section out easily.

When I needed an exhaust change in the Spring, I took it down to my friendly local garage. Having pre soaked all the bolts in penetrating fluid several times over the preceding days it made it that much easier for them to get off, which they took into account and only charged me £60 labour.

[W1 NER]

Good advice with the o2 sensor above, for me these are normally the worst part of the process.
I have replaced several exhausts at home using ramps. A couple of times the bolts have been hassle to remove but after some penetrating fluid and brute force they have come away.
The worst that can happen is you get stuck have way through (as I have!) drive to a local Indy slip them £10-20 and get them to heat up and remove the old bolts, then drive home and re-fit the new part.

If you are fairly handy with a spanner give it a go, if not get your money out!

[W1 NER]

Forgot to add, if you do attemt this make sure the car is securely supported before starting!

[kambites]

I have changed exhausts at home before and it can be a pig of a job. Everything is made out of the same stuff as the exhaust that you're replacing because it's just rusted away so everything will be fused to everything else in one big sharp lump of rust. Then you'll finally get it off and find there's one small but vital part that's rusted too far to be reusable but that you didn't buy.

Not a difficult job by any means, but a rather frustrating one.

[deltashad]

You should give it a go, and take an angle grinder and safety specs with you.

[s2sol]

I've done a few. You need more space than you might think, and the car will need to be quite a way off the ground. O2 sensors always seem to come out surprisingly easily. Angle grinder is a very good idea. You can chop the big bits out and give yourself a lot more room for the awkward bits. New bolts and clamps are also a wise move.

[dome]

I've just changed a small section on my Saab 9-5-Roughly 3 feet long after the cat. As the bolts were almost non existent from corrosion I ended up taking the full exhaust off to get access as I couldn't get a grinder in. 3 bolts onto turbo, two lambda sensors to unplug, lots of hangers to undo. Much easier with the exhaust off. The bolts were so non existent that a couple of whacks with a hammer onto the end had them disintegrate and the whole thing fell apart. Most satisfying.

If you're not sure try and do it in stages-first off check you can undo the manifold/downpipe bolts. Then make sure you can undo the lambda sensors. If they all come loose then go for it. Oh and don't forget to weigh in your old exhaust for scrap, the cat will be worth a pound or two

[alangla]

I did one on a Citroen ZX years ago, bolts came off easily (surprisingly), but the whole thing involved myself, my old man, a set of ramps, a trolley jack, a bottle jack, various bits of wood and most of a day. That was on a car with no sensors etc in the pipe. It's a filthy job, especially on a diesel as everything will be coked up & all the carbon will instantly deposit itself on your overalls as soon as you disturb it.
If you do decide to do it, see if the dealer will flog you a fitting kit along with the pipe, normally this includes all the nuts, bolts, seals, brackets etc you will need. Personally I'd go with pricing it from an indie & letting them have the joy of freeing all the siezed bits & pieces.

[StoatInACoat]

Changed plenty of exhausts on axle stands. Only time it can become difficult it if the sections use a sleeve fitting. This won't come apart without removing the two bits that are fitted together from the car and battering the broken one until it falls out or attacking with a grinder. If it uses the "V" type clamps or is just bolts through a plate life will be easy peasy but be aware that if you overtighten the bolts when you replace them they WILL snap and hit you in the face.

Buy new clamps and bolts and prepare to snap all the old ones off with a breaker bar. Much easier and re-using old knackered clamps never works properly anyway. Replace any springs and gaskets as said - they aren't expensive and saves you doing it twice.

If it's a long section support it with a scissor jack in the right position while you put it back together so it doesn't end up wonky or hanging down. Buy some of this as well, gun gum and the like are absolutely useless rubbishy crap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Holts-Fire-Gum-Exhaust-A...