My townace just failed MOT due to holed and blowing silencer box. The garage offered to weld repair it.
I think I've heard that there are repair kits available which involve using stick on patches (?) - am I right - does it work?
I was thinking it would be more economic to replace the box but the posts I've seen suggests huge prices (well, to me!) - so repair, if possible, seems like best option.
By the way I noticed the short tail pipe was severely corroded (eaten away) but I'm pretty certain the pipe was intact before. Recently I have had the car filled up incorrectly with petrol and the turbo failed - would they have anything to do with it. If the tail pipe has corroded in the last few weeks (is this likely?) I am wondering what harm may be occuring in the rest of the system. Alternatively there may have been another pipe pushed over the end which had dropped off (is this the most likely scenario?). During MOT the tester floored the accelerator a few times and each time there was a cloud of black smoke - the tester wasn't worried & it passed emissions. He said it need a good run (difficult to do on the isle of wight!) but I had taken it onto the mainland a couple of weeks ago - someone suggested it could have sooted up since then.
Any thoughts & reassurances would be much appreciated.

- (#8964) Peter Dawson, 6 Jun 03 6:51

In my nearly 30 years of car ownership, I've found it to be false economy to attempt to repair an exhaust. You are only prolonging the inevitable. Gun gum and all the other after market products rarely last more than a few weeks.

If you plan to keep the vehicle a few years I would seriously consider investing in a stainless system. A full system should cost you in the order of £300 but that comes with a lifetime guarantee so you don't have to worry about it again.

If you want to give your Townie a blowout on the island why not try down on Military Road. Tourists permitting there are some good stretches of open road between Brighstone and Niton.

- (#8965) Ian Dunse, 6 Jun 03 7:08

Agree with Ian, about time we disagreed on something is it not?.
Most exhausts rust from the inside out, so a repair is never a good idea, even in the short term.
I did get home on a baked bean tin and two jubilee clips once, but that was a trip taken with the windows down in sleet and snow.

- (#8966) Clive, 6 Jun 03 8:34

With Stainless Steel I read that annual inspections are required for the guarantee to be effective. A local fitter said the local inspections involve changing all the gaskets because the system was much heavier so they don't do them anymore because customers didn't bother and got upset when claiming under the guarantee. Can anyone add anything to this or set the record straight?

At two local exhaust fitters on the Isle of Wight they were unable to find a match - one said they would ring round and get back to me - the other gave up but said they could fit any I source myself! I've still got other fitters to try. By the way Toyota came back with £277 for a mild steel two box section and £120 for the front downpipe section.

Question
does the two box section squeeze between the car and the rear axle or are replacements produced in two parts or does the rear axle hve to be dropped?

- (#9069) Peter Dawson, 10 Jun 03 5:32

Two parts, joint just after the first box. To fit the rear bit the car has to be up high as you thread it up and over the rear axle.
If the lifetime guarantee requires a yearly checkup so be it. If you don't have the checkup you lose the guarantee.
Exhaust gaskets no problem anyway.

- (#9070) Clive, 10 Jun 03 5:44

Diagram of exhaust on AceAnswers - under exhaust.

- (#9071) Clive, 10 Jun 03 6:59

Obviously each supplier will have their own way of doing things. My annual inspection involves a cursory glance while up on a ramp. If they wanted they could change the gaskets. They could even drop the engine for me. Who cares, it's all at their expense.

- (#9072) Ian Dunse, 10 Jun 03 8:41

Be patient with me but I've looked in ACE Answers under 'Parts & Maintenance' then found an entry for exhaust but no pictures - any more clues?

"who cares, it's all at their expense" - well I'm surprised but I would have no objection to that!
- (#9073) Peter Dawson, 10 Jun 03 8:50

Well that's what a lifetime guarantee is all about. You pay your money up front then forget about it. Provided you meet the suppliers terms ie. give them the opportunity to carry out an annual inspection, then any defects get sorted out as part of the warranty. Same as a dealer warranty with a new car.

- (#9074) Ian Dunse, 10 Jun 03 9:39

AceAnswers under Fuel System, Exhaust System - in top right hand box click on the Exhaust (Oblsud) line and you get a picture from the Toyota Parts CD.

- (#9075) Clive, 11 Jun 03 1:39

Just a little note.
I would think that the stainless exhaust would be made up, not off the rack wouldn't it? (especiialy for these)

If that is the case, it should also bring an improvement in power and economy. A half decent shop will do a better one-off job than the mass produced ones.

I have investigated an aftermarket exhast here in West Aus, and a larger, stainless exhaust is CLAIMED to improve power and economy, without making the van too loud - apparently the turbo keeps them quiet.

Still saving up for that one!

Dave.

- (#9076) DaveW, 11 Jun 03 21:44

I sent a message to Powersolve to ask if they could arrange for a dealer on the Isle of Wight to fit their replacement exhaust and carry out the annual inspection. The response was that their products are made on the vehicle so I HAVE to take the car to a dealer on the mainland (my problem would then be the expense of carrying out the annual inspections. My impression is (perhaps incorrectly) that they make the exhaust up with a kit of parts i.e. closest matching box, closest matching pipe. Not necessarily a perfect match or to an original engineering drawing. And it would seem they do not keep a record of the parts/design used. People have made comments in the past about the precise nature of exhaust design querying how closely Powersolve solutions match (or improve on) the original design. I don't think that line of query was ever satifactorily resolved although we certainly seemed to have 100% satisfaction from the experienced users here.

- (#9077) Peter Dawson, 12 Jun 03 1:32