Teach me about exhausts

Paramount

Paramount

Paramount

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6 Jul 2003
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Bit of assistance needed if you wouldn't mind chaps.

My cars MOT is coming up (the first under my ownership) and I'm pretty sure it has a decat exhaust:

cat1.jpg


I've done my bit of reading and learnt that it might be possible to bung the guy a tenner and they'll pass emissions. However I also have this in the shed:

cat2.jpg


It's the old exhaust, the last owner included it with the car. Possible to swap in the cat (either myself or at the garage)?

Also was thinking of going for Kwik fits MOT plus service for a ton, yay or nay?
 
Swap them yourself. The cat replacement pipe on the car doesn't look badly corroded around the fasteners so shouldn't be too bad a job to get off. The actual cat looks a bit ropey at one end, but nothing a hacksaw won't fix which should be pretty easy with it off the car.
 
paradigm said:
"Learn me"?

Also, Kwik Fit, no just no.
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Another helpful post from paradigm..

Paramount:

You /may/ be able to get them to pass emissions without a cat, it depends on how well you know the mechanic and how lenient about things he is I guess. I have never been able to pursuade mine to do it in the past, but I know of people who have. Unlikely you will get Kwik-Fit to do it though!

Assuming the new exhaust and the cat are the same diameter then yes you should be able to fit it in place of the de-cat pipe. The garage will be able to do this for you if you don't fancy it yourself.

Re Kwik-Fit, at the end of the day an MOT is an MOT, although a ton sounds quite a lot. I guess it depends on what is included in the service but personally I would go to a local indie place, if for no other reason than to keep putting business their way :).
 
Dogbreath said:
Swap them yourself. The cat replacement pipe on the car doesn't look badly corroded around the fasteners so shouldn't be too bad a job to get off. The actual cat looks a bit ropey at one end, but nothing a hacksaw won't fix which should be pretty easy with it off the car.
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Personally I would get a garage to do it the first time round*, let them get the old rusty bolts out and put nice new ones in. Then when next year comes around it should be a lot easier :).

*this is assuming you want to de-cat it again after the MOT!
 
if the rest of the car is in a similar condition to your exhaust I would reccomend you dont take it to Kwik fit as they will find other things wrong so they can make more moneys...

I have fallen for this trap before and believe me... it ends up being more expensive when they fail your car for something stupid.:)

As above take it to a local indipendant get them to do the work needed and get a nice green sheet at the end of it for a reasonable sum.
 
That's an MR2 exhaust if I'm not mistaken! If you have or can borrow some car ramps then swapping the exhuast section over is a 15 minute job requiring nothing more than a socket set. The bolts are easy to access and should come out ok.

However that doesn't look like a decat, I would try just putting it through the test as a decat has a straight piece of pipe the same size as the rest of the exhaust pipe.
 
First pic - defo decat
Second pic - defo cat

WD40 - spanners - undo bolts - pull off rubbers It's that easy..

Kwik fit my ass..
 
An MR2 is correct! That's lovely advice, thanks guys. I'm not very hands on but I should be able to get the cat off the original exhaust so I'll let the indie (not Kwik fit then :p) know when I book that I'll be popping down with it as well.

Splendid, oh and sorry for the "learn me", I can speak the queens english really :)
 
Ok so minor update, the cat is totally rusted to the original exhaust, had a little dig but no luck. Probably too big a job for a novice like me.

cat3.jpg


Would it be too much to ask the MOT centre to swap the whole exhaust, paying for their time obviously, or take a stab at it myself? What other options do I have... would rather not have to buy a new cat! (they're a couple of hundred right?). Lesson learnt for the future I suppose :o
 
Why not just pop it in as is - it might well pass, you never know!!

If it fails then get the exhaust changed over, its actually simple with some WD40, 6 sided sockets and a hammer to free off the rusted bits.
 
As slime says and it was what I thought you were going to do anyway..
Change the lot..
The rear box will only be held on by a few rubbers..
 
You can swap the cat and rear box as a whole piece by undoing the grand sum of 5 bolts. There are three which hold the rear box on, 1 in the centre and 2 on each side. There are then the 2 that mate the CAT to the front section of the exhaust nearest the engine.
 
No, unless you are removing the mainfold. Joints further down the exhaust system will have either nothing, or possibly a small metal compression ring like an olive in a plumbing system.
 
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