Bad News from the MOT

[isaune]

Hello chaps

Starsky failed his MOT this morning on two main points:-

1) Some welding is needed around the off side rear jacking point (only maybe £100 worth so not too bad).

2) Much more worrying is the exhaust which is making a bit of a racket and is apparantly "blowing up close to the engine". It might even just be a gasket which would be great. However, the mechanic clearly didn't fancy having a go and was worried about the bolts being seized, or rusty, or needing to be drilled out, or the whole thing falling apart etc etc etc. I notice from Just Kampers that a complete new system (2.1 litre automatic 1986) comes out at about £450 and I've got to be looking at another £150 to fit it. Adding the welding will bring the bill to maybe £750 and I'm not sure old Starsky's worth it.

My question is does anyone know an exhaust specialist anywhere clsoe to Enfield, North London. Someone who might be able to replace only the bits that actually need replacing. If he could do a bit of welding at the same time that would be a bonus.

Grateful for any advice.

Thanks Chaps

Ian

[Dazco]

Keep an eye out in the for sale section and put a post in the wanted bit. Sometimes come up on eBay . You could also try the T25 Facebook clubs and the brickyard

[Drucifer]

If just the downpipes, they are about £90 from eurocarparts plus any discount codes you can find will bring it cheaper.
Back box is about 90 too, GSF do the link pipe. you dont need to spend mega money on the exhaust.

[CovKid]

Downpipe or even more likely, an exhaust stud that has at one time been replaced with a bolt which has subsequently worked its way out and gone, or completely corroded or missing nut. I can see why they don't want to touch it. I had someone try their level best to sue the backside off me for trying to help them with corroded exhaust studs and I've not forgotten it - ever. I do sometimes tackle them but only if I have a SIGNED bit of paper from them which makes it clear that it is at their own risk.

First of all, go round the engine, find where the blowing is coming from and get some good pictures.

[isaune]

Thanks Cov

I'm going to try one more local chap in the morning.

Hopefully get him up on the ramps and get a good feel (and photos) about where blowing from.

Have been on the point of giving up but posts today have given me a little touch of optimism and the will to try again!!

[CovKid]

Anything is dooable but sometimes lots of plusgas or similar (NOT WD40) is needed over a day or two to give you a fighting chance. Also. sometimes trying to tighten first rather than undo a nut is enough to persuade it to move. With luck its just a blowing or loose gasket and you can get to it ok. I quite oftem see vehicles with a stud/bolt missing on a manifold and the gasket is spinning around on the remaing stud.

At the end of the day, providing the leak is sealed, MOT will pass it.

[isaune]

Well the local exhaust place recommended to me said they wouldn't touch it. They didn't even want to put it up on the ramps. Just kept muttering about "needing a speacialist" and "them buggers got heat exchangers" amid lots of sharp intakes of breath.

I tried to plead (beg) but he clearly didn't want to get involved.

It seems there's no-one out there willing to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in anymore.

I would happily pay the going rate just to get to work on it and start fixing it. Trouble is no-one wants to have a go.

On the verge of giving up.

Ho hum

[Plasticman]

you should be gratefull the loacal place refused it,they know whats involved and "can" go wrong.
would you be happy for a shop to do it onan hourly basis at say £40 /hr and any parts needed as they will be
just tryimg to put the other sides view fwd
mm

[Plasticman]

ah that reads wrong, what i meant was they were right to refuse as they felt it could go wrong and they werent geared up for that type of work, better that than sayimng yes and making a c ..up
mm

[isaune]

What I'd like, Mickey, as a first step is to get a proper diagnosis of the problem and an understanding of the options open to me.

For example, if someone would take a look and say

"right, ian, it's blowing from point a, it might need a gasket (£100 job), it might need a weld (£200 job), it might need a new part b (£300 job) but the good news is you don't need parts x, y and z because they look sound."

Something like that would be music to my ears - I would sign up in a second.

But all I have got so far is

1) the mechanic failing the MOT and saying "it looks like it's blowing up near the manifold"
2) exhaust specialist "a" saying, yeah we could change it but would have to be the whole system - £700 odd including labour
3) exhaust specialist "b" who was too frightened even to look at it!!

Sadly thinking the time may have come to let someone else take him on

[CovKid]

As I said before, pics. If we can see whats blowing, we may be able to advise.

[Plasticman]

Whs, picks
Not Gerri g at you but so often folks ask for advice and do all they can to avoid taking the effort to find out how to so ,Igive up in tthose cases,but yes your right an idea of what needs doing but you can't then hope it will be x labour parts yes but the job can go badly wrong

[ELVIS]

sound advice from covkid, as another angle though,...............

the nuts are not all that, the softer cylinder head has the manifold flange protecting it from 'power tool sliapage', the nuts are fairly accessible.

less than an hour with a small cut off disc/die grinder will see the nuts chopped off with absolutely no risk to studs at all. quick clean up with a die, away you go.

tell them to man the chuff up

good luck sorting it out bro

[bluedirtydigit]

I know they are not near to you but depending how desperate you get Maidstone exhaust centre in Maidstone are great for doing problem exhausts they have been there for over thirty years that I know of and got me out of trouble a few times even made new pipes for me when I could not buy them in the past. like I said not close to you but worth knowing if you get really desperate. Everything is doable.

[waltraud]

Ok my friend, go to see Bill at Westgate motors in Hackney, top man and knows these vans. If you want me to have a look and tell you whats wrong I can- based in Hackney. I replaced mine with stainless last year. Someone on the for sale section is selling a whole as new system for good money. Pm me.