Blowing exhaust - suggestions, please?

[tforturton]

My exhaust has just started blowing, at the joint where the manifold meets the pipe. I've taken a couple of pictures, and it doesn't look like a new development - it looks like this has happened before, and the hole has been sealed with some exhaust gunk. The noise came on suddenly, so it appears that the gunk, or whatever it was they used, fell out/got bumped out/just got old. I've had the bus for three years, and I haven't touched the exhaust up until now, so looks like it's lasted a good while before blowing.


The rest of the exhaust looks quite sound, and I don't want to have to replace it unless I have to, so I'm looking for suggestions on a temporary/long term repair.
Fill it with gunk and wrap it? Weld it up? Take it apart and refit with a gasket and new bolts?
Going to post this up on Facebook as well, if no-one minds....

[kevtherev]

That's a done exhaust right there.

[Ian Hulley]

No way back from that .... stainless o'clock if you ask me

Ian

[getunder]

Had the same problem where the bolt had sheared off half way down its threaded hole so was effectively held by one bolt. When it blew I replaced the gasket and a new bolt with coppaslip on the thread and exhaust pasted it all and it lasted for a year but I do a low mileage. I carried spares to do it again away from home. No thread left above the sheared off bolt bit and no room for drilling and re-threading with oversize bolt.
When I had a new exhaust box recently I left it to the garage.

[itchyfeet]

Trying to work out what bit that is from your super close up pics , must be joint to silencer
You can replace one part at a time if you are on a budget.

[tforturton]

Sorry, the photo is a bit misleading, because the pipe on the left is hiding another one, directly behind it. The joint is the one where the manifold pipe from 1 and 3 meet the cast knuckle. The pipe from 2 and 4 is hidden behind it, but it meets the same knuckle.

[itchyfeet]

http://www.eurocarparts.com/mobile/ecp/ ... a23&000879" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tforturton]

Need one for a Syncro, and not sure they're the same. Decent price though - thanks for the link. To be honest, I'd rather repair it, at the moment, if I can.

[Dougal devon]

Seriously repair it ? Save the money and time buy a new one

[tforturton]

Replacing it with s/s means £750, plus the cost of the fitting. And the risk of it going seriously wrong, with seized/snapped exhaust studs, and all that entails.
Someone gave me a heads up on split flanges, which can be retro-fitted to pipes where the flange has rusted. Seems like a sensible idea - anyone used them?

[kevtherev]

Replacing it with s/s means £750, plus the cost of the fitting. ?

Are you selling the van in the next few months?
If you are, then a repair is a good idea.
If not
My pal has put one together (steel) over a few months for less than £80
He just trawled ebay and the autojumble at shows, and got lucky
As I did.

Mines half stainless and half steel.

[ajsimmo]

Replacing it with s/s means £750, plus the cost of the fitting. ?

Not necessarily.
We supply and fit VWSpeedshop SS system for £650.

[ghost123uk]

Replacing it with s/s means £750, plus the cost of the fitting. ?

Not necessarily.
We supply and fit VWSpeedshop SS system for £650.

Both highly recommended by me, the VWSpeedshop system and Campershack
A 3.5 hour drive from you, but if you can afford it, it's a good "no worry" option.

[tforturton]

Replacing it with s/s means £750, plus the cost of the fitting. ?

Not necessarily.
We supply and fit VWSpeedshop SS system for £650.

Is that for a Syncro?

[tforturton]

Okay, my friendly local vw mechanic is away on holiday, so for now, I've patched the split with some gun-gum and exhaust bandage. When I was under the van, I spotted that one of the silencer top clips was missing, and when the engine was running, the exhaust was vibrating more than it should, which probably loosened or broke the 'original' patch. So the van will have to sit still until the replacement clip comes from Brickwerks, otherwise the new patch will fall off as well.
I've had a few pointers for replacement exhausts - s/s from Brickwerks, s/s vw speedshop from Campershack, or a custom made s/s set up from ProSpeed in Cardiff. Any recommendations or suggestions on which to go with?
I quite like the £650 all-in price from Camper Shack, bearing in mind the possible problems, but they are the other side of the country from me. The Brickwerks one is a bit dearer, and I'd also have to pay someone to fit it - and then there's the likelihood of problems with the exhaust studs, etc. ProSpeed are well known round here, and I know they've built 2WD exhausts for T25s, but not sure about a Syncro. Bit of an unknown factor.