Exhaust strut bracket broken

[islandboy]

This is on my 1987 1.9 petrol DG. I noticed a physical knocking on engine start up as if an engine mounting was gone. On inspection I noticed that the bracket on the front pipe by the exhaust elbow had broken off and the strut was just hanging free.
Any suggestions for a fix without having to replace the exhaust pipe assembly, an expensive and difficult task I would not like to try.

Picture below:

[itchyfeet]

looks like the bolt head has rusted off
the thing is this bracket is to stop vibration so I wonder whats knocking, is it just the bracket or is the whole exhaust now loose from vibration.

To be honest steel bolts are a nightmare, god knows why people keep using them when stainless are so cheap these days

[islandboy]

I'll have to look when someone is starting engine up. Once it is running there is no knocking. Is the strut there to absorb some torque to protect the manifold pipe and fixings ?

[itchyfeet]

no the whole exhaust is booted to the engine and moves with it, it's to support the weight and stop vibration which at the right resonant frequency will shake the exhaust apart.

[islandboy]

OK,

many thanks for that. I wonder if a new bracket could be welded to the flange so could reattach the strut.

[itchyfeet]

yep welding would be an easy fix but if it's done badly it can be harder to replace bits later.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I don't know your engines but looking at it - with that amount of rust I would be loathe to try to weld around there. I would fashion a clamp out of heavy steel to attach to the pipe then twist and attach to the hole, assuming that that is where it is supposed to fasten. I am also all for not disturbing that exhaust until replacement time. Make the clamp tight as you don't want to wear a hole.

[islandboy]

Manufacturing clamp sounds good idea.