Advice needed - is this repair worthwhile?

Hi, I purchased a 93 Toyota Camry Estate from a private seller. The car had just passed MOT (though I don't know how it managed!) and the body work was good, engine seemed smooth with 120K miles.

Come to find out that there is a leak in the manifold downpipers - both are covered in sealant already and not repairable.

I have taken it to the toyota dealer who has told me the repair cost for the exhaust alone is 960, which is £90 more than I paid for the car. The car is driveable but there are exhaust fumes reaching the cabin, and we have a newborn baby due in one week.

My question is whether it is feasible to try to find the manifold down pipes at a scrap yard and have my regular mechanic (who will certainly charge less than the Toyota dealership) fit the spare parts. Toyota wants £600 for the parts new and £360 to fit them.

Thanks in advance

Which engine? If it's common to other cars (ie, corolla?), you should be able to find a manifold fairly easily. I'd get it done by a normal mechanic - it's just a nuts and bolts job. Dealers are for servicing brand new cars only, and then just because second hand buyers like to see dealer stamps.

Do you not have independent tyre and exhaust fast fit places? I'd try them first.

Engine is a 3.0 litre V6.

Our regular mechanic is willing to do the work but states that he'd have to order the already expensive part from Toyota and then put a markup on it for his cut.

If I was you, I'd trawl eBay for someone selling bits from one and email them asking if they have the part you're after. Here's someone to start with:

A lot of places don't have manifolds or downpipes for Toyotas.

It might be that Toyota only make them or badge them themselves. When I needed an exhaust for a GT4, even Kwikfit denied having one=20 available (rather than saying yes, cutting the old one off, then finding=20 out it was for the GTi16). Toyota said "yes, but it will be =A3400 for mild steel, and we need to=20 order it in from Japan. You just missed a parts order , so it will be a=20 month until we order direct next, 3 weeks for delivery, and only if they=20 have one. Won't know until the delivery arrives. Can you pay up front=20 please"

--=20 Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

or try a Toyota car club or find a rear smashed one

How would I go about locating the part(s) I need? Are the scrap yards now computerised to the point that they have their inventories on-line? Or should I just start ringing local places and hope for the best? Thanks

Si

...Is it the actual manifold itself or the downpipe attached to the manifold that's leaking?

If it's the manifold then I'd imagine it could be welded by a bloke wot does, if it's the downpipe then...

I've had a look - seems to me the leak is at the joint of the manifold and the down pipe. At least that's where I could see gobs of sealant. Would that mean both parts need replacing?

Not necessarily, it could just need taking apart, cleaning up, new gasket (if it's not a metal doughnut-type gasket), bit of sealant, Robert's your dad's brother.

Best thing to do is take it apart yourself and have a look or take it to your friendly local garage to look at. NOT KWIK FIT!

Si

He said 3.0V6, not 2.0. Which I suspect is why it's got really expensive.

cheers, clive

You're not wrong, and yes, I imagine that could get expensive. All the more reason he should take it apart and have a look himself I'd have thought.

Si

Yep, it's cheaper to get a custom stainless one than the toyota one & there aren't any pattern ones other than enormous sports exhausts.

The reason it's gotten expensive is the word "Toyota". Not cheap for bits. I know, I knocked the wing mirror off one once...

Then it'd be an idea to check the engine mountings in case they're what caused the problem in the first place.

If you're talking about any major part at a Toyota main dealer it's likely to be expensive. For example some models have an unpowered head unit for the radio and an amplifier under the dash. You can't buy the amplifier alone, and the quote for a replacement system was £670! In that case it's easy, you just fit an aftermarket system. Not feasible with manifolds.

But not if it's the manifold.

Hi, I purchased a 93 Toyota Camry Estate from a private seller. The car had just passed MOT (though I don't know how it managed!) and the body work was good, engine seemed smooth with 120K miles.

Come to find out that there is a leak in the manifold downpipers - both are covered in sealant already and not repairable.

I have taken it to the toyota dealer who has told me the repair cost for the exhaust alone is 960, which is £90 more than I paid for the car. The car is driveable but there are exhaust fumes reaching the cabin, and we have a newborn baby due in one week.

My question is whether it is feasible to try to find the manifold down pipes at a scrap yard and have my regular mechanic (who will certainly charge less than the Toyota dealership) fit the spare parts. Toyota wants £600 for the parts new and £360 to fit them.

Thanks in advance

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