Mid section of the exhaust is toast, cat converter a suspect? or just the age...

How many miles are on it?

How many miles are on it? If you have more than 100k or so, your converter is probably not doing very much anymore.

Probably different material. I know on BMWs the original pipes are mostly ferritic stainless steels, but they use a whole bunch of different variety steels because the cans are formed in different ways.

If you drive it for another 11 years, I guarantee you'll need to replace it again. I think I am on the third full exhaust system on my E28 (although some of that is because I put a crappy aftermarket one on in '95 or so). Exhaust systems are wear items, pretty much.

--scott

it rusted out because of the materials it's made from and your local road salt conditions. both of which have been anticipated by audi, so that allows you to answer one of your questions - yes it will rot out again if you replace with oem - and in the same kind of time scale.

the next question is, do you want to keep this car for another 10 years? unlikely imo. in which case, shop around online for a better price, and amortize it at

ok, but the cat being gone does not affect the temperatures I'm seeing in the exhaust midsection or does it?

Well, I guess I should not have saved on the clamp for the front of the midsection then. Dealer wants $40. I've got an aftermaket one for about $13. That 4" pipe is stainless but the clamps do not instill any confidence in me. I wonder why the heck the clamp can be had while the resonator is unobtanium. Maybe the clamp is a B5 carryover (aftermarket B5 exhausts do exist around here)

I would, xept the 4" of ground clearance makes me wonder if I have enough patience to drive it in the current road conditions.

I do not have a whole lot of alternatives given that $11-12k I can get for it would get me a mono wheel driver in a decent condition. ANd a monowheeldriver is the last thing I want to lug around in the local winter conditions.

Thanks Scott and Jim

Sounds about reasonable if it's got some short drives on it. With regular highway driving the exhaust system will tend to last longer because it will spend more time hot and bake all that moisture out.

When the cat is gone, the exhaust system temperatures will be substantially lower than normal, and that might cause the system to rust a bit faster. Or maybe not. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it.

It's probably used on a whole bunch of models, actually. But be aware that "stainless" isn't "stainless." Stainless is three unrelated families of different materials with thousands of different types that have different properties. Your mufflers and resonator were both "stainless" but clearly one material lasted a long longer than the other.

It's a fun car to drive. I'd keep it and get a winter beater.

--scott

a popular exhaust "stainless" is in fact an aluminized mild steel. it's an effective long lasting solution against external corrosion but has two weaknesses:

1. it's usually a seamed pipe, and the seam is not aluminized and thus rusts. same for welds.
2. the internals are not protected at all and if, as you say, the interior doesn't get regularly hot, acidic water condensates can corrode through relatively fast.

but the main benefit, apart from price, is that it's not subject to pitting like some of the ferritic stainless "exhaust" grades.

i'd get an older toyota 4x4 as a winter beater. lacking creature comforts, and subject to their own myriad issues, but seemingly impervious to depreciation, huge hardcore following/knowledge base, and great ground clearance, even stock.

Can you just go to some muffler shop and have them weld in some generic muffler? What's so special about the factory one? Do you even need it, can it be replaced with a straight piece of pipe?

The Nissan Frontier has better steering feel (amazingly good for a 4WD truck), ride and handling, and is equally indestructible. And 10 inches of ground clearance under the differentials will get you through most snow drifts. But they suck down gasoline - my 2002 XE "King Cab" with the V-6 and AT (could not find a manual transmission in the local used market here in BFE) drops from about 18 mpg in summer/2WD to 13 mpg in winter/4WD.

I used to drive an early 1970's Chevy van with a 350 V-8 and missing exhaust from the headers on back. At night, full throttle to get a 3-2 downshift, then lifting rapidly off would produce a huge bang and flash, which is entertaining when you are high school age. ;)

The problem can be fixed for $1.00: .

This greybeard enjoys that too.

Without a muffler, rev up the engine and cut the ignition off and on. I have always liked that too.

Just don't do it if you still have a muffler!

nate

I loved doing that in a step van I use to drive. Mash the gas for a couple of seconds then just release and POW!! I eventually blew a hole in the muffler.

I was trying to get my TW200 to do this using the kill switch, but no luck - must be the lean emissions tuning. Will try again using the choke too.

it splits a single from the engine into two pipes for a muffler on each end of the rear of the car.

maybe you are right and there is a generic bottleless Y splitter that I could use to save $450.

well, where I live I'd be hardpressed to find a toyota pickup cheap enough for a beater. contemplating this contraption:

but given that it costs new as much as (or less than) an imported subcompact I'm tempted (I plan to stay off the frozen riverbeds)

the midsection then. Dealer wants $40. I've got an aftermaket one for about $13.

act I'm tempted

Back around 1970 I bought a 1962 Ford Falcon car, six cylinder, manual shif t. Not long after that I replaced that engine, but before I put the muffler back on, that car would make some 'satisfying backfireing sounds'. Ever si nce then I don't do any 'back fireing with my vehicles.

I too have fond memories of a lovely powder blue 1962 Falcon. Here's an extraordinary one: