Hi there,

First post.. be gentle! Just picked up a clean 2015 1.2 Lounge for daughter as her first car. Had a ClickMechanic check, and no significant issues, albeit quite a few ~£30 niggles that are starting to add up. Its done ~50k and no evidence of a cambelt and water pump change, so that's on the list to be done also.

The ClickMechanic check picked up a blowing exhaust, and that was not surprising since there was no u-bolt on the backbox to centre pipe connection.... Even though that has been rectified by garage it still sounds a little more rorty than expected (though it could be the tail pipe trim resonating).

So I have been spending a lot of time on here looking at exhaust threads. What I understand is the standard OEM is pretty poor and some people have had issues within 18 months of ownership. I found genuine FCA parts at shop4parts which seem reasonably priced.

Third party, seems Magneti Marelli exhausts are OK and eventually found the single pipe SS500B1 available in UK at buycarparts.

However, I read a thread tonight saying that even these were poorly made :bang:. Magneti Marelli don't even show the SS500B1 in their brochure anymore, though the twin exit SS500E seems to now be available but with a replacement rear diffuser needed.

Ragazzon also apparently good, though from what I found is back box only (not cat back).

Stainless options are on eBay but not sure of quality....

I do have a Powerflow dealer near me also which is an option I guess. There is also a Longlife dealer slightly further away.

So any help cutting through the chaff would be much appreciated... What is the best value exhaust available today? I don't mind paying for stainless. I am not particularly bothered in improving the performance, just want a good fitting exhaust that will last the life of the car...

Any help would be much appreciated.... Seems I cannot post any links for the above as first post....

Cheers,

Mark

If you have the budget for it, stainless steel is the way to go, not least because Powerflow, Longlife etc. will make the exhaust fit to the car, so it tends to be neater than a generic (especially a cheap) aftermarket brand.

That said, for mild steel systems, unless I can't find one and I'm desperate, I always/only ever buy Bosal. They're made in Holland (as far as I can find out) and the steel is better quality than the cheaper brands, so they last very well.

They have a catalogue that shows you a picture of all the components in the system, and whether they produce those. Armed with the numbers you can go searching for "Bosal XXX-XXX" on fleabay, Amazoom etc. to find the item you need and compare prices.

I think I bought my last one from Autodoc (via eBay)


http://www.bosal.com/en/catalog/welcome



Ralf S.

Hi Ralf,

Many thanks for that. Indeed the Bosal site was very informative, and I see that the exhaust changed around 2012, so that is another consideration (to make sure I get the right one!).

OK, will probably get a quote from Powerflow. I'm guessing its going to be around £300 fitted more or less?

Cheers,

Mark

marky9074 said:

just want a good fitting exhaust that will last the life of the car

Click to expand...

In that case, my suggestion is to get another OEM exhaust from shop4parts.

They're actually not that bad; they can get a bit scabby, and the outer skin of the back box is prone to rusting away, but if it does, just remove it and you'll likely get another two or three years out of it before it rusts through completely.

I've a Panda with the same OEM exhaust; it'll be 11 this year, has done over 100k, and the original exhaust is still MOT worthy.

Your first OEM exhaust has lasted about half the life of the car; there's no reason to suppose another one won't see out the remainder of it.

Rub a generous portion of copper grease into all the seams when you fit it and you'll be giving it the best chance you can.

Also periodically check the drain hole in the backbox is clear; they do sometimes get clogged up.

Stainless exhausts don't usually corrode (unless you've a seaworthy Amphicar), but the material is much more brittle than mild steel, and in consequence can be prone to cracking. Also they can sometimes be noisier than stock, which isn't something I'd want personally.

Whatever you do fit, always use new clamps and rubber mounts. Watching your newly-fitted masterpiece drop off the car isn't something you'll want to see in your rear view mirror. In particular, check the clamp at the front by the flexi pipe; these often disappear completely, which puts extra stress on the manicat, often cracking it - and they're not cheap.

Ralf S. said:

If you have the budget for it, stainless steel is the way to go, not least because Powerflow, Longlife etc. will make the exhaust fit to the car, so it tends to be neater than a generic (especially a cheap) aftermarket brand.

That said, for mild steel systems, unless I can't find one and I'm desperate, I always/only ever buy Bosal. They're made in Holland (as far as I can find out) and the steel is better quality than the cheaper brands, so they last very well.

They have a catalogue that shows you a picture of all the components in the system, and whether they produce those. Armed with the numbers you can go searching for "Bosal XXX-XXX" on fleabay, Amazoom etc. to find the item you need and compare prices.

I think I bought my last one from Autodoc (via eBay)


http://www.bosal.com/en/catalog/welcome



Ralf S.

Click to expand...

Stainless probably not advisable for a first car are some insurance companies class it as a modification so will be stupid extra money for a new driver especially if young

I buy them on eBay for £39 for a Lounge chrome end one and £29 for a Pop round one. They are so cheap, it's better to replace it after a shorter period of time. I dread to think how much an OEM one is.

£102.82 for a FCA replacement back box (albeit stating Pop not Lounge). I did see a cat back system on eBay for £126, but no idea of quality, plus its in Poland... Though you cannot knock a Polish welder!

marky9074 said:

£102.82 for a FCA replacement back box (albeit stating Pop not Lounge). I did see a cat back system on eBay for £126, but no idea of quality, plus its in Poland... Though you cannot knock a Polish welder!

Click to expand...

This is just cosmetic - the only difference is the chrome tip on the end of the Lounge.

Making a small donation to the forum will get you 10% off anything at Shop4Parts.

marky9074 said:

Hi Ralf,

Many thanks for that. Indeed the Bosal site was very informative, and I see that the exhaust changed around 2012, so that is another consideration (to make sure I get the right one!).

OK, will probably get a quote from Powerflow. I'm guessing its going to be around £300 fitted more or less?

Cheers,

Mark

Click to expand...

The front pipe has either a (2012) long flexi section or the later (2013) "ball" shaped flexi section.. so they're quite easy to identify just visually.


The front bracket/stay (51816520) that braces the front pipe to the clutch bell-housing (from memory) will likely have rusted into dust by now, so it (tightened via a bolt and captive nut) won't survive being un-screwed. A new one is aboot £13.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333793866948?fits=Car+Make:Fiat&hash=item4db7aa34c4:g:zjUAAOSwXBVax0Sr


Ralf S.

jrkitching said:

Making a small donation to the forum will get you 10% off anything at Shop4Parts.

Click to expand...

That's great to know, much appreciated.

Where did you find magneti marelli SS500B1 exhaust? They are out of stock everywhere I look.

Perhaps there is some new old stock some where....

https://www.buren-hallum.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/MM-Elaborazioni-1919-Catalogus-2012.pdf

If you get the version for the 1.4l 100hp variant, you can combine it with Panda 1,3MJT (until 06/2005) mid section und you have then around 50mm diameter for the whole exhaust system. If you want to fit to standard catalyst you need only to remove a small part of the hose before the flex-piece and reweld again.

PZ500 said:

Where did you find magneti marelli SS500B1 exhaust? They are out of stock everywhere I look.

Click to expand...

Oh.. I see what you mean. Found three different places and they are all out of stock.

I had a look under the car today. Not sure what I have as the back box pipework ends around ~10cm from the silencer itself, whereas my understanding is that the OEM box has a good ~0.5m of pipe attached. So probably would have to be cat back unless I can find equivalent parts.

There are two exhaust versions existing. The one with the long tube at the muffler and the other one with the short tube.

I do not know when exactly this has been changed, but I think this was around 2013.




This is a very good web catalogue for FIAT aftermarket exhausts: https://web.tecalliance.net/imasaf/

Here the compare:

Old vs. new.

It seems to me that there's a basic fact about exhaust systems and that is that they corrode! Once you accept that fact you then have to make your mind up whether you are going to go with that or try to defeat it in some way (Canute comes to mind though!)

If you decide to do battle against it JRK makes a very good point about stainless systems. A good friend spent quite a lot of money having a beautiful stainless system built for his Reliant Scimitar. It looked absolutely wonderful and I greatly envied him, even if it did sound slightly "tinny" and a little more raucous than the original. After several years it began to develop cracks, not in the pipes themselves but at flanges and where the pipes went into the silencers. around that time he moved away up to Fife and I've lost touch with him so I don't know how things panned out or even if he still has the car.

My own approach is to ring round the several local factors I buy from and take the cheapest on offer. (I'm not worried about flashy chrome tail pipes or whether it makes exactly the "right" noise on an every day driver) I don't keep tabs on how long they individually last but they seem ok and, I suppose, there's also the fact that dealing with separating a joint which has been bolted together for 4, 5 or 6 years is often a lot easier than one that's not been disturbed for aeons! Another surprisingly cheap source of supply can be your local "faster fit" exhaust store. Although there's one very big name here who I've never "cracked", I've had real bargains from some of the other big names for a supply only deal. Often they will throw in the clamps for free too. The only down side to cheap systems is that sometimes the pipework isn't quite bent to exactly the right shape and you may have to take it back or get "inventive" with installation. Having said that I've realized I've not had that problem for a few years now. I wouldn't buy something like this on line because I like to be able to easily return something which doesn't fit or isn't to my liking for some reason - however, living in a big city, I do have lots of options locally. I also like mild steel systems because I can weld them with my wee MIG/MAG welder if a bracket or flange breaks away (I gave up trying to weld up holes in silencers many years ago though - a pointless pursuit in my view!)

As recommended by those above, new hangers, clamps, gaskets, etc and inspecting all brackets is just basic stuff to ensure long life. Again, especially with brackets like the ones near the front which hang off the engine and tend to rot, if you are "fiddling" with exhaust parts every few years you tend to pick up on these components more readily. Another factor which contribute greatly to long life is to fit up the entire system "loose" and juggle about with everything until the hangers are all taking an equal share of the weight before finally tightening things up.

Many people really hate doing exhausts because they are often "hassle" but I get a lot of pleasure from being able to look at a system I've just fitted, hanging nicely and without any blowing at the joints! Takes me back to the second job I had as an ignorant youth at Firestone Tyre and Auto back in the '70's

Olliver said:

Old vs. new.

Click to expand...

Many thanks for that. Mine is definitely the second one then. Strangely the Bosal web site does not show this shorter version (though it does show two different versions changing ~2012, but the only significant difference seems to be the bends in the centre pipe)