General 1.4S Exhaust System Sleigh Arrives from Germany

[Farrah]

Unfortunately Father Christmas did not hang around to fit it but it cost £118 all in delivered from Germany and just took a week. Bought the one complete with the chrome tail pipe and really looks value for money. Came with all brackets and fittings for hangers


Brand name engraved on to parts is Asmith and it looks decent quality and decent welds. Just hope it does align up OK. Now just got to find someone to fit it.

Farrah

 

[varesecrazy]

As you say.. that does look great value

Does it start at the manifold..??

If not ..its even simpler to fit.. as no HEAT required

 

[werdna]

Since when did Range Rover have escape slides fitted ?

 

[Farrah]

Hi,

V'crazy......

The exhaust is referred to as 'after cat' so looks like just two bolts on flange at rear of lower engine that join up to the catalyst and then a lot of hangers..... a gasket, brackets. all new bolts and washers and rubber hangers all parts which were included.

Werdna the ramp is for our cats especially one of them.........the rear end works to keep some biscuits in for them to nibble during the day and the coarse gravel drive is quite sharp so not good for them to jump down......well especially the one in the picture.:yum::yum::yum:

Farrah

 

[Gina500]

So there's an after cat exhaust and a cat ramp - you sure got a lot of cats

 

[Farrah]

Hi,

Yes living in the country backing onto woodland and farmland we have a lot of mice too.

After £2000 worth of electrical harness damage on one of the classic cars where the mice stripped the insulation to bare wire the cats now have a job to do and even have their own space.

We also have peacocks, horses and hedgehogs


Farrah

 

[Farrah]

Hi,

So back to car cats!!!!

The old exhaust is in the process of being removed............the old 'thor' hammers from one of the classics has come in useful:bang::bang::bang::bang:

Stripped off the front lower fitting nuts to the catalyst first so no adverse strain or damage while beating the cr4p out of the rest of the joints.

Actually the nuts (12mm 2 off) came off easily so I am told. The problem is the design of the catalyst flange and the exhaust joint these are a cupped pressing..... probably 1/8 inch thick mild steel but strengthened by the cupped outer flange.... one on the catalyst end and one on the exhaust flexi joint. Now the aftermarket replacement has obviously not been able to invest in press tools so comes with a very solid looking end joint flange about 5 or 6 mm thick flat steel. It also came with much larger holes and all the nuts bolts to join the catalyst flange to the intermediate silencer flexi joint flange.

Now comes the technical bit......the bolts are still in the front catalyst flange and not been spoilt on the thread but have no hexagonal head and the nuts came off reasonably easy so this did not cause any issue but we assume maybe the aftermarket is providing for the situation where the bolt threads were ruined or had to be cut off.

The replacement nuts and bolts in the new kit are much bigger diameter as are the holes in the mating flange on the new exhaust end. Question is are the bolts in the catalyst flange welded or are they a pressed in spline fitting. We are reluctant to start hitting the end of the protruding bolts not just from potential thread damage but see no point in risking any issue up to the catalyst and exhaust manifold joints.

My friendly mechanic says he will come tomorrow with a small G clamp and see if the attached bolts can be squeezed out as there appears no sign of a weld on the bolt head it just looks like a flat round head.

Obvious question is why not just leave the bolts and here two potential issues to think of........the mating flange has much larger holes and the flange thickness as previously mentioned may not leave enough thread for a nut and washer but this will be looked at tomorrow.

Farrah..........who has lots of pictures to upload but too late now

 

[jackwhoo]

How many adult cats are on that picture?

Are they all the same litter?
Amazing love it.

Fingers xed studs in cat flange long enough to just bolt up to silly thick exhaust flange.

 

[Gina500]

If the thread is too short but the holes much wider, get some sleeve nuts (size tbd), that may help. Example below

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Pk-8-12-Sleeve-connector-nuts-M8-Black-Bronze-Brass-Nickel-Bed-Bunks-19mm-head/253292967953?hash=item3af96ff811:g:md0AAOSwW6BaJHbd

 

[Farrah]

Gino/Mike I am eyeing up the sliding bars on a shoe rack that I might steal a short length and just have a collar put over the thread to fill the larger hole but that depends on the length of the threads being enough to allow the nut and a washer on. If the fittings/studs/bolts are splined that may account for the new replacement being supplied with thicker bolts. That said they could be square shoulder but just thought someone may know.

Jack+++ some are from same litters but we take in all strays, feral, ill or injured no questions asked. This little feral white one came from a litter of 3. He was so poorly and infected his eyelids were stuck so could not see. He was half the size of his two brothers and cuddled up to hose pipes for warmth. A little care and help he now is bigger than his brothers.

Now nearly time to start on the cars 'cat'...........well I am just cooking up a breakfast for when my friendly mechanic arrives with some ideas.

I will get some less furry pictures of the exhaust done during the day


Farrah

 

[jackwhoo]

Thanks for the furry cat pics and tails. you are amazing looking after your animals. Seriously you must be a cat whisperer to have all those cats in close proximity to each other looking so happy and not stressed. Brilliant.

 

[Farrah]

Thanks jackw+++.

Now then back to the car as some real confusing bits.

Firstly it appears the exhaust system is stainless or at least a combination. I know certain grades of stainless steel can be magnetic so have to dismiss that test but for sure that back plate on the rear silencer and the pipe when trying to cut through was definitely hard.

It took just an hour to fit the new complete 'after catalyst' system but over 3 hours to get the old one off. OK specialists may have grinders and gas torches but we did not so good old hammer and hacksaw but so little space and the pipe was just impossible to start the cut so ended up more lump hammer. The front fitting had been disconnected from the catalyst so no worries as the rest is just on rubber hangers but the joint over the rear axle/beam just would not come apart so had to drift small chisels up the joint as just no space to get a decent run with a hacksaw.

My friend brought some spacing tube and some large flange pinch nuts to use on the bigger holes on the new front joint to the catalyst. There was not enough thread length to waste putting a large washer and nut but with the large pinch nuts the thread being all the way through just about let the male stud thread on the catalyst to almost come to the end and took a good torquing up without problems.

We did not use the new rubbers that came with the exhaust kit as all the rubbers looked perfect and it just took a little lubricant to allow them to be slid off and reused.

You need to judge for yourselves if the original exhaust is stainless and if so then probably cheap grade but has lasted 10 years as no records of one being fitted by previous owner.

Apart from the chrome tail finisher sitting probably about 5-10 mm lower than what the original was the whole exhaust really was a nice aligned fit underneath. The added additional bracket just rear of the middle box I assume is just a design that means carriage costs can be kept down as many carriers now charge a lot more for items over 1 metre length.

£118 delivered and I gave my friend £50 for fitting so end result I think is really good and economical to have done. Also left with some spare rubber hangers if ever needed.

Farrah