Technical Stilo Abarth 2.4 Exhaust flexi pipe.

[Maxcaddy]

The flexi pipe in my exhaust, i.e the pipe that goes between the Cat and the first box, which is about 65cms long with a flange each end and a flexi bit in the middle is badly leaking and needs to be changed. It looks to be straightforward job especially with having flanges, so apart from rusty bolts to be cut and new gaskets it should be easy. However, getting hold of a replacement piece of pipe is proving to be difficult.

My local spares place has no listing for it, but I read on here someone was after one in 2010 and said that FIAT wanted £130+ for it . Okay I can buy just a standard universal flexi coupling and either weld or clamp it on but, the pipe in that area is oval as it squeezes by the sump and the flexi bit is actually also oval section, which makes fitting a new 'round' insert somewhat difficult.

Anyone else have a better solution ?

 

[Maxcaddy]

Well the solution ended up fairly easy with a new pipe, although this time the flexi bit is of round section, so when it goes in another 19 years time I can fix it with the repair bit instead .

However of more serious note, not surprisingly my local FIAT main dealer looked the part up on his computer, to say that it was out of stock and that they weren't (ever) going to get any more in. Fortunately the only place I could find one was in Germany, and now they only have 3 left in stock.

Okay not as difficult a task as for those folk on here who are after selespeed slave cylinders, but indicative that some parts are becoming very hard/impossible to find, and there doesn't seem to be much interest from aftermarket manufacturers catering for Stilos .