Exhaust repair options

[Sharky]

Hi I thought I'd ask the knowledgeable folk here who might be able to assist.

I have a 2007 Honda CRV and the exhaust is blowing near the middle and will need a repair.

The options I have are as follows and are quoted from the message I have received back from the exhaust place:

"We can cut it out and re flange it or could cut it out and slip joint repair it"

The re-flange will be more than double the cost of the slip joint and wondered if it was really that much better than the slip joint method and what the pros and cons of each are?

Many thanks for any advice

Mark

[Incredible Sulk]

I don't think you've given us enough info to make an informed comment. Re-flanging to me implies that the system is composed of multiple bits that are bolted together somewhere. Hence the flanges. Cutting out the flange and putting in a slip joint will turn a multiple piece system into one with one less bit.

Does it matter? Hard to say without knowing more about the system. It might be the case that welding the slip joint in makes it impossible to replace other intermediate bits of the system like silencer boxes if as and when they fail, making future repairs more expensive. Presumably as one part of the system has rusted through, there will be other bits that are less than pristine.

How much is the difference between the two quotes? Me, I'd always go for the 'make it how it's supposed to be' option, but then again if the car was a snotter and I just wanted to keep it going at minimum cost, I might go for the resleeve.

[Bluehase284]

Slip joint it, you have no real benefit from a flange, in fact alignment and sealing are much more challenging on the later.

You may opt for out however if you later intended to change the exhaust cold end, I.e. cherry bomb after market etc as out makes for easier disassembly.

[GraniteQuarry]

Take the cheaper option mate, a simpler repair but it’ll do fine.

[spanner monkey]

Are they proposing cutting out the part that’s blowing & rejoining somehow or replacing a section of the exhaust? If they’re replacing a section then it really should be a direct replacement part that doesn’t need modifications to fit .

[WORKSIMON]

My two options,

Gun gum the hell out or use a bandage 🤕

Bodge snotter weld the leak

Once you have done one of the above spend the money saved on another watch 😉

[Thewatchbloke]

Slip joint it, there was a time when most car exhausts were completely slip jointed apart from the header joint.

[Kingstepper]

Are they proposing cutting out the part that’s blowing & rejoining somehow or replacing a section of the exhaust? If they’re replacing a section then it really should be a direct replacement part that doesn’t need modifications to fit .

My experience when cat was stolen from my CR-V earlier this year was that exhaust parts were hard to get hold of. Took 6 weeks from Belgium and was said to be last one (otherwise another month+).

[Sharky]

Thanks for all the advice chaps, tempted to go for the slip joint.

Here are some pics to try to demonstrate the issue, not very good I'll admit, but the best I can do from under a car

20181020_164056 by mcridland, on Flickr

20181020_164014 by mcridland, on Flickr

I did take it to a regular exhaust place and they basically said it would need to go back to Honda!

Thanks

Mark

[julian2002]

I had my Lexus exhaust sleeved (i'm guessing that's similar to a slip joint?) where they cut out the rusted part of the exhaust and lipped a slightly larger diameter pipe over the e ends and welded it up. More complicated if the issue is on a join which yours seems to be but if it were me I'd go the cheapest route. Lexus wanted 2.5k for a new exhaust which is about half the cost of the vehicle so not really an option.

The exception to this is if I was going to be keeping the car for a long time, there are places that do full custom stainless steel exhausts and 99% of the time they are cheaper than an OEM system, so i'd go for one of these and consider the exhaust issue solved for the life of the vehicle. Only really viable on cars you're going to keep for decades though, or if you want a fruity sound of course.

[Maysie]

Scrap it and buy an MX5.

[Sharky]

Scrap it and buy an MX5.

Nice try, but my other car already is!

Mark

[Maysie]

Nice try, but my other car already is!

Mark

Sorry about that, but someone had to.....

[Argee1977]

Gaffer tape, it's the only way ahead.

[IAmATeaf]

Doesn’t that look like it’s already been slip joined?

[Jeremy67]

Will a new system really cost that much more. It will go somewhere else soon.

[oldoakknives]

Is it a sprung joint which allows the exhaust to flex when the engine moves? If so go for the flange option which should retain that.

I presume the other option means they cut out both flanges and insert a section of pipe which goes inside both pieces? If so and it doesn't need to flex it would be fine, depending of course on the conditions of the remaining pipes. I've done similar many times in the distant past.

[adrianw]

It is usually a false economy to repair an exhaust, usually the whole system is the same age and has been subjected to the same environmental conditions, so if one part is failing it’s usually inevitable another part will fail. Someone told me a long time ago that if you Weld an old exhaust it will fail quickly because the Weald effects the material around it.
All assuming it not stainless

Looking at the picture that joint is at the engine end, to cope with engine movement, if it is, have you checked your engine mounts are ok.

[adrianw]

I had my Lexus exhaust sleeved (i'm guessing that's similar to a slip joint?) where they cut out the rusted part of the exhaust and lipped a slightly larger diameter pipe over the e ends and welded it up. More complicated if the issue is on a join which yours seems to be but if it were me I'd go the cheapest route. Lexus wanted 2.5k for a new exhaust which is about half the cost of the vehicle so not really an option.

The exception to this is if I was going to be keeping the car for a long time, there are places that do full custom stainless steel exhausts and 99% of the time they are cheaper than an OEM system, so i'd go for one of these and consider the exhaust issue solved for the life of the vehicle. Only really viable on cars you're going to keep for decades though, or if you want a fruity sound of course.

I thought all Lexus’s had Stainless exhaust systems

[Incredible Sulk]

I thought all Lexus’s had Stainless exhaust systems

There are different grades of stainless though. Some will rust through eventually. I had a stainless tank on the boat (made out of 304) let go once. Changing it was unpleasant, as it was the holding tank......

[adrianw]

There are different grades of stainless though. Some will rust through eventually. I had a stainless tank on the boat (made out of 304) let go once. Changing it was unpleasant, as it was the holding tank......

True, but aren’t you supposed to use 321 on boats or things that get hot, always makes me laugh when low end after market exhaust manufacturers say 304 as a feature

[Kingstepper]

304 is okay for exterior fittings on a boat but problems can arise when it is used in a low oxygen environment. Think it's okay and pretty much the standard for exhausts.

[MB2]

Take the cheaper option mate, a simpler repair but it’ll do fine.

I would take the cheaper option as if one part has perished the rest is possibly not so far behind so save towards a new system if needed.


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[Tifa]

Will a new system really cost that much more. It will go somewhere else soon.

This.
Doesn't matter how you dress it up...it's a bodge.
Will fail the moment you really need the car.
Bite the bullet...do it properly, and forget it.

[Sharky]

Thanks all for the recommendations. I think I'll go for the slip joint.

Its £70 v £150 for the reflange. A new exhaust will be at least £500 and the rest of the exhaust seems fine at the moment

Thanks again

Mark