Now what?

[steve_earwig]

I was thinking along those lines but those "fins" are actually the flanges where the cat's assembled, start messing with them and I could end up replacing the cat; the pipe's curved there too.

[jasper5]

It comes as a tube with clamp bolts on each end, the tube has slides built in that fold in as you tighten the clamp bolts, you can buy different sizes to suit.

Sounds like Boggit and Leggit job to me Steve.

These things are proper repair parts, I was suggesting this as short term fix to help someone out, it wasn't meant as a permanent fix, just a put - you-on for the time being.

Steve, you will have to replace the cat anyway!!!

[jasper5]

Longintooth, why are you so hostile towards me?

I'm only trying to help people, maybe I should leave and stick to getting paid for my advice and time.

[mjb]

Hold on, fixing your puddy-tat cost 2.5k? I'll have to tell my vet here it's time to emigrate! I'm really attatched to all four of mine but there's no way I'd spend that much on them, even Lord Ming.

Two of them. The first needed to go to the emergency vets for 6 hours, which was more expensive than a peugeot dealer's labour rate He got a catheter put in then a few days later they took it out only to discover he was re-blocked so the process needed to start again. In all he was in there for about a fortnight. Then a week later another cat came down with the same thing (cystitis)

I live alone so for the past 5.5 years my three house cats have been my family... I couldn't bear to see anything happen to any of them

[steve_earwig]

Steve, you will have to replace the cat anyway!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOO!! Please say it aint so!!

I was hoping to get away without having to fork out for a new cat, there's nothing wrong with it, it's a fatigue fracture, not corrosion, so if there is a way of joining it back together without trashing the cat I'll give it a go.

Last time I was at that garage I noticed a lot of stuff, including replacement flexable sections (remember Welton's downpipe/cat?). With expensive parts and cheap labour there's a lot of stuff here that gets fixed when it'd go in the bin in the UK, so I have a lot of confidence in these guys coming up with some sort of solution (they'd better, my bank account hangs in the ballance )

Here's a thought: Does it really need a cat?

I think you're missing Longintooth's dry sense of humour there.

I know just how you feel Matt but pets are always little tragedies waiting to happen, whatever you do. Unless you buy a parrot...

[mjb]

Just out of interest, what's your steering doing?

Pulling quite hard to the left despite perfectly aligned tracking and new tyres
Very "grainy", "lumpy", "grinding" feel to the steering wheel - not dependent on the amount of lock
Got much worse since the muppet garage replaced the CV and steering gaiters

It feels like it's the bearings gone. I honestly don't want to even touch a coil spring, but with the skintness going on I haven't really got a choice but to try it myself

[steve_earwig]

Didn't Longintooth suggest turning the steering wheel and watching the strut tops for jerkyness?

[mjb]

bit difficult without help

[steve_earwig]

I was thinking about that, you could reach in through the window to watch the driver's side but not the passenger's. Got a video camera and a portable telly?

[jasper5]

To answer the question "does it need a cat?" if your car is diesel, the answer is no it does not need a cat, I had Citroen Xantia that broke the front pipe near the cat, I replaced it with the earlier non-cat front pipe, lasted until I sold it a couple of years later, passed emissions test every time.

If you want to keep the cat on, I suggest you use the tube that I suggested earlier, this tube is about 8 inches long and fits either side of the split in your exhaust, just grind off the fins next to the split, it won't do any harm.The tube is very solid, it's the same thickness as the original exhaust.As I said, VW use them to join up a new exhaust.You can also buy them for any car, I keep two at home.

[steve_earwig]

I'll see what they have here, it starts curving upwards just before the break so I'm not sure about the 8". Loosing the cat though, me likey

[mjb]

Still can't see the spring with your arm in the window though...

I like the camera idea though. My compact camera (Nikon S200) does incredibly good 25fps VGA video recordings, however there's a couple of issues. Namely the tripod being hit by the wheel and the lack of light

[jasper5]

Steve, look here for the sleeves i'm talking about, the exact one I use isn't there, but similar ones are.

http://www.jetex.co.uk/website/jetexcus ... tparts.php

[Longintooth]

Didn't Longintooth suggest turning the steering wheel and watching the strut tops for jerkyness?

This was suggested just so you can see how uneven the strut turns normally due to the way the wheel rotates around the geometry - the movement is taken by the rubber cap and you can imagine what the bearing is going through when it's a good un. You can stand with the window open and lid to see it. The twang occurs when in reverse turning on full lock quick - it's when the weight just lifts off it as you brake in reverse then allows it to twang free.

Diesel CATs are 90% efficient at controlling HC and CO2 and a good deal of particulate matter, not very good controlling NOX, and they will affect the pass at an MOT station. However, many pre -2008 instruments were not as sensitive as they should have been - that has changed dramatically. TIP - if you want to get it through the test even with a good condition CAT without a particulate trap, drive the car hard for 30 mins before attending the Test and keep the engine running to keep the CAT hot ( Ask to wait for the test if possible ) Many testers will pick the car up cold and don't warm it up enough so the results are always poor and some times they won't pass, especially in winter. There are much tighter regulation of emissions from now on. Take note how much longer it takes a diesel to warm up compared to a gasolene engine the CAT on one also takes longer to get hot enough. When mine goes through, the response from the machine to read and shut out is instant. Testers will tell you they know which models they regard as dirty, mine should be one of them, but they always comment on how clean it is - I don't tell them cos I don't trust them not to fit or have me fit a new CAT.
I'm an expert and I could fill this page with reliable info.

Longintooth, why are you so hostile towards me?

I don't mean to be but you had better get the facts right or I will let you know what I think in no uncertain terms.

[steve_earwig]

Steve, look here for the sleeves i'm talking about, the exact one I use isn't there, but similar ones are.

http://www.jetex.co.uk/website/jetexcus ... tparts.php

Aha! Now I get it - that's what I saw a pile of in the garage

Edit: sorry, didn't see Longintooth's post