Exhaust fitting - DIY?

[Andy T 0]

Just bought a second hand exhaust for my G60. It's a Cat-back Custom stainless system in 3 sections, which should be a straight fit.

 

I'm thinking about having a go fitting it myself to save some cash, any advice?

 

I don't have access to ramps or a pit, so I'll have to make do with having the front wheels sat on a couple of paving stones, and the back end up on axle stands.

 

Time isn't an issue, but will I have enough room? Or should I just give in and pay an exhaust fitter to do it!

 

cheers,

[daves16v 1]

Probably not worth doing it yourself. Exhaust fitters will do it in no time and probably won't cost too much either.

[andycowuk 0]

If u try to go to ur local motorway/kwikfit/budget in the evening when the boss is out, u can usually slip a chav £10 and he will literally do it in 10 mins..... I have fitted exhausts myself, but unless theere are about 6 people under the car...you cant lift, squeeze and twist the exhaust enough for all the rubbers to go on nicely!

 

If u try and u suceed....then u saved money....if u try and you fail....then u drive (a rather noisey car) round to the exhaust shop and part with your tenner.

 

Good Luck

[coullstar 0]

Ditto. Many of the big places wont do it though as I tried before. I did one on my Golf but managed to use a pit. Without that there was no way I could have done it,

[Andy T 0]

£10 I wish! £70 i've been quoted by a powerflow dealer, and I can't/won't take it to a fastfit place after various bad experiences with them in the past!

 

Gonna have a go at taking the old one off at least, because i'm selling it and would struggle to get it home in the car because it's a two piece system.

 

I've got to replace all the hanger brackets/rubbers aswell because they were replaced with crappy little things to suit the current exhaust, so maybe that will make things easier as I could attach the hangers to the exhaust then lift and bolt it into place.

 

Wish me luck !! :wink:

 

Cheers

[Si B 0]

Pop down to your local exhaust/tyre fitter when they are quiet and slip them some hard cash. I got my Jetex exhaust fitted to my 16v for £25 (cash to the guy that did the job, when no one was looking). He even gave me a receipt and adjusted it a week later. £70 is a rip off. With ramps it is no more than a 45 min job and even that includes the essential tea breaks.

 

They are not difficult to fit yourself though. The hardest bit is usualy taking the old siezed rusty one off. It may be a one spanner job in the haynes manual but it is certainly a four or five grazed knuckle job. A hacksaw and a hammer should prove useful.

[Andy T 0]

Cheers for the advice. Hopefully the old one should come off okay as it's stainless steel and has been off the car about six months ago.

 

But yes, i'll have my slinging gloves/hammer/mallet/angle grinder at the ready if it won't play nicely! :twisted:

[Andy T 0]

Might seem a daft question, but is there a torque setting for exhaust pipe clamps?

 

Just that i've seen exhaust fitters break them by overdoing it in the past, but on the other hand I don't want the exhaust to fall off!

 

Is it just a case of self gauging it using a foot long ratchet handle (I don't have any air tools)

 

Cheers

[RadoAds 0]

After being the manager for one of the dodgy :shock: quickfit type places for 10 or so years then I can quite happily say you would be best off paying some one to do it, we used to do it all the time, (used to keep me in mars bars anyway), normally between 10 - 20 quid depending on car and type of system customer wanted fitting, but if the exhaust has been off lately anyway then it makes your job so much easier if you want to do it yourself, it'll be an easy job, half an hour should see you ok aslong as its just the back pieces, but if your wanting to change the front pipe aswell then defo go and let somebody else do it, as you could spend an hour just trying to get the thing off, you know what they say the right tools for the right job, (the right tool being the experienced exhaust fitter)............hope this helps :D

[Andy T 0]

Cheers for the advice.

 

I was having a look at it the other night, and it doesn't look like a straight fit!

 

The hanger for the rear box at the tailpipe end doesn't look to be quite in the right place, so I'm going to have to modify the bracket that the moulded rubber hangs from. So that rules out taking it to a fast fit place as it might end up costing £££, either that or they'll refuse to fit it!

[Andy T 0]

Job done on my own without any help!

 

Back end up on axle stands, front wheels on 4" timber. The old exhaust clamps were seized so had to be cut off with an angle grinder, but after that the old system came off easy.

 

The new system went on fairly easily with the assistance of a few empty paint pots to support the cat, I was lucky that the new system was well made and the pipes slotted together very easily, even though it's a very heavy ststem! The hanger bars lined up ok with the new VAG rubber mounts/brackets and was easy enough to mount, but wasn't a perfect fit to start with.

 

I had to use a few washers on the middle hanger bracket to get the height right, and had to mod the rear hanger a little to get the 5x3" oval tail exactly centred in the bumper cutout.

 

I'm well pleased with the overall result, it doesn't rattle, hiss or bang and hasn't fallen off yet :D It sounds great, fairly quiet at idle and when cruising, developing into a nice throaty sound on acceleration, but not too loud 8) It also seems to of eradicated the vibration that occured at certain revs, and the manic popping on overun that the old exhaust suffered.

 

It took me 3 1/2 hours and I ache like fook today, but at least I saved some cash and know that its been fitted properly.

 

I will post some pics later on, such an improvement from the bad boy bean-can tailpipe!

[VR6 0]

Well done that man!

 

Not a job I'd ever wake up to and think 'ooh goody, I've got that exhaust to change over today ..!'. So all credit to you 8)

[g-master 0]

Yeah well done mate! defo some thing i would'nt do myself. respect :wink:

[randal 0]

Was going to say - I watched 16VG60 do mine in about 45 minutes - that included removing the old system. He just jacked the back WAY up, oxy-acetalined the old system off (nice and siezed), and fitted the Milltek on his own. Very quick job. I was just amazed at the weight difference between the old system and the Milltek. Only bummer was I had to go over the join between the SS and the OEM pipe again yesterday as the heat expansion (and the knackered front engine mount) had caused a gap to appear. Resealed it now, and I'm soooo chuffed.

Long live DIY. :D

[Andy T 0]

Cheers lads, yeah I woke up in the morning and thought, oh no I've gotta do that exhaust today! :cry:

 

Here's a a nice overexposed pic of the finished article!!

[Henny 0]

that looks great... 8) sits just right... :D

[chris CORRADO 0]

also how did you get your rear clusters red / red i want :mrgreen: also wicked exhaust mate.. spot on.

[Furkz 0]

go to yr fav shop halfords chris :wink: buy some folia tec light tinting spray and get started till u eff it up LOL its realy not that hard

take ou tthe lights clean em really good

sand down the writing e marks i think there called (if desired)

clean again PROPERLY

start spraying thin layers on till u get the result u require

if done properly lacquer it up and re-fit

[Andy T 0]

They were like that when I got the car mate, they look a really good job though.

 

They have the Hella markings on, but all the back lights are red(!) so they must of been tinted. Looks like a bodyshop job, because its a very smooth glossy finish, doesnt look painted at all.

 

I can't get my indicators to flash orange, even with orange bulbs, so I have a std set for MOT. So far, I've not been pulled for having red indicators 8)

 

Like Furki says, Foliatec tint would be better, because it lets the proper colour shine though. The spray finish is a bit rough but if you give it a few coats of laquer you should get a nice finish :D

[VR6 0]

1) Looking nice 8)

 

2) Wolfsburg badge? :shock:

 

3) Furki - Kev says that a few thick coats are the best way to tint the lights.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

3 coats of Foliatec to get a dark orange and passable light, 4 coats for total red and not passable indicators!

[Furkz 0]

LOL :mrgreen: u tink im gonna argue with MR KEV abt how many layers LOL

 

tbh ive never even done this :roll: seems straightforward enough though

 

i wonder what my in-pros would look like tinted red hmmmmmmmmm

[W3RKD 0]

LOL :mrgreen: u tink im gonna argue with MR KEV abt how many layers LOL

 

tbh ive never even done this :roll: seems straightforward enough though

 

i wonder what my in-pros would look like tinted red hmmmmmmmmm

 

bloody awesome mate as the red would be even all over... go for it..

[Andy T 0]

 

2) Wolfsburg badge? :shock:

 

 

I know, I know :oops: previous owner had bad taste, but pleased to say its the only ugly thing left, rest of the shitty badges/stickers/wheels/exhaust/lairy induction kit has been binned! 8)