Stock exhaust question

[slow-lane-Matt]

When reversing my tail pipe hit a kerb and is now lose. As the exhaust is otherwise in good condition I am wondering if I can just
weld the tail pipe back on.

There is no sign of a break on the outside so I was wondering if the pipe can just be welded to the outside, or if it was originally welded to some baffle inside.

The gap around the edge seems pretty big and no sign of breaking so wondering how it was attached orignally? Am I missing a collar ?

Any hints or advice grafefully received....

Thanks

https://imgur.com/sSM2aEU

 

[ozziedog]

:mrgreen: Welding zooorsts is a bit of a no win situation as in if you can weld, then you’d see there ain’t a lot there to weld to, plus welding would create even more tension in the metal which is t in the very best condition. The other side of it is that if you can weld just a bit, it’d be a lot easier if you took it off and got it on a bench especially to clean it up which is when you can see what you’ve got to weld to. Looking at it on the picture, it does appear that this has been repaired before using muffler putty and I’m thinking that is the the way to go because you’d have to clean all this off to get a good look at if it’s even possible to weld the two sections back together and I’d bet money that some zoorst paste/ muffler putty is down in between the two sections stopping it from cuddling up together neatly. My best bet would be scrape it nice and clean as you can then wire brush it within an inch of its life and repair it again with zoorst paste and start dreaming about a new stainless one that’ll last forever. Once you start a thread on ‘What Zoorst’ then the answers will fly thick and fast as to everybody’s favourite.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, a bit like ‘ what oil’

 

[Coda]

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, a bit like ‘ what oil’

...and the ol' chestnut "oil or grease in my steering box?" :lol:

Seriously though, I'd definitely get that off the bus and examine the whole (hole? :lol thing and give it a good clean. It may be starting to go elsewhere at which point you may determine that repair is not worth it.

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

Thanks for the comments, what is puzzling me is I guess this exhaust originally arrived in two pieces ?

What "joined" them together ?

It wasn't friction....

I appreciate new exhaust is the best solution but money is a bit tight at the moment....

 

[gvee]

There's a clamp in your picture that joins the two pieces.

The part that's failed is on the "back-box".

A picture will illustrate better what I'm getting at:

Credit to VWHeritage/Heritage Parts Centre for these images

 

[Tofufi]

Agreed with GVEE.

If it's otherwise sound, I'd probably stick a big slug of weld all round the backbox to pipe outlet joint and hope it lasted a few more years. But otherwise, just replace it - stock silencers aren't too pricey.

If you can get a stock style stainless one, even better - and not too much ££ secondhand on the rare occasions they come up

 

[subheatadey]

If you decide to weld it, I would weld a flange onto exhaust pipe first then weld the flange to the silencer.

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

Thanks for the helpful comments. In the end I had to cut the old exhaust out, so forced myself to buy a new one, which is probably for the best.

One of the heat exchangers also has a hole, so will replace, and it will give me a chance to clean up and paint the area under the bus and clean the engine.

I hope the new one goes in easier than the old old came out, every coupling and bolt was rusted solid. The old one was made in Germany.

Is it safe to assume all back box kits from the usual suppliers are the same, VH are the cheapest, but have no stock....

 

[K@rlos]

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, a bit like ‘ what oil’

...and the ol' chestnut "oil or grease in my steering box?" :lol:

Seriously though, I'd definitely get that off the bus and examine the whole (hole? :lol thing and give it a good clean. It may be starting to go elsewhere at which point you may determine that repair is not worth it.

I had a guy telling me at a show once that putting grease in a steering box is the way forward, he was adamant it was better. His engineering prowess soon ran out when I said “so do you fill your engine with grease to stop it leaking too”

 

[Tofufi]

One of the heat exchangers also has a hole, so will replace, and it will give me a chance to clean up and paint the area under the bus and clean the engine.

Don't forget reproduction heat exchangers are... pants, when compared with OE

If it's just the outer skin that is holed, they can be repaired. Don't skimp on them though, as if the exhaust pipe is leaking inside, you'll get exhaust fumes in the cab...