One of the downpipes (RH cylinder) connected to the first (of 2) catalytic converters on my beloved 1993 Legacy 2.2 auto estate has started blowing a little. Unfortunately the hole seems to be underneath one of the heat shields so it would be difficult to bandage. I have been quoted a staggering £440 just for the front part + cat (fitted) from a usually reliable & reasonable exhaust & tyre place. I realise the system is 10 years old and is probably due for replacement but the whole thing is stacking up to about £1000!!!It was my understanding when cats first came in, they were supposed to last the lifetime of the car and it was only the connecting pipes & silencers that needed to be replaced - or is this just wishful thinking? The usual suppliers (Bosal etc) don't seem to make replacement systems- just the non-cat rear section. Anybody had similar experiences & managaged a less costly solution? Suggestions v.gratefully received. Incidentally, we have owned the Legacy for 4 1/2 years, it has covered nearly 90,000 miles, taken us on holiday all over France 4 times without a moments trouble. The only downside to an otherwise brilliant, comfortable load-lugger family estate is that it is rather thirsty (28-32mpg)It is without a doubt, the best car we have ever owned.
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You could try a custom stainless steel one,
Will probably be about £400 and have a lifetime guarantee.
they will probably use the existing cats or do away with them seeing as its a 1993 car?.
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Have you considered having it welded rather than spending silly money on a replacement?.
You could enquire at one of the smaller independent garages who might be able to do the repair with a mig welding set.
I speak from the experience of having welded many exhausts myself in the past using old exhaust pipe as patches.The heat shield should not be a problem as it should be possible to remove this to access the area.
Many exhausts are discarded by the quick fit centres that still have a lot of life left in them, especially those that have simply cracked or corroded at the welded joint.
Mal.
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I welded up the exhaust manifold on my 6-cylinder Jeep 3 years ago and it is still OK. It was cracked rather than holed and we just welded it (without patching).
The Subaru Legacy is also one of my favorite cars especially the GT-B station wagon with a twin-tubo 260 bhp engine and not imported into the UK. Just what are they thinking at Subaru UK?
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Yep there a bit pricy at the dealers.
Rear tail section £140+vat and mid section £230+vat a few years ago for my 1.8GL wagon.
The dealers did a good job of welding a doubler plate over the hole on the middle section which lasted another year until it was a no hoper.
Could try the specialist breakers in West Yorkshire,they advertise in AT or a nationwide net search amongst breakers.
Spotted in Car mag awhile back that Scooby are having Izuzu/GM design a boxer/flat four diesel for them to help regain poor sales in the lands of cheap derv (ie.Euroland) in recent years.
Long overdue.
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Yep
Suggest you remove this pipe and get it plated/welded - same thing.
I have done this a few times to save on expensive exhaust sections.
A the same time, have a look at the other cat just to make sure you catch that one in time.
And when you've done that scan through Scooby spacialists and breakers on the web to see if you can spot some cheaper replacements - welding will give you another couple of years at most but they won't last for ever.
H
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