Exhaust Pipes

[luckymucklebackit]

I think it is just as well that the exhaust system lasts longer, the presence of the Catalytic Convertor would make replacement of a full system expensive.

 

Jim

[MJI]

My feet used to protrude from a Chrysler Sunbeam, which I could maintain with a handful of parts obtained from a local garage which has long gone and specialised in parts for the old Rootes group and its successors.  If a major repair was needed there were proper mechanics nearby who could repair almost everything at a reasonable cost.  Nowadays I can't do much except check the oil and fill the washer bottle.

 

I found by 1995 parts were getting difficult to get, I ran mine for ages.

 

I had a 60 thou skim on the head, bit of a to start.

 

Used to do 12,000 miles a year in it, many at large throttle openings. That old short stroke 1600 was capable of huge mileages and quite a bit of power.

[MJI]

Working on cars.

 

In the last few years, replace head gaskets on a 24v V6 as I needed to replace the valve seals, took the opportunity to change the thermostat and do some mild porting, and fitted 4 lumpier cams!

 

Replaced the injector washers in a 5 cylinder Diseasle lump due to leakagOne thing though the DIY mechanic MUST HAVE a code reader.

 

Got me out of the doo-doo on many occasions, especially with auto box selector switches.

 

Reset fault code, it works for a while. But I did discover lock up 2nd on a car wth only lock up 3 and 4

[sub39h]

DIY mechanic MUST HAVE a code reader.

 

Could not agree more. Purchased VAGCOM (diagnostic computer for VW group cars) and it has paid for itself multiple times over in not needing a garage to fault read or code in accessories. 

[Horsetan]

....The cynic in me thinks it's more profitable for car companies to make cars which start to wear out sooner so you buy a new one. 

 

The Japanese had this down to a fine art in the '70s/'80s, by making sure that the body would fall apart after eight years, whilst the mechanicals would pretty much go on forever.

[Kenton]

 

The cynic in me thinks it's more profitable for car companies to make cars which start to wear out sooner so you buy a new one. 

Well you would have been called a cynic a few months back if you had said that there was software on board to fool the emissions tests ... but now would be laughing.

 

So why not? Just no ones identified/admitted to it.

 

I'm convinced that most white goods (dish washers, washing machines, refrigerators), computer equipment - especially printers, household boilers (and all central heating components) and much more have similar fail after a given date mechanisms.

 

 

As for DIY or even garage work on cars does anyone still do that? I thought that most cars have had that designed out of them. Things like having to remove the engine to change a radiator or remove the "compute" to change the spark plug. Garages used to knock out dents, these days they just scrap the car. Everyone seems to call out the AA to even change a tyre (that could be because there are no spare tyres any more) With government schemes to scrap cars and the falling price and size of new cars (seen the tinny little boxes that you are supposed to shoehorn into?) cars are becoming as disposable an item as the white goods ave become.

 

I used to do car DIY but these days I don't even clean my car (There is some disposable that does that in a local supermarket car park. We used to do it to save money now everything is cheap other than time (which seems to run out more and more rapidly each day)

[skipepsi]

Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear. Tribology is a branch of mechanical engineering and materials science.

[Horsetan]

....I'm convinced that most white goods (dish washers, washing machines, refrigerators), computer equipment - especially printers, household boilers (and all central heating components) and much more have similar fail after a given date mechanisms.

 

The given date is usually a day or so after the guarantee has expired.....

[Adrian Wintle]

I think it is just as well that the exhaust system lasts longer, the presence of the Catalytic Convertor would make replacement of a full system expensive.

 

Jim

Catalytic converters typically don't need replacement unless the matrix fails. With my 1990 Corolla, when I scrapped the car at 400000km the cat was original (and still working fine). The exhaust pipe between the manifold and the cat and the exhaust pipe behind the cat had both been replaced three times.

 

Adrian

[ZiderHead]

Its true about exhausts (better quality steel available now?) and very welcome. That said lambda sensors only seem to last 15yrs at most and cost the same as an exhaust fitted and tested. My car has 3 of em ... grrr.

[skipepsi]

I think they build in a counting chip and a calender chip so many cycles in so many days and bang it has gone. Fits for Microwaves ovens washers driers etc not applicable to kettles or non steam irons. 

[MJI]

Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear. Tribology is a branch of mechanical engineering and materials science.

 

We all know about it due to the research train

[skipepsi]

Allegedly Ford used to use it years ago to make sure their cars lasted 50,000 miles, not more than just 50,000 miles.

[Titan]

Well after 12 years/100,000 miles what I believe was the original exhaust was starting to get the worse for wear with the back box rotting through:

 

 

But rather than just replace it like for like I wanted something better, so I pushed the boat out for a proper custom stainless steel job:

 

 

I doubt it will ever need replacing!

[MJI]

Allegedly Ford used to use it years ago to make sure their cars lasted 50,000 miles, not more than just 50,000 miles.

 

 

Unlike Rootes whose engines would happily go over 100,000 miles

[Kickstart]

Hi

 

Exhausts do seem to last well.

 

Some things are getting worse. Seat upholstery one some cars.

 

Headlight bulbs may or may not last longer or shorter, but they are likely to be FAR more difficult to change now.

 

Other bits might last longer, but land up getting binned when an other part that they are a unit with fails. For example suspension arms that some complete with bushes and ball joint.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Adrian Wintle]

Headlight bulbs may or may not last longer or shorter, but they are likely to be FAR more difficult to change now.

In North America the regulations required sealed-beam headlight assemblies until 1984. After that date cars could have replaceable bulbs and aerodynamic (or just styled) lens covers. What I have found is that, while the bulbs seem to last longer than the sealed-beam units, the lenses tend to get pitted and reduce the light from the headlights. When you replaced a sealed-beam unit you got a new lens as well.

 

The lights that can be difficult to change tend to be things like indicators and marker lights. My 2002 Impreza (bug-eye) had marker bulbs in the headlight cluster that required removing the headlight cluster from the car to replace. Needless to say they didn't get replaced when they burned out. We have no MOT to require it and there were wing markers as well so they were redundant (and I run with lights on all the time, so you couldn't see them anyway).

 

My current (2010) Impreza needs you to get at the indicator bulbs through the wheel arches, moving the inner liner to access them. The headlights can be done from the engine compartment, but do require the air intake (RH) or washer reservoir neck (LH) to be moved to be able to change them.

 

Adrian

[Black Sheep]

As for DIY or even garage work on cars does anyone still do that? I thought that most cars have had that designed out of them. Things like having to remove the engine to change a radiator or remove the "compute" to change the spark plug. Garages used to knock out dents, these days they just scrap the car. Everyone seems to call out the AA to even change a tyre (that could be because there are no spare tyres any more) With government schemes to scrap cars and the falling price and size of new cars (seen the tinny little boxes that you are supposed to shoehorn into?) cars are becoming as disposable an item as the white goods ave become.

 

I used to do car DIY but these days I don't even clean my car (There is some disposable that does that in a local supermarket car park. We used to do it to save money now everything is cheap other than time (which seems to run out more and more rapidly each day)

 

My wife's mid 1990's Swift's radiator rotted from the bottom so I parked it up behind my flat and spent a day under it to get the radiator out and to somewhere that could replace the core via public transport then another day to pick it up and fit it.

 

The other weekend I changed the spark plugs and oil filter on the bike which involves digging down under the fuel tank and airbox, also repaired an HT lead while I was in there.

 

I don't touch the car however as it's Diesel and in waranty but when brake pads need replacing I'll probably do them myself.

[Kickstart]

My current (2010) Impreza needs you to get at the indicator bulbs through the wheel arches, moving the inner liner to access them. The headlights can be done from the engine compartment, but do require the air intake (RH) or washer reservoir neck (LH) to be moved to be able to change them.

Ford Ka is like that officially, unless you have tiny hands.

 

Not worked out how to do the headlight bulbs on the MX5. Previous Alfa 156 wasn't too bad, although for some reason they used halogen side light bulbs (so they cost a massive amount more). The X Type Jaguar we had was a bit of a pain, but I got plenty of practice as it averaged a headlight bulb every other month. The o/s one (rhd car) was difficult mainly due to getting the clip back on that hold the back piece on the headlight. Solution was a cable tie around the clip, so you could just pull the cable tie rather than the actual clip.

 

All the best

 

Katy