Found my sputtering exhaust noise :)

[gibbons]

I've had a tiny exhaust sputter for some time, but knowing what a cash disposal and pain it would be to fix anything on this car, I've just lived with it. When I started it last night, it immediately roared, something catastrophically failed right them. Driving home, it was louder than driving the Chevelle with the headers uncapped, but it was an embarrassing exhaust note (ricer-like), not a cool one. I told my wife, that was the sound of $1-2K problem.

I put it on my lift today to take a peek. Not good! The downpipe broke completely away from the flange. I just drenched the nuts and O2 sensors with Kroil rust penetrant to soak until parts arrive and left it.

From the lack of forum posts, it doesn't look like this failure is very common. I'm guessing that getting the flange welded back on wouldn't have good results, the flange needs to be precisely clocked, and the way I weld, I would warp it. Don't know if I would trust a muffler shop guy to do it any more than I trust me. It looks like the Volvo OE part is around $1,300 on-line. An aftermarket from FCP is about $480. IPD has a performance unit for the V70, which I would like, but it doesn't fit an XC 40.

OK, what should I do? It looks like if I can get the 3 nuts off, it should come out easily(?). The nuts on the resonator look impossibly rusted, they may be coming off with a dremel and use bolts to go back together. Thanks for any advice or warnings. Or musings.

8466

[AKAMick]

Weld it, you have nothing to lose, except the price of a new one, looks like a low grade stainless, I would take it off clean it to bright metal and TIG weld it, the break should line up and tack it in place and then stitch it, muffler shops will just bugger it up with some awful wire feed snot welds, slice the resonator bolts off and replace them.

[albertj]

Used replacement from Erie VoVo?

[gibbons]

OK, I got the rusty turbo nuts off, yay! After soaking with Kroil penetrant, they came off with 5" ratchet. Whew, I didn't want to shear a stud and have to buy a turbo too.

I've got a MIG welder, but I don't know anyone who TIGs. The turbo interface is a precise surface, I can just see someone getting spatter on it or warping it.

So I decided to replace. For fun, I asked the dealer how much for a whole new exhaust from turbo to muffler tip. $3,146. What a deal! I surfed around and found a Bosal aftermarket for $400'ish at FCP. But then found the same thing from Rock Auto for $300'ish. I clicked it last night, got a shipping confirmation and tracking number this morning. I'll post how it goes.

[John@CdnRockies]

Good luck. I had an indie shop at our Ottawa house replace our '04 XC-70 exhaust (end to end) and it came to about C$900. So it can be done for reasonable cost. This was a year ago and noise level seems to be "as new" (if I can recall that far back).