Stainless steel exhaust systems

[Grey Ghost]

my muffler is perforated; it's only a matter of time before it's a goin' to need replacin'

how do you folks feel about stainless steel replacement systems? I know Vince Layton is high on them...are they cost-effective in the long run? what is the price differential?

[D.L. SWINFORD]

Grey Ghost, Skip #1;
What has been attacking your exhaust system, duz you gots mecez?
My '85's system is solid as a rock.
A diesel's exhaust should last a long long time.
Is it from the low miles for his age; short driving trips and not getting the exhaust hot and dry?
Donka is about to click over to 278K miles.
He gets rust proofing from the burned diesel fuel.
Consider the life you've gotten from the original and then pro-rate the cost of a very expensive stainless muffler.
It doesn't equate. OEM is the dollar wise move.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman on The Gulf Coast, Don:p :p :p

[Grey Ghost]

your sage (& dollar-wise) advice is greatly appreciated!

the road crews put down alot of salt in the Northeast corridor, which puts our cars at a disadvantage to the bone-dry Lone Star state.

any other opinions out there? what is the cost of the hardware for a stainless system vs. OEM?

[Grey Ghost]

my garage is happy to install a stainless exhaust system on the Ghost, but the proprietor cautions me that I may not like the change in the sound of the exhaust (he's never done one on a diesel. stainless makes the average car exhaust sound "throatier")

anybody out there care to comment? Vince??

[Lyonstexas]

I put a SS system on a 380SEL and the exhaust was thoatier. The pricing , if I recall correctly, was less than MB replacement parts. I used Timevalve and I believe they advertise in the Star.

Tim

[zorba]

I installed a timevalve SS system in my '85 300SD. It was only about $100 more expensive than OEM. This said, I personally do NOT like the sound; its hard to describe but its like I can hear the exhaust echoing in the resonator.

But I can live with it...

[D.L. SWINFORD]

Skip;
In reading the replies about the S.S. exhaust system brings a few things to mind.
For a S.S. sytem to live as long as advertized it MUST be an Austenetic 300 series material. This can be easily tested with a magnet. 300 series is non-magnetic.
The other S.S. systems may be of martenetic matertial, a 400 series and it is magnetic.
Easy test.
As for the resonance; considering the proposed life of the new system; the tubing wall thickness is less.
The plain carbon triplel de-oxidized steel is considerably thicker than the S.S. systems.
Your system is being attack from the ouside; so wire brush it and paint it with hi-temp bar-b q paint.
O.E.M. for me; mine is 19 years old and clock 277k miles.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from the Spiderman on The Gulf Coast, Don

:p :p :p

[Grey Ghost]

it seems like most of the diesel SS conversions have used an outfit in Plainfield CT called (strangely enough) "Timevalve" -- I've never heard of the SS distinctions you mention, so I'll have to check their website to see if they provide specs on the materiele

[Grey Ghost]

by looking at the Timevalve website, I can see that the SS components would run $625 (including the engine pipe). Conventional components from ANSA (via partsbin.com) would run $400. So I'll break even at 385,000 miles. Even the Spiderman's "Donka" hasn't reached that exalted level!

Anybody care to comment on the component costs? partsbin.com is the only website I checked.

[artpb]

Grey Ghost - Believe me, not one person you park next to would know the difference. Go for what makes you feel the best.

[VLayton]

I haven't tried one yet, or even replaced a system yet, really. I was attracted by the "lifetime" aspect and it seemed to me to be about 20% extra cost. This thread has been enligtening in regards to material make up, and diesel vs gas conditional elements. Noise is an interesting factor as well. If I do try them, it won't likely be on one of my more original examples.

What do I mean by "really"? I took a used exhaust system from one parts car and had a shop weld it in a car that needed an exhast system with even a mild amount of rigidity, for $60.
a fair, penny pinching move if nothing else.

Vince

[Richard Jordan]

My '83 TD still has it's original exhaust from front to back. The was originally sold in Southern PA and made it's way to NJ, where I bought it when we lived there. Now granted the amount of snow is not the same as it is here in NE, but they did lay down salt. Freezing rain and sleet was the norm for down there. I would stick with OEM. My father has 345,000 on his '85 300D, everything is original, exhaust wise, except for the muffler it's self. It developed hole in around where the part number and date of manufacture were stamped into the metal.

[Grey Ghost]

based on the cost differential and the wisdom of the responses, I am sticking with OEM!

Richard - start a new thread and tell us all about your wagons!

I love the multi-generational dieseling that's going on in your family...tell us about your pop's diesels as well

[Jim Grillot]

One of the things that makes mufflers go out on any car is the lack of a weep hole. With the car sitting on a level surface, determine which is the low end of the muffler/resonator or whatever you want to call it.

Put a 3/32" hole in the lower end's head, right above the seam. By all means, do this on new mufflers. And on your present muffler/resonator.

I recently replaced the original muffler on a 1980 450SL. The rusted-out area was at the low end of the muffler on the bottom. I am convinced that it rusted out because of no weep hole and short around-town trips.

[zak]

Go with the OEM. My mechanic tells me that the SS muf's don't always fit correctly, they are louder and the SS is a thinner guage from the orig. Maybe that causes the harsher sound.

[Grey Ghost]

the Grey Ghost's rear muffler has got enough holes in it now to make the exhaust sound like that of a large lobster boat

into the shop she goes...I'll ask Doug for an OEM replacement...screw the stainless

I'll ask him about the drainage issue as well

[zak]

Don, I hope you don't opt for the dual , large diameter , loud rear muffler like the kids put on their low rider cars these days.
In my day it was Ansa tail pipes !

[D.L. SWINFORD]

zak;
Look what fell out when you shook the tree limb.
ANSA tail pipe.
In my younger years the first mod of my '53 MG-TD MKII was an Ansa exhaust system.
I don't know if it made that 1350 cc engine run any better but it sure sounded as if it should.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from the Spiderman on The Gulf Coast, Don:p :p :p

[Al Cooper]

when i looked at my exhaust tree out fell the twin pipe kit I put on my 40 Ford ragtop in 49 or 50. I was never the answer as it blocked pushing the clutch pedal in all the way so I had to re weld a big U in the system to make it fit even tho some one who made it said it would fit perfectly.

I would go OEM on a diesel as the fuel protects it pretty well vs a gas engine water vapor that eats the pipes up.

Manfried has the factory exhaust on him & it's as tight as a tick after 22 years & he sits a lot nowdays as I only put 2500-3000 miles on him a year. In the 84-96 time frame he was in the Jacksonville-Ponte Vedra area of salty Florida also & survived that well.

Al in Salty eastern MA (3 mi from the Atlantic):) ;) :D :cool:

[Grey Ghost]

complete exhaust. In looking over GG's records, I see that this is the SECOND time her exhaust has been replaced (and Spiderman was wondering why her exhaust needed replacement at 160,000!). I continue to believe that MB of Greenwich always took a "brute force" solution to the prior owner's complaints (i.e. "the car is too loud" = replace the entire exhaust)

in my case, the header pipe had broken off (no idea how that happened)

I took Jim Grillot's advise and had Ron drill 3/32' holes in the mufflers (to drain any water that might collect in there). He sprayed the inside of the hole with primer to protect the edges from rusting

slowly (but surely), I am bringing the Grey Ghost back to design specs...love to drive her to note the improvements after each service!

Skip#1: I'm going to open a can of worms and start a thread on the use of Shaler's Rislone to prevent coking of the turbocharger

[D.L. SWINFORD]

Skip #2;
You rascal you know I've used Shalers Rislone ever sinc I've owned Donka II, she was born in '85.
It has worked for her and She has 288,000 miles on her clock.7qts Pennz 20-50 and 1 QT. of Shalers.and a new oil filter every 3500 miles.
I'm sure there are equal to or better than Shaler.
If you are going to use any cleaning agent for the first time it may take several thousand miles to clean the oiloing system; don't give up.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from the Spiderman on the Gulf Coast, Don:p :p :p