I have a few general exhaust system repair questions:

Can you give me an idea of what special tools I will need?

I was told that I may need a torch to facilitate an exhaust system repair. What is a torch used for? Welding? I thought I could use brackets for everything? Perhaps it is needed for disassembling something that was previously welded? Perhaps it was a general statement about using any type of flame to help get those corroded fasteners out?

Regarding welding equipment, isn't it expensive, even used? A MIG welder is what I need, not an oxyacetylene system, correct? Now, what about the gas tank, isn't it right down there very near? Isn't a MIG welder much safer? And just how difficult is the learning curve for welding? Just want to know what is involved with this aspect.

Thanks, Bruce

I do most all work on my 240's with the exception of exhaust work. If you do, I agree with the aforementioned doing the cat on back. But if you take it to a national shop, I have found that if you let them give you an estimate, then tell them you'll approve the work for about 25-30% off that, they almost always will go along. That can be the difference in deciding to just let them do it. I told this to a co-worker and she offered to approve the estimate if they knocked 35%off. They went along withit! Good luck.

Dude, exhaust system repair is the last bastion of the service centers. I've been fixing my own cars for over 15 yrs., and I can do pretty much any thing, but e.pipes drive me crazy. It seems that it should be so simple, but everything is rusted and stuck etc... Most important tool is a grinder. Sometimes I pull everything apart and do as much assembly as I can then end up going to the muffler guy for the last bit.

Go to your parts place and price all the repair parts, then go to a muffler guy and get him to give you a written estimate. If there's less than $50 differnence between the two get buddy to do it.

With propper fitting parts you don't need a torch on a 200. If you need one you can rent a mig or an arc welder. It's kinda not the right place to learn welding. But if you must, practice on your old pipes first.

I put one of the kits from IPD in my ,90 240 along with a new cat and the whole thing took about an hour, no special tools were needed ( just a pair of jackstands and a pair of ramps to get it up high enough )

Three bolts holding the cat to the head pipe and the rest held on with rubber hangers, it all came off in one piece.

putting the new parts in is easy but will require a little patience if you have not done exhaust work at all before, just take your time and assemble everything loose before tightening any of the clamps and things will move around easy.

My advice, take it to a shop. Many home mechanics avoid exhaust work partly because of the tools needed but also its difficult, frustrating, under the car, dirty . Exhaust work is not real expensive to have done. Not a good project if you are a beginner.

Good advice David. Especially as most 'High Street' exhaust suppliers offer free fitting. Nothing worse than getting half into the job and finding a clamp doesn't fit, the pattern pipes aren't compatible (common) with the existing pipes, severing a finger, losing your Zippo, smacking a pipe against your paintwork etc. If you're nice to the fitters they'll let you have a good luck under the car for corrosion etc whilst it's up on the four poster. Win - win all round.

Rich.

Oops -- sorry David; I meant to post this to the original poster. Oh well, too late now...

I'm not familiar with the 900, but I've done a number of 240 sytems. You don't need to use welding equip. It's used to 'bust the rust' at pipe connections. Sometimes it's used to cut through a rusty clamp. Hacksaws will accomplish the same task. Many folks will replace the entire system from the cat. back, so all you need to do is unbolt (or hacksaw) the bolts at the cat. flange and then put in all new metal from there on back.

Exhaust work isn't fun, but it isn't as nasty as it's reputation indicates. A lot depends on how thin your wallet is, I suppose.

By the way, I've had much success separating components by slicing through the outer surface of the female connector with a cut-off disc of a Dremel tool. This is a quick way to replace, for instance, the rear muffler on a 240 without altering the piping upstream.

Rob