I did a lot of repairs on 70s cars which had recently had new
exhausts, and then started making jangling noises. They were almost
always caused by exhaust places undoing the clamps holding the
exhaust, and pushing the new one into the clamps without resetting the
clamp at the other end where it joined the gearbox, body, or whatever
it was mounted to. The resulting strain caused the clamps to break,
but I hardly ever saw one where the exhaust itself was failed. The
subsequent change to exhausts hanging on rubber mounts stopped the
problem.

Steve



True enough, shazzbat.
Do you mean this bit? --- Joining manifold to the downpipe?
Sorry about the diagram.
The old jointing compound should always be removed from the manifold, but
seldom done by so called exhaust centres. The old crusty remains would
allow the exhaust to blow at that point and subsequent joins will start to
disintegrate because of constant pulling the joints apart and vibration at
manifold to downpipe.

Not exactly, but I take your point. The thing I meant was where a metal
strip would be fixed to a bolt on the gearbox or crossmember etc. The other
end of it would have two holes for the ends of a U bolt which went round the
exhaust. Even with dealer parts, there would always be a slight difference
in the exhaust. If the fitter took the old exhaust off by removing the U
bolt, then offered up the new pipe, it wouldn't quite line up. The fitter
would then get a mate to push the pipe up or down so he could get the ends
of the bolt through the holes, then put the nuts on. What they should have
done was to slacken off the bolt at the other end of the strap, and allow it
to move so it was just touching the pipe, and the U bolt could then be
fitted wihout any strain, then re-tighten the bolt and the nuts on the U
bolt.

That will cause rubber engine mounts to lose their elasticity and the
driver would notice that the gear stick is all over the place. Difficulty
selecting gears. When revs are applied the stick moves upwards.
In that case the torque stay is the first and easiest to renew.
This is from my own experience, trial and error. Not an expert opinion,

I think that last may be a bit much to blame on an exhaust prob, other
issues at work there.


Steve