Tips for working on the exhaust system (Focus Turnier 1)

Oxidized sheet metal cannot be welded firmly. Therefore, the success of repairing a rusted exhaust system is often short-lived. Exhaust putty and bandages last a little longer, but the damaged metal soon breaks near the repair site. In exhaust systems with more than one muffler, it often happens that after replacing the first muffler, the second one "says goodbye" after a few months.

Therefore, workshops usually change the entire exhaust system. However, check the condition of the system carefully and only then decide whether to change individual components or the entire system.

Raise the vehicle securely and on a level surface.

If you cannot disconnect rusted screw connections during disassembly, try to tighten the nuts - then most often the bolts break off. When installing, always use new bolts, spring rings, nuts and gaskets.

For safety reasons, replace all rubber clamps immediately as well.

If a part of the exhaust system has already been replaced, it is best to disconnect the plug-in connections of the ends of the pipes when they are hot. In the workshop, a welding torch is used for this purpose - as a rule, a good torch with propane can also be used for this for amateurs. When doing this, be sure to protect your hands with work gloves and your eyes with glasses, and keep a fire extinguisher at the ready. Practical advice: before lighting the torch, try using a rust solvent.

Separate the pipes with strong rotational movements, assisted by light hammer blows.

If this does not help, saw off the joint of the defective muffler pipe at a distance of 10 cm behind the joint. Saw the rest of the pipe with a metal saw in the longitudinal direction and press it off with a strong screwdriver.

The exhaust system screw connections will be easier to separate next time if you lubricate the threads with high-temperature copper grease during installation. This also applies to overlapped pipe connections.

The original article can be viewed on the portal Fordbook.ru