Exhaust noise

Ed Addis · Aug 12, 2011

My 1999 996 C4 has suddenly started making a lot of throaty exhaust noise, and I suspect some replacement is going to be necessary. I still need to get it into an exhaust centre to identify the exact problem, but in checking out prices online, I've had a nasty shock. Can these units really be that expensive? I was hoping for a price more in line with other cars (a couple of hundred max - or am I out of date?), as 'it's only a metal pipe' (!) and as 'there can't be that much of it' (rear engine). Is there a cheap source of homologue parts that I should be investigating, whilst keeping my fingers crossed that it's just a loose bolt or something?

Thanks

Ed

Ed Addis · Aug 12, 2011

Now had the car checked on a ramp. Looks like it's the offside rear silencer, although it was too hot for the mechanic to get right in there. They quoted me £800+ including fitting! Think I can do better on line for the part. Please can anyone suggest where best to look? Are there non OEM silencers available?

Thanks

Ed

ashley · Aug 12, 2011

i'd try ebay quite often there are used ones for sale when people have upgraded to the PSE

Richard_Hamilton · Aug 12, 2011

The price of a silencer from Porsche is £370.76 +VAT, so I don't know where they get the £800 from.

Have a look on eBay, as they often come up. You could also try www.porsch-apart.co.uk for a used one.

If you have to buy new, try Type911, Design911, or Euro Car Parts.

thirteeneast · Aug 12, 2011

DIY for sure.

Save yourself a fortune, And like Richard said that Garage has priced the job by the badge on the car I'm afraid to say.

Ed Addis · Aug 12, 2011

Thanks very much for your help Richard.

However, I'm obviously failing to understand something here. The prices I've found for the rear box online are:

Design911 - cheapest is £698 (but described as 'sports' - don't seem to have anything else)
Type911 - cheapest is £495 (once again described as 'sports' - OEM version is £700!)

- ah - it says sold as a pair! But what if I only want one side?

Euro Car Parts - cheapest is £666, says 'Left & Right' - again I suppose this is a pair?

I have seen one on eBay for £145 - maybe that's the way to go.

Regarding DIY - is this really a DIY job? The exhaust place I went to said it was a difficult job, and want to charge me £150 just for fitting!

Ed

Richard_Hamilton · Aug 12, 2011

Keep up Ed, we did that last week!

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=642875

If it was me I would take the opportunity to fit a nice sports exhaust at about £550, but if you don't want to do that, and want the cheapest way out, go for the second hand one. Bear in mind that if one has gone, the other may not be too far behind.

rhkumar · Aug 12, 2011

Hi Richard, what exhaust would you get for £550 and where would you get it from? Thanks roy

Richard_Hamilton · Aug 12, 2011

If I was going for new ones, I would probably go for the Dansk ones, as Dansk have a good reputation, but if the boxes are in good condition, I would do what I did last time, and do the bypass modification.

http://www.type911shop.co.uk/shop/category_1210/Silencers.html?shop_param=cid%3D%26

Ed Addis · Aug 13, 2011

Keep up Ed, we did that last week!

Sorry - I didn't know I'd need to until this week!

Thanks very much for all the advice, including fitting instructions. I always did all my own repairs/servicing (including a complete strip and rebuild of engine and gearbox on Ford Escort Mk II) until a decade or so ago when cars became too complicated to do most jobs without a computer and a mass of special tools. Also, at 61, I'm starting to prefer to pay someone else to do most jobs! However, this really doesn't look too bad - I just have a premonition (from experience) that there will be some gotcha that derails the smooth running, like some nut/bolt that just won't shift.

Well I still need to confirm that it's the rear silencer as suggested - may take it somewhere else for second opinion. Then I'll take it from there. Will post results in due course.

Once again, many thanks.

Ed

devans · Aug 13, 2011

Just replaced my rear silencers. Very easy to do, i was surprised. Bought a pair from e-bay nearly new for £270. Benefit of getting second hand meant that VAT was avoided. Remember, purchasing at £575 does not include VAT or shipping/postage costs. On expensive items like this your final purchase cost is around £700 before fitting. Further more, i would support what Richard said, if one side has gone it is quite probable that the other side is on its way. The seams do tend to split badly. However, the car did get 96k miles out of the originals.
If you can get the car jacked up on axle stands at the rear and put a soft mat down, it is more than accessible. Only issue was that i did have to use a dremel to cut off nuts. Bonus was that replacement exhausts had already had the BY PASS modification done,
Good luck.
ps When i originally asked kwik fit to look into they didnt want the work. I'm now glad they made this decision.

thirteeneast · Aug 13, 2011

As for by pass, you can buy a "U" bend from HERE Ask them to make it with 6" legs and get it welded localy.

Much cheaper than doing bypass mod anywhere else.

cut the U in half to give you two 6" pieces of pipe with a bend at the end.

As for getting the old one off, Its quicker to drill the flat of the rusted nut right through to the other side, Right through the stud.

Wish I had a photo, Its a very quick way to do it.

gonzosquidgy · Aug 16, 2011

Hi all. I finally purchased the Milltek ones from Porscheshop in Birmingham and went to collect myself with the intention of fitting myself. Unfortunately couldn't get the 3 nuts off however hard I tried. Finally gave up and took to my Indy who replaced both boxes and, while he was at it, I got him to exchange the rear discs (which, again, I had previously purchased as a diy job). In all, I was charged £110 cash for labour only. The silencers cost £734 for both sides including new twin tips at £106 (less the 5% PCGB discount of course). (the disce were £120 off ebay new) Next job is to clean up the original single exhaust tips and resell on ebay - unless anyone is interested in buying on here!!

I'd like to show photos of before and after but don't know how to include fotos on here!!

John

ORIGINAL: Richard Hamilton

If I was going for new ones, I would probably go for the Dansk ones, as Dansk have a good reputation, but if the boxes are in good condition, I would do what I did last time, and do the bypass modification.

http://www.type911shop.co.uk/shop/category_1210/Silencers.html?shop_param=cid%3D%26