Stainless Exhaust

[arcturus]

Hi, what's the general view on stainless exhausts?I've good and bad things. I know that the metal pipes lasts longer but what about the baffles?

[gmain1967]

I've had them on various different vehicles, and never had an issue. All of them have had a "lifetime warranty", though I've never had a car long enough to find out whether that was entertained if it did fail...!

i think that most issues arise when people fit part ss systems, and the junction between the stainless part and the (typically) mild steel part will corrode due to different metals.

I had a Jetex on my 1999 S40 2.0T which I saw last year, and which still has the system on (twin pipes were still black as supplied)....!

I've no bad experience. Yet...

[RollingThunder]

I haven't had any problems re longevity, however be aware that stainless exhausts tend to sound 'tinny' and resonate more than mild steel ones do.

[arcturus]

Originally Posted by RollingThunder

I haven't had any problems re longevity, however be aware that stainless exhausts tend to sound 'tinny' and resonate more than mild steel ones do.

Thanks, that's one of the things I was warned about. Would the the Jetex offer any improvement on performance on a standard 2.3 940 engine?

[gmain1967]

I think the system for the 940 is the same as I had (a cat back system). In that instance, performance benefits will not be that much. If you wish to yield most, you will need to get a sports cat which jetex also do (they cost mind!). Try a request on the forum for a sports cat to suit - that would probably be the biggest improvement on it's own.

That's why Ive gone the route of doing my own exhaust and bought a race cat from a T4 owner, and removed the expansion box and centre box. Cost me about £150 in total, whereas the Jetex route would have set me back about £700... If I'd gone the Ferrita route as was suggested, it would have been nearer a grand in total. I bought the car for £600 so I can't justify that (even if I did have the money)!!

[RollingThunder]

I had a Powerflow exhaust made and a 100cell 'Group A' competition cat fitted to a 940T a while ago. It made the turbo engine notably more responsive (but less so on the auto 940T that I subsequently swapped it onto), wasn't too loud and was a good buy, albeit costing around the £600 mark. I later sold it to LankyTim - I think he still has it on his 944T

BUT, as you have a standard non turbo engine (am I right?), then you won't feel much difference with any sports exhaust to be honest. You might claw back maybe 5bhp, but will you really notice that?

Re longevity, you need to check the specs - some 'stainless' exhaust systems only have some parts made of stainless - the rest are either aluminised steel or even mild steel. Caveat emptor!