240D Exhaust Question
 

Hey, been a while since I last posted. Anyway, my exhaust from the muffler on back fell off on the interstate a few days ago, the weld on the front of the muffler broke and the rest fell off. I picked it all up, but there wasn't much left good to weld to on the muffer. The resonator was only marginally better, and I think there was a decent hole already where it broke.

Being a cheapskate, here's what I did. I put a can-style muffer off a BMW 325i (I think) that I found at the boneyard for something like six bucks where the resonator on the 240D used to be. I left out the center muffler entirely. I attached where the old exhaust pipe is back to the new muffler with some 2" flex pipe (galvanized steel). Now, I want to make sure this isn't some huge no-no that I dont know about, but I think its ok. And yes, I realize that the flex pipe may give me trouble come inpection time, but hey, its rural Missouri. They may not care, and that stuff was 14 bucks including a couple of clamps. So i paid roughly 20 bucks to fix my exhaust. Sounds pretty good, I think, and is no louder than the old muffler/resonator. Also sounds less like a VW Bug since there's no hole!!:)

Just want to make sure the seasoned veterans give this the thumbs up, that I am not baking my exhaust valves or anything. And, this may be a cheap alternative for people not wanting to buy the original muffler and resonator which were about 100 bucks a pop when I looked at a catalog ( ! )

sounds fine. my only concern is that it may fall off sooner rather than later.

The 240 engine is not a backpressure sensitive motor afik.

Tom W

so what your saying is you could "strait pipe" the thing and it would not damage the motor? I know on gas NA motors you need some back pressure.

That is an old myth. Straight piping a gasser or N/A diesel will not harm anything.

Creative approaches to problems are always interesting. I have yet to see a240d with an exhaust pipe up through the front fender. On a more serious note finding a complete exhaust in good condition on a junkyard 240d car might not be impossible. Should be cheap as well. Patched exhaust systems usually end up as very temporary cures.

I don't remember exactly......
 

I don't remember exactly how my old, and long gone 240D was piped up....but on the present 300D-Turbo....I went to a Exhaust & Muffler shop that is also a WV Inspection Station.....for 40 bucks those guys welded in some new pipe......they removed the flange at the header pipe......and replaced the pipe to the muffler......even cut the stiffeners/gussets that hold the front of the 300D muffler....used the stock and original hangers.....

These guys run a bunch of dirt track race cars.....and did a fine job....and of course now I use them as my annual vehicle inspectors.....:D

SB

Thanks for the replies. It is a bit of a temporary lash-up job, but seems to be holding OK. What is the best method to hang the pipe;that is what I have done a terrible job at, I think the muffler will be fine. It's quite a shiny find for the the junkyard. I would like the stock system off of another 240D or, I would imagine the 300D would work fine also. Unfortunately, there are no 123's in the junkyard here. It's about 45 minutes away too, so I don't make it down there often to check. sad.

45 min away in rural missouri must be pretty far compared to 45 min away in suburbs of nj. All the transplanted Staten Island crowd crowd to joisey shore Hmmm 45 min here is 5 stop lights and 5 miles unleess your on route 70 in Brick

45 min away in rural missouri must be pretty far compared to 45 min away in suburbs of nj. All the transplanted Staten Island crowd crowd to joisey shore Hmmm 45 min here is 5 stop lights and 5 miles unleess your on route 70 in Brick

actually straight piping a two forty would make for a very noisy ride.

in case anybody is considering that.

tom w

45 miles is 45 minutes:D That is also how far I go to get to wal-mart or any real civilization.

Also, lemme tell ya, with no muffler and/or resonator, just the pipe ending about right under the center of the car, a 240 is LOUD. Actually, not at idle or light throttle, its not much louder than WITH exhaust. But at wide open throttle (AKA moving:D) is probably about the same as a semi cab wide open. Kinda fun, for about 10 minutes. Turns heads, at least.

Take out the phrase "straight piping" and your statement is no less accurate.

"Actually a two forty would make for a very noisy ride." :)