Ripped off exhaust!

The trouble has started!

we now have a golf that has an exhaust tone that resembles a fleet of 228 syncronised harley davidsons.

I stupidly reversed upa slight slope/ramp and heard a loud scraping and then kinkch! I was only doing about walking speed in reverse.

Upon taking it the battery/tyre and exhaust garage this morning, they frowned and said "it's those bloody 'c' clamps - this isn't a job we'd take on".

It seems that the noise was the downpipe getting dislodged from the manifold.

Another exhaust garage had a look and said he didn't have the tool to remove the 'c' clamps. I tried explaining about the exhaust clamp trick. He have me a few to try it myself. But said he wouldn't be prepared to do it.

So i did - 'c' clamp trick took a while but got them off. But now i'm stuck. Whatever i tried to do, i couldn't get it to sit right on the manifold.

I only had it on axle stands and space is really limited -

How do i fit the thing back on? i was half thinking "sod it - i'll buy a 4 branch" - then i thought about snapping studs in the head and thought i'd ask you people first.

An pics/methods/tips very much appreciated.

I wonder if you damaged your downpipe in the initial collision? And that's why it doesn't fit back together again.

it doesn't look unusually bent or anything. i'm thinking i'll just buy all the new bits from gsf including new c clips, gasket and downpipe.

Where could i get it fitted then though - garages don't seem to want to touch it! lol

i'd ask the same question as paul has. doesn't look unusualy bent or isn't bent? you're right about garages not liking them. have a look in the garages section for some one local who can be recomended.

Right - I've decided.

I'm going to buy a new downpipe, gasket, c clamps from gsf tomorrow.

I've also been busy today making a c clamp tool out of a m16 bolt, and a bit of a tesco trolley.

As you wind the bold with a ratchet driver, one bold moves up and down the bold while the other one stays still  (i ground the thread off this piece of the rod) and will put pics up tomorrow. Simple to make so may be even better that the exhaust clamp trick!

Once i have all the new bits it will eliminate all possibility of bits being bent etc and then it'' be time to remove the bit of metal that goes under the exhaust (is this called the bottom anti roll bar? - ok to remove this to get the exhaust off?)

All sorted.

I have no knuckles, fingerprints or elbows left, have a swollen eyebrow (the exhaust dropped on my head).

but all sorted now - sounds better than ever.

a lot of the rattles are gone now and it sound a whole lot more together.

Thanks for all your help.

Chriselias272 said

All sorted.

I have no knuckles, fingerprints or elbows left,

that's me, all over.