Replacement Exhaust...D90 200tdi

Am needing to replace the exhaust. Currently have a knackered Britpart mid and tail system. Whilst Britpart are cheap I don't want to keep replacing every two years. Is there a known better quality manufacturer you can recommend? Anyone confirm if Bearmach exhausts are any better?

Note: no need to go stainless...

Only stainless will last, mine was on the car when I bought it 10yrs ago and is still sound.

Any 2nd hand ones on ebay etc?

I've looked at st/st systems. The main bunch are from Doubls SS and from experience on other cars, they're poor metal quality and even worse non-shielded welding. I have a Hayward & Scott on the Forester which is a work of art but not the price £££££. So, mild steel is okay provided it's not BritPart quality.

v8250 said:

Am needing to replace the exhaust. Currently have a knackered Britpart mid and tail system. Whilst Britpart are cheap I don't want to keep replacing every two years. Is there a known better quality manufacturer you can recommend? Anyone confirm if Bearmach exhausts are any better?

Note: no need to go stainless...

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I resigned myself to replacing it every two years. I have tried various makes and everyhting at that price point in the market is made of cheap steel that doe snot last long. i keep looking at a stainless system but in terms of parts outlay I would need about 20 years before it breaks even.

+1 For the poor quality of Double-S systems, I bought one for my 300TDi and it went straight back as not only was it smaller diameter than the genuine system it replaced but the downpipe was slightly flattened at the bend thus restricting flow.
Have been running an un-branded SS downpipe & centre system for years and they have been brilliant (picked up at one of the shows) but I never found a tailpipe that looked very good. Instead I have been using BP tailpipes (made by Bosal with a BP sticker on) and they generally last about 5-years which doesn't seem too bad to me.

Bought a Demand Engineering SS system c/w sports silencer a couple of months ago, the build quality is outstanding plus it is 100% SS (no mild steel flanges). Not fitted it yet (in the process of fitting a new chassis) but don't anticipate any problems (fingers crossed).

Thanks Litch, great response. Interestingly, I did exactly the same on a Volvo Amazon Double S system. Their mandrel bends are crap. they over pressure the bend so it part collapses AND use mild steel flanges. What part of build quality do they not understand...

btw How much was the Demand Eng system?

Rgds
v8250

"btw How much was the Demand Eng system?"

£552 inc £36 delivery.

I bought a Double S system for my old disco 2 a few years ago and the quality was very good then. It’s a pity to hear it’s not the same now. I’ll look elsewhere for a system for my 90 when I need one.

Thanks @Knappster , it's a shame SS is so poor. Their issue is low grade st/st [even though they state T304], wall thickness, unshielded welding, use of mild steel flanges, flow restricting mandrel bends and finally, fitment with 1. exhaust shape/bends clashing with body/suspension, and 2. incorrect hanger locations. Much of the classic car world won't touch them. There's a good market for a std st/st exhaust manufacturer in the Land Rover World to produce in reasonable volume, to fill the gap between low end/change every two year systems and high end st/st systems. Last year I even looked at the Vortex system until I saw the price I like the technical principle of the Vortex system but knowing how much these cost to produce they're being greedy on price.

I'm wondering what about a group purchase? I'd be happy to organise a group purchase for LZ members with a good quality manufacturer...they benefit from reduced build costs/guaranteed orders, we benefit from reduced purchase cost...

v8250 said:

I've looked at st/st systems. The main bunch are from Doubls SS and from experience on other cars, they're poor metal quality and even worse non-shielded welding. I have a Hayward & Scott on the Forester which is a work of art but not the price £££££. So, mild steel is okay provided it's not BritPart quality.

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Agree on the Double S quality. Mines been on about 5 yrs and I went stainless as I drive a lot across a beach and standard exhausts lasted less than a year. The flanges in particular on the Double S are ****e & mines corroded through where the down pipe joins the mid section.

Okay, I've just emailed Demand Engineering asking for 1. price for my D90 200tdi, and 2. would they be able to offer LZ Members a discounted cost if we order [place one complete order] for multiple systems, say 10x minimum order. This is quite common in classic car groups, normally a 10% discount...this may not sound much but every little helps. I'm happy to organise this - we'll wait to hear back from them.

Litch said:

"btw How much was the Demand Eng system?"

£552 inc £36 delivery.

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10 yrs = under 60 quid a year = 90 pence per week

How many weeks in your year? £552 / 10 years = £55.2 p.a / 52 weeks = ‭£1.06 per week

lynall said:

10 yrs = under 60 quid a year = 90 pence per week

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Yes but a complete standard system is £50 and lasts between 2-3 years. So if you are going to work it out on a price per week basis it is half the price of a stainless one, or you need the stainless one for 20 years for it to break even, which is what I sad earlier.

dag019 said:

Yes but a complete standard system is £50 and lasts between 2-3 years. So if you are going to work it out on a price per week basis it is half the price of a stainless one, or you need the stainless one for 20 years for it to break even, which is what I sad earlier.

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Labour plus the hassle?

Labour is free as I do myself. And there is not too much hassle as it is done so regularly it all comes apart easily. But even with the hassle of fitting it yourself I still don’t think a stainless system is worth the cost required to get a decent one.

dag019 said:

Labour is free as I do myself. And there is not too much hassle as it is done so regularly it all comes apart easily. But even with the hassle of fitting it yourself I still don’t think a stainless system is worth the cost required to get a decent one.

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Tbh a few years ago I would have said the same thing, but as I have aged I do not change cars much at all, now the wife bloody hell!

Only problem I had with was the rear box rusting off as water comes off the tyres. Have fixed this now by having a through pipe from centre box.
drop motor off & £80 made & fitted.

Hicap phill said:

Only problem I had with was the rear box rusting off as water comes off the tyres. Have fixed this now by having a through pipe from centre box.
drop motor off & £80 made & fitted.

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That is what o was looking at. I think that is the cheaper way to go. As odd as it sounds a custom job from a small independant is likely to be better and cheaper than an off the shelf kit.