Series 3 exhaust downpipe query

Already on the 2nd of my new year series problems , my whole exhaust exhaust if rusty , a lot of it has holes in so I'm going to have to replace it , from past experience can anyone tell me how easy it is to detach the down pipe , I think mine must be broken somewhere on the joint as there is a lot of movement in it , Thanks

It’s a while since I did mine , you can bet it will be awkward to get to , some release oil a few days before hand with help , I found PB blaster is really good , I fitted a double S stainless exhaust years ago it loooks rusty in parts but still going strong

plus 1 on getting a stainless steel unit, I replaced my exhaust with the standard cheap crap monkey metal parts and I kid you not in less than 2 years there was so must land rover rust it looked like a sieve

If it has the brass nuts holding it onto the manifold you should be able to get away with keeping the studs. Even if the studs are a bit bare you can double up on new nuts to get some purchase.
I had a nightmare getting the first britpart front pipe through the crossmember without it hitting the floor and jamming. Eventually I had the whole car jacked up over a kerb to give me the height.
After two years it was shot and so were the studs.
I ended up putting a SS stainless one on but this time it fell on with a standard jack up and axle stands. No idea why.
I couldn’t get the studs out with not having oxy so I drilled the sods out and fitted some stainless nuts and bolts.
If you take the manifold off be prepared to struggle getting the studs back in. I still have the centre one missing

Oh and as an imbetweeny I had to replace the rear box with another one as the first lasted about 18 months. Both boxes leaked from the seam when brand new.
Good old britpart.
The SS ones do rust but a damn site slower.
They also build up crap in the back box if it’s a diesel, blocking the porous glass fibre. Makes um a bit raspy but liverble wiv.

X1 on getting the down pipe out, you'll have to jack it up and use axle stands to get enough angle to get it out and position the new one. The brass studs and set screws can be fiddly but a long socket extension will do the job. Personally I'd replace the set screws if they are corroded, thems and the brass nuts cost diddly.

Bobsticle said:

If it has the brass nuts holding it onto the manifold you should be able to get away with keeping the studs. Even if the studs are a bit bare you can double up on new nuts to get some purchase.
I had a nightmare getting the first britpart front pipe through the crossmember without it hitting the floor and jamming. Eventually I had the whole car jacked up over a kerb to give me the height.
After two years it was shot and so were the studs.
I ended up putting a SS stainless one on but this time it fell on with a standard jack up and axle stands. No idea why.
I couldn’t get the studs out with not having oxy so I drilled the sods out and fitted some stainless nuts and bolts.
If you take the manifold off be prepared to struggle getting the studs back in. I still have the centre one missing

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Believe me if the manifold doesn't need to come off its not coming off , im worried about getting the exhaust bolts off ! Thanks for advice

I can't quite figure out what had gone on with the downpipe to manifold studs are screwed tight but you can rock it left and right , I'm assuming there's a crack in the join somewhere.

neilc75 said:

I can't quite figure out what had gone on with the downpipe to manifold studs are screwed tight but you can rock it left and right , I'm assuming there's a crack in the join somewhere.

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There is play if the flange ain’t gripping the pipe. The pipe has a flair on the end so it will rotate slightly in the manifold socket. Might be that.
It’s a faff getting at the rear nut but doable with an appropriate extension on a socket.

Exhaust was probably fitted with paste in the joint it has failed and blown out on your long journey.
Take nuts off and examine stud threads exhaust etc before refitting without paste.
Besides the threads failing in nut or on stud the flanges have also been known to crack.

It pays to run a die up the studs, its fiddley and you have to hold the die by hand but if you then fit new nuts its makes it much easier to pull it up tight.

Thanks , I have a die so I'll give it a go , I have collected a lot of tools over that last 5 years that I have used more that I thought I would !