Peter Frederick wrote:
TimeValve stainless steel is the best choice, particularly if you
intend to keep the car any length of time as it will long outlast the
body (so will factory replacement, probably!).
Avoid aftermarket or muffler shop made ones as you will NOT be happy
long -- the OEM is expensive, but it FITS on the first try, and won't
affect performance. After market parts are mot often junk, won't last
two years.
You definitely have a bad exhaust -- the noise in the back is indeed a
muffler with no interior baffles anymore.
Rare for diesel exhaust systems (even the better known aftermarket ones
- Bosal, ANSA, Eberspaecher) to need replacement in less than 10 years -
even in Pgh (where cars often start to rust after 3-4 years) and some
last MUCH longer. Stainless makes little sense if you don't plan to own
the car in another 10+ years. Bosal makes an aftermarket exhaust system
that has a lifetime warranty and they WILL honor the warranty - if you
keep the paperwork! They replaced a muffler on one of my cars that
failed prematurely after about 6 -7 years without any question. Factory
exhaust parts (usually made by Eberspaecher) are a little sturdier than
Bosal, but have a far inferior warranty.
I have had NO personal experience with TimeValve, but Stu Ritter (ran a
shop in Denver for ~30 years, is tech editor for the Star Magazine and
an expert on older gasoline Mercedes engines) never found the cost of
stainless exhaust to be a good value. He points out that they DO wear
out - they just don't rust as soon.
The noise in the rear is usually the baffles inside coming loose and
making a racket. That's the exhaust system telling you that, "IT'S TIME!"
Marshall
--
Marshall Booth (who doesn't respond to unsigned questions)
"der Dieseling Doktor" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
'87 300TD 181Kmi,'87 190D 2.5 199Kmi, '84 190D 2.2 227Kmi, '85 190D 2.0
159Kmi, '87 190D 2.5 turbo 234kmi
Diesel Technical Advisor MBCA, member GWSection
http://www.dhc.net/~pmhack/mercedes/mbooth1.htm
