One more, just for kicks.

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OK, You've roped us all in...

Time to post either a video or a sound recording.

You can't tell us all that without some exhaust porn... And it's not like there's anybody else in Bend, Oregon to back you up...

It must sound really sweet driving to Prineville or La Pine. Or Sisters! (Not really hotbeds of automotive excellence). Nothing like hitting the Grange hall in La Pine in the sweet ride.

Sorry, too much past history in the area...

In all seriousness, it's a great looking teener. Congratulations on getting the exhaust sorted out!

You forgot a smiley at the end of your first sentence man.

Yep, pretty much just me out here in central Oregon. There are actually an incredible number of P-cars in this town, but only one other 914 that i know of. There's a porsche dealership here, and it got one of the few (50? 100?) Carerra GTs in the US. It sold. I guess that's something. But I digress...

Actually, as part of this exhaust 'upgrade' I did take an audio clip of the stock setup before I pulled it off the car, with the intention of doing a before & after comparison. It's what I was hoping to find when I was trying to decide what exhaust parts to purchase, but couldn't. Maybe it will help someone else down the road. Anyway, once I get a clip of the new setup I'll post them both here.

And thanks for the compliment.

Here's a couple you can have for later:

Thanks man - I can't wait to hear your clips!

stress crack ... maybe the car was run without a muffler hanger for a extended period of time ...
Andy

Nice hole!!

I knew Shayne would take good care of you.

Can you point out where the replaced section was located?

In just one of the pipes though? It seems like if that were going to be the case it would crack at the point with the most amount of gravitational torque ~ at the bend where it turns upwards to meet the head.

I wish I had the pictures from Brad's shop. Looks close to what you show here. These were not stress cracks.

wow...(.Gravitational torque) is that even a word if not it sure should be ...anywho its amazing you didnt hear that monster leak.I myself would be talk`n with the seller.but then again maybe he didnt know? Say hello too my little friend Just kid`n glad its right and very nice car

That's a huge amount rust for a stainless pipe. I thought the SSIs didn't rust. Does that look unusual to anyone else?

Torque is a measure of rotational force around a point, in this case caused by gravity. That's what I meant...though I kind of had the same thought as you after I typed it.

edit: Here ya go:

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I talked to the seller. He told me he had never had them mounted on a car, and that they looked a-ok to him when he sold them to me.

ditto....thats not stainless or at least not from my point of view.but i like the word gravitational torque and the man does have a nice car so hes good....OK im go`n home later fella`s

Here are the pictures from Brad

Yikes!

I've been wondering if mine leak since I first saw this thread. I just re-finished the mating ends and used new gaskets. Still getting the slightest little pops out the exhaust on decel.

i'd bet an explosion . too much fuel + trapped in heat =

besides it looks puckered out

Holy... wow... I've never seen SSI's like that.

Take a magnet to the section of pipe that was cut out.

Tell us if it sticks.

Does not.

That car would look sweet with 5-lug Fuchs!

A neighbor of mine looked at my new SSI's and said....

They're gonna rust...

He is an aerospace metalurgist for GE aircraft engines and told me the SS tubing grade is non-magnetic and will rust. Not as much as steel , but it will...

As per the one in pieces, explosions down the exhaust will do that..... My POS honduh used to periodically do that and either blew out one of the bends in the pipes or sent the guts of the muffler shooting about 60 feet out the rear of the car..... That's 3 factory exhausts in 70 k miles and loads of excitement for people following me.....

That crack all around looks like a combo of rust and fatigue....

Ken

If I have my information right from Brad, he too spoke with metalurgist. Something about the tubing taking longer to cool and water (moister) collecting in there that will cause them to rust. While they are better than stock exchangers they do need to be checked.

I would think a easy pressure test should tell you if you have a leak in them or not. Plug one end with some sort of rubber plug, the other end the same with and air in let and listen for leaking air?

...that's exactly how the shop determine mine had a leak.

This has been an interesting thread. It seems like there's a widely held misconception that SSIs *will not* rust, and all of a sudden plenty of evidence to the contrary. I will admit that I didn't think they would rust, and was initially skeptical when told mine was leaking...because everything I'd read seemed to indicate SSIs are, loosely, "bulletproof".

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Gotta love this place.

LOL just suck on the tail pipe once again glad its fixed and nice ride I may have a buyer when you find a six

how about the terorist that failed his mission to blow up the bus???... seems he burnt his lips on the tail pipe... drum role...

If your SSI's have cracks anything like that THEY ARE JUNK AND SHOULD BE THROWN OUT!!!!! If you weld patches inside the heat collectors you could kill yourself!!! There shouldn't be any welds inside the heat collectors. Porsche found this out back in the 60's after a customer or two DIED from CO1 poisoning. The money you saved will be useless if you are dead.

As an "informed" group, I believe we have a responsibility to the 914 community to share critical life-safety information.

If the above is agreed upon by us, how can we dissiminate this information before someone gets seriously sick/dies from the use of a dangerous SSI?

My concern echoes the above posting. The SSI is pumping air into the cabin. If there is any chance of CO1 getting this loop, we need to take some educational actions.

Eric

There is a product for small aircraft, most of which also use manifold heat.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/ps/car...edetectors.html

More info on how serious this really is.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:BOdbk...;cd=9&gl=us

wait. you're right! i've never seen any SSI with surface rust like that ...

Andy

FWIW the factory used a form of stainless tubing with mild steel heater boxes, so the boxes would rust before the tubing.

The oem tubing was also much heavier wall thickness and could easily withstand the pressure of backfires.

T304 stainless is very corrosion resistant at temps up to about 800F. When it is kept above 900 deg. for an extended time period changes take place within the grain structure that dramatically reduce the anti-corrosion properties.
The technical term is carbide precipitation.

[/quote]
The oem tubing was also much heavier wall thickness and could easily withstand the pressure of backfires.
[/quote]

Yea, the SSI's are about half the thickness at the flange that mounts to the exhaust port, which is why so many have trouble sealing. I'm also fairly certain that the SSI's use welded tubing, and my guess is that it would be better if it was DOM.