BX TXI Stainless Steel Exhaust.

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear All.
Have contacted the people who are doing the stainless steel exhaust
exhaust system over the last few days. With some very very good
news, in that they still want to supply me with a new stainless system
and more importantly at the price I have available and they
are also arranging a courier to pick it up and drop the new one off.
So it is a good job I got cambelt and everthing else done OK, and
she is running very well at the moment, so tomorrow I can start her up
and put her in high to jack her up and put her on axlestands again,
while I remove the exhaust system etc.
I will be marking in someway so that they replicate it back at their
workshop as they haven,t made one for a BX yet, to use as a pattern.
Anyway I will as you know keep you imformed as to how things pan
out and let you all know how I get on
All The Best.
Vince.

[Kitch]

If they've never made one before and they're not fabricating it on the car, I'd be a bit worried personally. Would be better to take it somewhere where they can pop it on the ramp and make one to fit IMO.

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear Kitch.
I fully understand but the local people in Kent want £ 450.00 for a
complete system
These people are doing a complete system for £ 200.00 inc. VAT plus
£ 20.00 to pick it up and another £ 20.00 to drop the new one off
My only problem is that I asked them before Christmas if they could
do the exhaust at that price, and reitterated the price again this week
and I got a E-mail this morning saying that " they are sat there waiting
and as soon as it arrives they get on making it "
So today I had to put car on stands, the 2 x 10mm flange to manifold
bolts fell out easily, the rear silencer came off easily too, the centre
silencer is off the rubbers and laying on the floor, only attatched to the
to the manifold by the 2 x 10mm bolts which are only finger tight now.
Problemo no 2 is that I only asked for a quote for a non cat system,
with no oxygen sensor. It was only today as I dropped the centre
silencer off it,s rubbers that I noticed the oxygen sensor
This is where I stopped work, and E-Mailed them about 4.30 today
letting them know about the cat and the oxygen sensor and asking
them how much extra that would be But alas I have not heard back
from them yet I am really really worried now incase they don,t
bother E-Mailing back tomorrow, I am going to be right in the poo
Where I am up to now is that I haven,t tried to undo the oxygen
sensor as yet, as I know they are usually very tight indeed.
I haven,t broken anything or taken off anything, that won,t go back
on OK, so I could do that at worst.
Well that,s me for today Kitch.
Thanks again for your kind reply, it is very very kind of you to comment.
All The Best.
Vince.

[Kitch]

Just buy another O2 sensor if you can't get it out. Universal ones are cheap enough and do the job. They can fit a boss easily. The cat you will have to pay more for if they include one, but most cats aren't stainless (metal cats are, and bastard expensive too) so to be honest it would be best for them to build the exhaust with the original type flanges to allow the original spec cat to be bolted on. Or do what I would do....do away with the cat completely. It doesn't need one one for MOT (I think - you'd best check first) and it'll go better without one.

But like I say, if they're making it without a BX there to line it all up on, I'll eat one of my spare headlamps if it fits nicely

[Nat]

I seem to recal someone on this forum pointing out that as of this year they changed the MOT so that they can fail you on a missing CAT, where as before you just had to pass immissions, so probably best to keep it in unless you have a friendly MOT station.

If the CAT is in good order I'd go for getting them to just do the section back from the cat and leave the downpipe/CAT alone. Should still be the same price then, CAT's are expensive

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear Kitch.
Yes I had the same problem with the S/S system on my SAAB, £ 300
13 years ago, my friend fitted it on a ramp, and he said he struggled
no end
These people are based in Exeter. don,t how far from us though.
I suppose they could put flanges on the cat, and use the original cat
I wouldn,t like it with no cat, I would like to keep the car as original as
possible to be honest
Thanks again your help and kind assistance it is really very kind
All The Best Kitch.
Vince.

[Defender110]

I thought the cut off date for CATS being legally required was 1993 with cats prior to this being optional so assume this will be the same date for the new required MOT regs?

EDIT:

From the new draft proposals;

Catalyst test1.
The exhaust emission test
The catalyst test is part of the MOT test for most spark ignition petrol engined vehicles with four or more wheels first used on and after 1 August 1992

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear Nat
What a wonderful idea young lady, yes that has got to be the best
way forward from here I think.
My MOT people are very nice people with a spotless tiled workshop,
but every year that goes by and I don,t buy a used car from them, my
cars fail more
Thank-you Nat you have pointed out a very important note, I think you
are dead right about non cat,s on cars is a fail I think too
I haven,t removed anything from the the frontpipe yet thankfully, and
the intermediate pipe and the centre silencer are still connected to the
frontpipe.
Thank-you so much Nat I am pooped and well ready for my bed
At least now I can face tomorrow with a lot less worry thank you.
All The Best Nat.
Vince.

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear Kevan
Thanks Kevan I really appreciate the data for cat,s, you are absolutely
bang-on mine is registered 93 you see. so must have a cat on it
All The Best Kevan.
Vince.

[Defender110]

Dear Kevan
Thanks Kevan I really appreciate the data for cat,s, you are absolutely
bang-on mine is registered 93 you see. so must have a cat on it
All The Best Kevan.
Vince.

Sorry Vince I looked at Nat's signature strip by mistake stating 1991 instead of yours showing 1993

[djm666]

If the person who is making th exhaust is a good craftsman, like the boys at PD Gough they can build a replica from a pettern that will fit like the original. mine is the bollocks. so glad i had one made for the 4x4 it makes the car.

[Tim Leech]

I wouldnt go removing the cat, it will cause you hassle at MOT time, the TXi was intorduced to meet new emission rules, hence going from carb to spi etc.

Ages ago i had a catalyst equipped BX 16v which belonged to Jack, who left it with me to get some work done and a fresh MOT. The catalyst box was there but it was empty as someoen had removed it to aid performance apparently, howvere it wouldnt go through the test as the emissions were too high. We fitted the old cat of my Xantia (with a bit of joggery pokery and some weldine) and it then went through ok.

[Kitch]

There was a point around the time this car was made, where cars were being fitted with cats (much of the time as an expensive aftermarket option) when they didn't strictly need them. It was more a kudos thing. And it's these cars that don't need them for the test, so you could remove the cat from a car that was built in 1992 and still pass the MOT.

Up until December, you could remove the cat from ANY car and it'd still pass the MOT aslong as it passed the emissions test. Since 1st January (infact it'll be April before these rules actually apply) a car built since they became compulsory that has had the cat removed will fail purely on it not being there.
But I knew there was a cut-off for cars that had it fitted at a time when they weren't a requirement, around 1992-1993 I thought. Turns out this particular car missed that point and was registered afterwards meaning it does have to have one, as Mulley has since found out. So if it was one of these inbetween cars, you'd still be able to do away with the bastard thing!

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear djm666.
Thanks so much for replying all the way around the world
I know P.D.Gough supplied the stainless steel exhaust for my SAAB
900i 13 years ago now, I still have the car and the exhaust.
I have E-Mailed late today so I am just waiting for a reply, but they
are 4 hours each way away from me
Thanks Again, I will let you know when I get a reply OK
All The Best.
Vince.

[bx petrol auto saloon]

Dear All.
Firstly Thanks Tim, I totally agree I want to keep the car as original
as possible I just want the exhaust to last for the next 13 odd years.
I can,t think why it is I deserve to be treated like this I have
E-Mailed the people who were making the exhaust twice now, just letting
know the car has a cat on it, and could they let me know the revised
price, but no joy
Therefore is has left me no option but to try to find another supplier,
I have E-Mailed Longlife exhausts in Ashford. They kindly got back to me
today, they want £ 350.00 for a cat backwards exhaust, but this does
include fitting, which is really good. However it is a further £ 200.00 for
a frontpipe though.
I have E-Mailed P.D.Gough in Nottingham as well but they haven,t got
back to me as yet
I guess I will be putting the old one back on then again
Anyway All The Best.
Vince.