Stainless Steel Exhaust

McDonald

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I'm thinking that when the exhaust needs replacing on my R230, I might buy a stainless steel one. I intend to keep the car long-term and imagine it's the most durable option. I have no desire to get away from standard spec. No noise ambitions. No performance issues. Just durability.

Any advice or information about cost would be welcome.
 

flowrider

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Isn't the exhaust already stainless steel?
 
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McDonald

McDonald

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If it is, that's very good news. I'll take a look tomorrow.

Any idea what it costs to replace, if necessary?
 

John Laidlaw

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Afaik they are stainless - not sure on cost but you can probably enter on the kwik fit site for an idea ( not that I’d suggest buying from them )
 
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McDonald

McDonald

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Excellent, thank you.
 

Headhurts

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On my previous car I hit the exhaust on a ramp quite hard, I asked the dealership to check and they invited me into the workshop to see where it was hit.

There was a tiny dent on edge of silencer, the exhaust looked extremely sturdy and I remarked a system must be expensive, he said they are but they very rarely have to change them.

Not sure of the material but thinking about it years ago I used to change exhausts regularly but these days they seem to last for ages.

Robin
 

DREAMER NO2

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If a new one is needed i would look for a local stainless steel silencer manufacturer .And cut out the middle man .Or just pay extra for the right one from Mercedes and hope it is genuine.
 

jp williams

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I'm thinking that when the exhaust needs replacing on my R230, I might buy a stainless steel one. I intend to keep the car long-term and imagine it's the most durable option. I have no desire to get away from standard spec. No noise ambitions. No performance issues. Just durability.

Any advice or information about cost would be welcome.

If your current exhaust is already stainless steel, then it is unlikely to need repair.What will need repair/replacing are the brackets and fittings which will not be stainless steel.
Contact Tony Banks of Leeds for costs of providing and fitting a new exhaust system should your existing one not be stainless steel.
 

LostKiwi

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Any PowerFlo stockist should be able to sort you very easily for anything that needs doing.
My own powerflo guy is excellent and is Ant at ARO Exhausts near Aylesbury but he is typically booked up 3 weeks ahead.
 
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McDonald

McDonald

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Thanks All, I have no problem with the exhaust system at present. I was musing on an 'upgrade' when the time came. Now I find that Mercedes Benz 'upgrade' the system as standard.

I read a lot of criticism on this forum but from my point of view, MB make wonderful cars. They are made of thousands on complex components and of course there are issues, but they are more than the sum of their parts.
 

bembo449

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saved yourself a good few quid by asking on here pal , I cant ever see you needing a new system , a cat if that decides to go but the rest of it should see the life of the car out
 

Submariner1

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Thanks All, I have no problem with the exhaust system at present. I was musing on an 'upgrade' when the time came. Now I find that Mercedes Benz 'upgrade' the system as standard.

I read a lot of criticism on this forum but from my point of view, MB make wonderful cars. They are made of thousands on complex components and of course there are issues, but they are more than the sum of their parts.

If you are OCD buy some Barkeepers friend in homebase, ( horrendously cheap at £2.83 ) get a white non abrasive scouring pad and wet it, and dip in BKF. Rub one of the exhaust tubes ... he he you will be amazed!
Certainly shows its shiny shiny stainless ...

( best to rinse off thoroughly afterwards LOL).

And it repassivates the Stainless. In dumb dumb language ... it leaches out the ferrous ( brown rusty ) content on the skin of the stainless ... delivering a higher chromium % on the skin of the tube, this then skins over in the atmosphere more like a 316 Marine grade SS than the lower 406 grade its actually made of.

Dont let the wife see ... or it will be nicked off you to do the sink!

Turns manky rusty exhaust like this
18792801-1C86-40A0-99A7-7AA7FC89EFED.jpeg

Into presentable and longer lasting cleaner exhaust tubes
67AD5276-936F-4A05-9650-341C5835F2B9.jpeg

And then, as it was a project to bring the car up to the standard, that I would keep it in, like my other bought new SL500s. Then add A new EPB Heat Shield (spray painted for durability) and a couple of SS Bolts ...
And Ta Da!

167A355C-15EA-4205-B0D2-A661381CBDCA.jpeg

Very Sad eh!
But now the whole car has been made over .. imo its a bit nicer :(:(

And its stayed silver coloured like SS since September 2016 ...
 
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DREAMER NO2

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Just to say the first owner had a S/S fitted in 2001 and 17 years later and it is still as good to day ,other than one - J clamp i had to replace for rust ,it was not stainless steel .
 
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