Broken Cat...decisions decisions

B8 S4
#132

Wow, that sucks and I’m sorry to hear what is going on. I’m at a loss. The only thing you are running that is not on 1000’s of other cars is the Nuespeed exhaust. I’m just wondering if it is pushing back on the cat/test pipes or something similar.

I mean it’s happened with two different motor mounts and cat/test pipes where those would be the two most likely culprits, and anything else you are running is being run by literally 1000’s of people with no know similar issues. To West’s point, I could see how stiffening everything up could have an impact, but at the same time, I’d expect to see issues on more than one car. I only know of a few other cars with the Nuespeed exhaust, and I doubt they have all the same mods or track the car like you do. Either way, strange stuff.

#133

The milltek exhaust came in like 60 pieces that all hand be hand fitted, heat cycled, and retightened. It looked like quite a bit of work. They retail for $2650, plus or minus $100 depending on what tips you pick.

Does the neuspeed have the flexible section like this?

http://i58.tinypic.com/2r5ukhy.jpg

Here’s some other pics of the area Rob is having trouble with, from when I had my tranny out at JHM to do clutch/flywheel:

http://i61.tinypic.com/14w7rxj.jpg

http://i60.tinypic.com/v61yms.jpg

#134

I do have the 034 trans insert, would be very surprised if this was the reason.

Yea it’s pretty unfortunate. I understand that the factory cat failed a few years with 8 track events (APR stg 2 on all)…but I’m just really surprised that the JHM test pipes failed after 800 miles and 1 event. This happened during just plain old hwy driving.

My plan now is to get a different exhaust. Probably Milltek because I don’t want something that is untested and doesn’t have any value on the second hand market. I’ll stick with the test pips so I can try to DIY the install.

#135

I think the Milltek resonated version is probably a good match for the DSG and test pipes.

West, yes, the Nuespeed does have flex sections in the same or similar locations.

#136

If you want details of the neuspeed, check out my install thread on AZ, there are pics showing the flex joint

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/583814-3-0T-Neuspeed-Catback-Install-and-Impressions

#137

Mike, Man that sucks… I’m with Kris there has to be something causing this via stress from load on it or rattling or something… No way this should happen…

#138

Hi Mike

How are the mid-section exhaust hangers with your exhaust when it’s cold? Are they sort of maxed out as if the forward section is too long?

Wondering if as things heat up it tries to expand and puts more stress on the joint than it should. When first got my AWE installed I had things shifted such that that mid-section hangar was kind of stretched - was able to adjust the slip-joints to get it centered.

Maybe a Go-Pro mounted so that you can see what happens during a heat cycle?

Hope you get it all sorted…

#139

Confirmed that the test pipes failed at the exact same spot. Saw with the bore scope. Had a little trouble holding the scope, screen and phone to get a shot. But it looks the same as before. Gonna take the ak off and see if I can remove the test pipe.

Thanks for the help guys.

#140

The upside of catless pipes is you can run leaded fuel.

#141

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/16/8eb8e423194e1bb268b77e65fd57b877.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/16/0879ccaa4228a81b33a5b1a3c29e52a9.jpg

There are the hangers, pointed pretty much straight down…

#142

What do you mean ‘failed’?

If you buy a watch and smash it off a cement wall did it fail, or did you?

If you accidentally smash your car in to a brick wall at 30 mph and fuck the front end did your bumper’ fail’?

I don’t think I’d say it failed. I’d say something is fucked up on your car causing the problem… Not the parts failing.

#143

Yeah I don’t think you can possibly blame JHM here. The part is a conduit for something broken in your system.

#144

I said they failed because they did. Failed as in mechanically failed, as in mechanically broke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failure_causes#Mechanical_failure. Pretty simple if you ask me. I didn’t say that they were the root cause, or that other test pipes cats wouldn’t have had a problem. But for it to happen so soon is surprising. Especially on the road going 75 mph when before it was assumed that the cause was track driving and all that heat. Not sure why I can’t post those statements without you lecturing me?

When did I blame jhm? All I said was the test pipes failed (broke) and that I was surprised how quick this happened. I’m not putting any blame on them.

I just ordered the Milltek exhaust, so I am clearly taking steps to try and fix the problem…if you have a better suggestion - I’m all ears.

#145

Also, your analogies are fucking ridiculous. I didn’t smash anything or break anything on purpose. You are just sensationalizing it to point out that something else is wrong with my car. No shit. I installed them and used them exactly like they were intended.

#146

It would be nice to see exactly what is causing so much load and if it can be more pinpointed. Sux to hear it happened again.

#147

One thing I noticed while driving the car home with the broken test pipe was that when I lift while coming to a stop, the engine seemed to make a loud ‘pop’, almost like backfire loud. Maybe had to do with one bank being connected to the exhaust and the other bank being pretty much no exhaust. It’s always made cool noises while lifting, and I just figured timing was significantly retarded and some unburned fuel was getting into the manifold. I think the failure occurred while coming to a stop, so maybe this somehow played a role? I’m guessing more the straw that broke the camels back.

#148

How are my analogies not analogous? Where did I day the guy who smashed his watch or front end did so on purpose? When things cause something to break using the word ‘fail’ is a poor choice. This isn’t mech Eng 101. This is a ou pic forum.

You can pretend you aren’t blaming jhm or questioning their part all you want. It’s clear that this is what you did.

And I’m not lecturing you. Just letting you know you are using the wrong language and sound like a blamer.

#149

delete

#150

I didn’t read that as drob was blaming JHM. I read it as a dude that was frustrated as fuck with two pretty major failures (however you want to define that). Maybe because my job for the past 15 years was dealing only with technical problems, but that’s a failure in my book; and very clearly one not necessarily JHM’s fault. I mean, the part that failed in the basic sense of the word was the test pipe. Anyone reading that should also walk away with the idea that there are other forces at work that caused the failure (or at least I did…).

#151

This! I don’t think Mike is blaming JHM, just frustrated and I would be too…

Mike, hang in there bud you’ll get it sorted out…