I've just had a full exhaust upgrade except the back box as this had a prodrive fitted last year. was told it would take between half an hour or 3 hours max if there were problems. I phoned up to pick it up and he said it took 10 hours, apparently it was the uppipe that took all the time, he had to lift the engine etc.
The car is a 2005 wrx, has anyone else had these problems ?
To be fair the guy was a star and only charged me £145, where he could have charged £400.

 

where did you get it done for a full exhaust that seems cheap? including up-pipe too?

 

stan palmers in carlisle did mine in 2 hours

where in cumbra are you ?

Cumbrian Scoobs :: Index

 

Two hours to do the full exhaust system from headers back?

 

10 hours to do the job and then doesn't charge for 6.5 hours of it - he ought to stick to the day job.

 

If I changed a full exhaust system on a scooby (rusty threads on bolts etc..) i'd want at least 400 pounds for doing it, sorry mate. Wait till you get your car mapped? If you think the exhaust change is expensive!

 

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From personal experience, an exhaust change does NOT take 10 hours, even with rusted bits. If it gets that bad then a trusted cutter comes out rather than fudging around for hours and getting nowhere.
A ten year old system will take longer, but in this case its on an 05 car.

 

I'd don't think you'd get much business at those rates

 

Two hours? Trusted cutter that can cut the up-pipe bolts off a turbo? Where do you put the cutter? 05 is 3 years worth of heat expansion and rust. I'd love to see you do the job in 2 hours though.

 

So I take it you've also been charged 10 hours for an exhaust swap?

 

I did and was surprised by the map graph considering the mods you've done. Was that deliberate? Seems low 312bhp, only 24 above standard or did I read it wrong?

 

I did it myself. But the 2 hours is bullsh!t.

 

took me 4-5 hours without a break no ramp with rusty bolts not a nice job at all.

 

Mikkel -that graph comes from Ecuteks Road Dyno which reads wheel power - a loss factor has to be added. The 312 hp was a spike and the true peak power was nearer 280 hp - meaning a flywheel hp of about 340. It's the torque which really makes the car - about 390 lbft.

Mart - I also took about the same time to do mine the first time. My point is that a garage with a 2 post ramp and all tooling facilities can have the ***** to say it took 10 hours and £400 is taking the pi$$ or incompetent.
In real time, 10 hours at a garage is 2-3 days so I'm wondering what the OP thought about what had happened to his car?

 

Still a sh!tty job that you would not want to do? Ok 10 hours is taking the p!ss but at a proper garage, they work on other cars and have tea breaks. I bet a Subaru garage rates would be more like 120 pounds an hour. You know as well as I do that if a stud is rusted in then it needs drilling out, that's all I'm saying.

 

Its quicker for me to remove, and refit the engine, than it is for them to change an exhaust system.....

I done that last Saturday...so pleased I work on my own cars!

 

It was a local garage, as I said it was the uppipe that caused all the problems. To be fair he's not a scooby specialist, but nobody is in Barrow-in furness !! If I lived in a decent area I'd go bankrupt with mods !!!!!!!!!! Or just buy a MR FQ 340 which hopefully is my next car !!!!!!!

 

It's not that hard just take your time and have the correct tools and your laughing.

Try changing a slip jointed exhaust then you'll have something to complain about.

 

Can someone actually clarify what parts are awkward? I take it, if you get a decat downpipe, thats a ball ache? also the decat up pipe? is the remaining easy? Centre section and backbox

 

jmckella you should log onto www.CumbrianScoobs.co.uk - website of the Subaru in Cumbria there are plenty of lads down your neck of the woods who would have sorted it for you from the club.

 

I've just joined but haven't got around to introducing myself yet.

cheers.

 

we dont bite lol

 

Jmckella on the wrx well bugeye model anyway,one of the cats is in the uppipe to remove it after undoing the bolts at the turbo you have to loosen the engine mount jack the engine up a couple off inches so you can pull down and twist the uppipe round to get it out putting a decat in is easier because it isnt as wide due to there being no cat in it.

 

10 hours for a exhaust swap wtf ...old system off in 10 mins max with cutter,up pipe ,soak in wd40 then leave for an hour or 2 while getting on with other jobs (so they can'y really charge for your labour)...sounds like incompidenc to me...i've just had the engine out & striped myself (93 wrx with 93 tho on the clock) what needed wd was the heat sheilds,everything includind exhaust & header nuts came of as soft as grease....it still amazes how gulible (scared to have a go themselfs) some subaru owners are!!!!!

 

How long would you give max?????????

 

Did mine myself on drive up ramps with a good socket/spanner set, took me bout 8 hours with t n *** breaks, piece of pi$$, 10 hours in a fully equiped workshop with qualified mechs/techs seems more than a little excesive IMO

 

i take you have never changed an up pipe on a subaru turbo

 

We would estimate 4 hours for full system and up-pipe on a newage, assuming all the OE heatshields were in place, which form the bulk of the job. We a few paticular tools to allow easier access to some of the downpipe nuts, and if not going an up-pipe it is possible to swap a full exhaust on a car without OE heatshields and an FMIC in under an hour.

However it's entirely possible even on a newish car for a nut to gall or seize, or a turbo stud to snap, then it's anybody's guess. But on the flip side, we've done old classics that have never had the exhaust disturbed, we've expected hell and they've been easy.

 

i sure have...

 

then you should set up business then, doing exhaust systems in 10 mins would earn you a fortune