Got it installed this summer. It was supposed to be a full SS system: mandrel bent Y, cat, mandrel bent B and muffler. Notice how the welding seams are all rusted - I never saw rusted seams on SS before... Overall, this looks like a lemon to me...

 

Damn!!! My 11yr old stock muffler doesn't look that bad....Looks like you got ripped...

 

Re-sizing the pictures wouldn't hurt either, but yeah, I agree that you've been had. the only thing that looks "stainless" on there is the pipe leading up to the muffler, heck, my 15 years old OEM muffler outter skin is rusted apart, but the inner wall are still very intact and are very functional.

 

looks like you got f*ed in the A**

 

Take it off and go beat the seller/shop manager with it

~Alex

 

chances are since the welds seem to be the most rusted part of the system
(as viewed in the pictures) whoever made the system didn't use a stainless weld material (like a stainless stick) and just used normal stuff to weld like steel..... which in turn would have caused the rust to spread onto actual stainless. it does happen.... reason when welding never touch stainless, aluminum etc... to steel or another metal that rusts....

 

I saw on the speed channel once one of those shows were putting on an exaust they welded some hangers on. It was SS and they welded steel hangers on. All they did was put some special primer on them that seals the metal. If they dont do anything for you Id try that.

~Alex

 

you got skrood, dude. that's NOT a stainless muffler. I can't tell if the pipe is from those shots or not, but I wouldn't assume they were.. the welds are definitely not stainless either, but that's fairly normal assuming you took it to a muffler shop for the install. they don't waste their time with stainless wire..

 

had my magnaflow on for 3 years now and no rust what-so-ever. go ask the shop to have a look at their "SS" muffler.

 

Ya man, you got the broom handle.

Like others have said, I still have the stock unit on my 93, and it doesn't look 1/4 that bad.

 

The shop that installed the system has manufactured it too. They specialize in SS systems for anything from cars to large trucks and buses and are supposed to know what they are doing.
My bet is they forgot/neglected to replace the MIG wire after working on a regular steel with SS wire and 'forgot' to choose an SS muffler for the system. The Y, B pipes and the cat still look mint and I am sure they are SS.

 

404 stainless muffler not found

 

i cant really make out what you got there, can i get a bigger picture with higher resolution please.

 

THats no doubt a cheap muffler. Remember that untreated welds will rust anway(i donno what to do about then... but somethin.)

I don't think the salted roads help much.

 

It looks like the only thing stainless on that exhaust system is the tip.

 

So have you taken it back yet?

~Alex

 

I had good luck with putting a few layers of clear coat on the welds for my exhaust... but my car is not exposed to salt like up north so i dont know if that would work.

 

304SS??...if you're gonna try to make it funny..at least get the technical part right

 

No, I have not straightened it out yet. Going there in a week or so. It's a place out of town.

 

404 is the number of the http: error.

I thought it was funny.

Dave

 

ahhh damn....now you know i'm not a computer guy
i stand corrected

 

salted roads kick exhausts ***

 

Just got off the phone with the company. Here is their account:

They put an 'automotive grade' SS on the cars, which is a 409 stainless.
This grade is supposed to rust on the outside and as soon as it is covered
with rust, the process will take 7-9 years to rust through.
He confirmed, that the muffler and the piping is made of the same material,
i.e. 409 stainless. It was his expectation that after 4 months the muffler
will be rusted the way it is. He said that the welding seams are supposed to
rust too. He went on saying that the muffler gets most of the heat as the
gases baffle inside and because of the highest heat the muffler will be the
most rusted part in the system.

I shall not be commenting on the above as yet and I would kindly ask the gurus for a comment.

 

Well Iron will rust no matter what.... Stainless 409 must have a higher percentage of Iron on the surface, hence the rust.

I'd recommend taking the system off by yourself, get some acid and wash the rust off, then rinse off the acid/dry it. Paint it with High-temp BBQ Rustoleum for some rust prevention and reinstall.

-Brian

 

Check the following link for properties of 409SS:

http://www.principalmetals.com/prope...&MetalName=409


The weld was most likely improperly done. Elevated temperature has caused "thermal notching" of the stainless by burning out most of the carbides in the vicinity of the weld. They should have heat treated the welds to stabilize them.

bob

 

I am still puzzled as to why the piping looks shiny and the muffler is rusted like a regular nail thrown onto the ground. If what they were saying was true, should not have the pipes rusted by now?

 

The piping is probably a cheap stainless. The welds probably are not made with stainless wire, or were done improperly. (It's the chromium mixed in steel that makes it stainless - if you weld stainless wrong, the chromium un-mixes and leaves little grains of steel that will rust). That's why the welds always rust first.

As for the rust visible on the other parts, add high temps and corrosive elements like salt, and even stainless can rust. What may look shiny after 100k in the south may be rusty in 20k in the north if driven in winter. More expensive stainless material is more rust resistant, but requires more expensive weld wire and a better welding process.

Dave

 

What about their point that the muffler is the hottest part of the system?
I am having the hardest time attributing rust on the muffler to the temperature
of the gases inside.
Compare it to the temperature of the cat and according to their logic,
the cat is supposed to be rusted to a much greater measure. Am I missing anything?

 

If the cat is made from a different and better material, it will rust less even though it runs a little hotter, and the welds will be less likely to rust. As well, the cat usually has a heat shield to help protect it from direct exposure. So there are yet more variables to consider.

I'm not trying to diagnose this case, just explain what the various factors are and why so many muffler-shop welded 'stainless' systems rust.

Dave

 

Looks like you need to do a Jim Carey/ Mask workout on the seller....

 

They contended all the parts are made of 409 including the cat.

 

well since they say itll last 7-9 years without rusting through... do they have that warrenty foor 7-9 years??????........ if i were you id tell them to take all of that rust off and paint it black with high temp heat just like 1992maxman said....

 

 

that's why i'm getting a greddy...

 

409 is a low-end stainless that's designed to work well in auto exhausts. It's got a low chromium content for a stainless - and according to this source, it will rust at the welds and get minor corrosion on the surfaces. So it will last a long time and be easy for them to fabricate, but it won't be shiny.

http://www.azom.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=969

Dave