I need a quick fix

[yangly18]

I own a '99 audi a4, which amazingly only has 120000 miles on it after 10 years. anyway, since its a british car the steering wheel is on the right side, not like this has anything to do with what i need help with.

I was driving around the other day and suddenly my car started to sound like a harley rumbling down the road. When I got back home I looked under the car to see what was wrong. Right where the header comes off the engine and connects to the cadillac converter there was a clean sever in my pipe. By the looks of it, it suggested that there was some kind of mechanical bond holding the two parts of the pipe together and it had fallen off. Now for the question. Would it be wiser to have the two halves welded together or just find the part that was holding them together in the first part and replace that?
Right now I'm looking for quick fix ideas that I could do just to make it less noisy, and remember this is coming right off the header so the pipes get extremely hot. I was going to try getting some pipe tape, but my local station here doesn't have any.

 

[strategic]

Depending on how quick of a fix you're after, you can purchase (if you don't have) metal shim and strap it on with hose clamps. If the pipes are clean (rust free-which they should be) just weld it together.

 

[mailpup]

If it was mine, I would replace the original parts that came with the car, if you can find them somewhere. If you weld the pipe to the catalytic converter, it will be a problem if you ever need to replace the converter in the future.

 

[ucould2]

quick fix sorry NO

I believe that things break really I do!! But in your case a quick fix is not going to be the solution as the problem was caused by something (you hadn't mentioned hitting or running over anything). One or more of your engine mounts is most likely torn through. Any welding would only serve to stem the noise a little until the next time you stomped on the GO pedal. I don't know the Make very well but other vehicle manufacturers have a woven metal gauze between the headers and the rest of the exhaust before the catalytic converter. This is called the FLEX-PIPE this is added to stop the exhaust from snapping when the engine mounts flex, this can hole causing noise as you described.

 

[daveleau]

A quick fix is only going to leave you wishing you hadn't wasted your time/money. If you (or you have someone) weld the header (the recommended of your two choices as installing a strap without welding it will not stay in place), then it is going to be expensive in either time or money and it is going to look like horrible. I would go with the advice above and replace it with a new header.

 

[Archean]

IMHO after 120,000 miles on the gauge, it deserves to be serviced with a new part. By the way, ucloud's point make lots of sense, and i'm wonder what did you ran over hmmm a squirrel with antlers?