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I thought I heard an exhaust leak. I took my car in for a CV boot and they sent me this picture. It's interesting…it's the second flex coupling of my exotic car owning experience. My first was on my Lotus Esprit, there was the slight putt-putt exhaust leak from a stainless flex-coupling. I took it off myself, took it to a welding shop where the inexpert welder did nothing but burn a bigger hole and hand it back to me, "Can't be welded". I ended up buying a whole new exhaust system that bolted up and supposedly produced more power. Not a huge loss.
I thought I heard an exhaust leak. I took my car in for a CV boot and they sent me this picture. It's interesting…it's the second flex coupling of my exotic car owning experience. My first was on my Lotus Esprit, there was the slight putt-putt exhaust leak from a stainless flex-coupling. I took it off myself, took it to a welding shop where the inexpert welder did nothing but burn a bigger hole and hand it back to me, "Can't be welded". I ended up buying a whole new exhaust system that bolted up and supposedly produced more power. Not a huge loss.
Here's my new issue:
Hello British,
I had the same issue with my A8L W12, one started to leak, so I had a friend weld it up, worked great, but a little over a year later the other three started to leak, so I ordered all four from a seller in Poland iirc, then had a very good muffler shop install them along with making two new 2 into 1 pipes, therefore deleting the old 2 into 1 units that were in place.
Your issue is that unlike the Audi W12 setup were the flex/flange pieces bolt to the down pipes from the engine, meaning the flex pieces are not part of the downpipes, whereas the Bentley has the flex side welded and as part of the downpipe, with very little length before a bend right at the flex, so make sure you find the right person to weld the new ones in as to not shorten the exhaust pipes.
Bentley vs Audi setup.
Johnny
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Last edited by Johnny Hotspur GT; Dec 18, 2020 at 09:22 AM.
I am certain that they cracked the coupling sometime in the engine removal and replacement and it finally broke all the way through while I was driving it. Interestingly, since it's on the output side of the turbo, there isn't really much exhaust noise at all. My ear caught it, but it wasn't like a blown-out muffler.
That reminds me of a phone call my friend once made to buy an old Volvo, the seller said, "The muffin blowed out loud", to which my friend new EXACTLY to what she was referring, funny times.
Anyway, my independent does a lot of exotic car exhausts, they're going to use a non-Bentley part with a little fabrication, I think it will be fine. But as I look at the other picture, I think I see another crack starting too.
And to Johnny: I hope you know how much we all absolutely LOVE your pictures, please keep that up! I open my hood and it's just a plastic cover. Your pictures are cool as hell.
