Having had the Amuse repaired October 2006 it's now making a horrid rasping noise at around 3000 rpm, it's the gear change range for just getting through traffic.
I've not stopped driving the car and haven't had a chance to get under and check out what's going on other than to see the centre box is resonating quite badly.

My options are to remove and transport to Merc again and have another healthy bill or I was thinking if it would be possible to cut out the offending centre box. and connect the two ends with a straight pipe.



What effect would this have, apart from being a little louder, on the back pressures etc, would the engine deal with it or would I be walking into trouble.

I'm toying with trying it. I could do it as a temp fixing, get the centre off to Merc and then if the box is repairable and repaired take the car out to Merc, and drop the exhaust to have it welded back on or have 2 sleeves made that would allow the straight pipe out and the box back in, taken up with exhaust clamps?



I wonder if they have Titanium exhaust clamps?

 

If its only a clamp it does not need to be Titanium, does it?

Why pay for the extra expense hardly worth it for the sake of a gram or two

 

No, no need S/Steel would be fine.

 

If it is the centre box again I would just remove it and have a stright section welded. Amuse also do a dual version without the centre box - it will be a bit louder but not too unbearable.