What to look out for in buying a used exhaust?
 

Buying a n1 invidia ti tips exhaust 2nd hand

Anything i should be looking out for prior to buying?

Worn or odd shaped flange boltholes or cracked welds will show it was loose or improperly installed.
Scrapes or dents (of course)
Abnormal rust patterns.

Holes in the sides are bad. Holes in the ends are ok.

Holes in the ends are generally regarded as required although I am sure there is at least one person on here that would debate that.

I'm looking at a used catback that has normal rust patterns. Those are ok, right?

Yeah that's fine. It's that really red rust from leaky blinker fluid that you need to look out for.

That would be me.

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...products_id=42

seems legit
http://kalecoauto.com/images/400x300...7Hb6khzaNn.jpg

As long as there isn't one shaped like Jesus you should be fine!


http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk...-116455977.jpg

Guess I should clarify what I mean by "abnormal rust". Parts that are supposed to be stainless should have no rust at all. If they do then you may not be getting what you are being told you are. Also any welded joint may have a small colour change or even a light coating of rust but if the coating is heavy or extends more then a short distance down the pipe it may have been overheated during welding.

Article on stainless steel rusting:
http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/Rust.pdf

Excellent article. Speaking of "free iron," this reinforces one of the corrosion control practices I learned long ago in the Navy: Never use a wire brush on anything but untreated steel/iron. Ceramic abrasives are electrically neutral and therefore do not promote pitting.

Scotch‑Brite™ for the win.

But wouldn't that make it the holy grail of exhaust systems?

Mice living in the muffler