SJ Stainless exhaust rattles

[dans]

Hi all, would appreciate your comments on a rattle i'm getting from my exhaust.

Fitted a SS sports exhaust from Sj Sports cars last year. Then had a rattle coming from the silencer within a few weeks ( confimred by the garage that fitted it). SJ sent me a replacement silencer which was swapped over and seemed to solve the problem. But a couple of months ago the rattle started coming back and is now driving me nuts. Have spoken to SJ and they are a bit PO as it seems the manufacturer could finding nothing wrong with the first one I sent back . Having talked to the manufacturer it seems the best course of action is to drive to them to get it checked out by them on the car... unfortunately this is about 1 1/2 hrs each way.

Wondered if anyone here might have an opinion on what might be causing the rattle, before I drive all the way there for them to point out something very obvious!!!!

The rattle seems to occur reguarly at ~3500rpm, as if it is some kind of resonance. Below is the link to a video that should give an idea of the sound. First I pulled away and it sounded ok to me. Then i drove past in 2nd gear at about 3500rpm, the noise makes me cringe!!! The rattle is fairly obvious in the stationary revving at the end.

Good excuse for poncing around on a sunny evening with the car and video camera though!!!
No dodgy tunes on this vid though!!
http://gallery.goatnet.co.uk/albums/Lot ... xhaust.mpg

Cheers,
Dan

[Specky]

I don't think it's what you want to hear,
but I think you've blown a baffle in the back box... my old box used to do it and it rattled more the hotter the exhaust system..

it doesn’t sound like it's vibrating against the car..


Hope you get resolved

[Rambo]

I think you've blown a baffle too. The resonance is very noticeable when you are revving the engine whilst stationary. Happened to me with a cheap exhaust on a Saab many moons ago

Mark

[dans]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Just keep my fingers crossed for a nice day to drive down to see them. They seem more than happy to do as much as is needed to fix it.

Cheers,
Dan

[Rambo]

Also, many moons ago, I purchased an "NSU 50 Quickly" moped off a turkey farmer for the princely sum of £1. It was anything but quick and the exhaust rattled like hell at its max speed of 35 mph. Being a curious teenager, I removed the exhaust and found that the internal welds holding the baffle on to the back box had snapped and so I decided to remove the guts completely.

Didn't make the bike go any quicker but it made a throatier roar. Oh, the joys of youth

Mark

[dans]

Think there might be a warranty issue if I cut it open so I'll prob leave that as a last resort...!!

Mine also seems to get worse as the exhaust warms up.

Dan

[Avonvilla]

Think my SJ had devolped exactly the same fault in a matter of a few monthes ! Did you ever get any joy in resolving this Dans ? Where is the manufacturer based ?

[dans]

Hi,

Met up with the manufacturer, 2 wks ago. They had a look at the exhaust on the car and couldn't fault the installation. They then took it of and put it on the test rig. They could pick up a definite resonance around 3500rpm apparently. They did cut the exhaust open but could find nothing wrong internally.
What they said to me was that certain cars and certain exhausts can hit a resonace where the stainless can cause this sort of rattle, something they come across from time to time. Reading between the lines I took this as, "they don't know why it rattles but it does, sometimes more on certain cars and some owners are more fussy than others".
They suggested that they could replace the silencer again, but as I had already had it replaced once, the chances where that it would do the same again. They therefore recommended that instead of the straight through one they fit a standard baffled one.
This is now on the car, and there are no problems with the rattles anymore. However, it doesn't have the nice note that the straight through one had, and there is a significant power loss due to it. Can't put figures to it but it feels like there is more lag now, and less mid range acceleration.
All in all, they were very very helpful and spent a about an hour and half sorting it, all FOC, including replacing the silencer. However, i have been left dissapointed, having spent a significant amount of cash, but not received the system I was aiming for.
I'm gonna see how this system goes for now but will prob look to replace the silencer in the future, possibly looking at something like the Peco system.
The manufacturer is based in Devon, I'd contact SJ to discuss this. Or PM and I can give you the details.

Dan

[Monty]

Dans,

Sorry to hear of the trouble your having with SJ`s system, Since u`ve got a new silencer why not sell u`r system on here and go for the Peco system. I`m sure there are members on here who will buy as it`s very close to stock system.

[Avonvilla]

Hi,

Met up with the manufacturer, 2 wks ago. They had a look at the exhaust on the car and couldn't fault the installation. They then took it of and put it on the test rig. They could pick up a definite resonance around 3500rpm apparently. They did cut the exhaust open but could find nothing wrong internally.
What they said to me was that certain cars and certain exhausts can hit a resonace where the stainless can cause this sort of rattle, something they come across from time to time. Reading between the lines I took this as, "they don't know why it rattles but it does, sometimes more on certain cars and some owners are more fussy than others".
They suggested that they could replace the silencer again, but as I had already had it replaced once, the chances where that it would do the same again. They therefore recommended that instead of the straight through one they fit a standard baffled one.
This is now on the car, and there are no problems with the rattles anymore. However, it doesn't have the nice note that the straight through one had, and there is a significant power loss due to it. Can't put figures to it but it feels like there is more lag now, and less mid range acceleration.
All in all, they were very very helpful and spent a about an hour and half sorting it, all FOC, including replacing the silencer. However, i have been left dissapointed, having spent a significant amount of cash, but not received the system I was aiming for.
I'm gonna see how this system goes for now but will prob look to replace the silencer in the future, possibly looking at something like the Peco system.
The manufacturer is based in Devon, I'd contact SJ to discuss this. Or PM and I can give you the details.

Dan

Thanks for the info even if it's not what i wanted to hear I'll be phoning SJ tomorrow and see what they say, i had the entire system and by the time it was fitted etc wan't a cheap option but seems to have lots of issues i'm nowhere near Devon either !

[Avonvilla]

hi Dan,
to be honest with you Dan i bought the front stainless section
from sj and have had problems with the fitting, i carnt get it to clear the crossmember so not only do i get a rattle i get a headache,i carnt get around it any other way but to cut and re weld the flange so i have the car parked up waiting for the peco system to evolve. i never sent it back to sj after how much postage, time taking it off etc etc. yes p****d off but
dont feel on your own about this system.

My exhaust guy had loads of hassle fitting a supposed made to measure system, he ended up bending it into the right shape to fit, he also squished out the squish and it still fitted fine so why they bother with it is a mystery. Starting to feel really let down by SJ.

[Avonvilla]

NEWS

Well what a great service from SJ and the manufactures double s..............not !

Phoned SJ, polite guy tells me in a very nice way nothing they can do, the back box needs to go to the manufacturer, i tell him it's on my car, my only car and that i didn't fit it and wont be changing it he says theres no other option, i ask for manufacturers details and call them.

Spoke to nice woman on phone, mentioned Dan and she remembered, said basically the same as SJ excpet she was trying to help in saying i could buy a back box alone then once i had it swap them over and send the old one back for a refund. Ok not ideal but a compromise me thinks, she stated that she wants to talk to people there first as she doesn't want them to get it back and then say no fault with it like they did with Dans so she says she'll call me back. Doesn't.

I call next day get a guy, says the woman is on a day off, i tell him the story and he wont do anything except expect me to return my box for "testing" or me go to him ( yeah right essex to devon ! ). I then talk about Dan and he says that Dans system was fine, no problems on or off the car and that Dan bought the wrong system and the noise was because it was a sports box ! he then says it sounded like i have bought the wrong box too ! I indicate strongly that he is talking shite and that this is a faulty back box full stop and asked if he was calling Dan a liar to which he responded yes. He just wont budge on this even thou i only got it in January.

Now really fed up i speak to SJ again to at least give them the option of rectifying a customers problem before i let it be known to avoid SJ exhausts and Double S exhausts at all costs ! So get another guy, other guy on day off again ! tell him the story, again appologetic but not interested, i tell him about the womans idea to buy one and swap it and he says thats not gonna work as when they get it back they will either repair or replace and not refund ! I ask him what am i supposed to do and he says send the back box back, ask him about how i get my car back from exhaust fitter and what i use to drive in the meantime and he cant care less.

So i really dont know what to do or believe anymore except it is clear to me SJ Sportscars and Double S Exhaust are only interested in your cash and not interested in rectifying defects in there own products. I got the distinct feeling these are known faults to both companies but they are trying to pass the buck so they dont suddenley get 100 exhausts back.

[Monty]

U should of kept the other system LOL,

Well thats great customer sevice Not! SJ`s should be responsible sending u a replacement and they should send it back to the manufacture. Maybe time for a Peco

[Avonvilla]

MORE NEWS

Well today the lady from double s calls me up, knows nothing of the previous days antics. She says to me she will supply me with a back box for a "discounted" price and then i will have to pay to return my one for testing. If they find nothing wrong ( which lets face it even if they do they will lie as is there current track record ) they will just send it back to me and i will have paid for another, good marketing !

I tell her about yesterday and she very quickly gets shirty, the mention of Dan riles her even more and she then states that there was nothing wrong with Dans and that he had bought the wrong one and that they were such a great company in changing his out of the goodness of there heart. She then says that maybe i or Dan was supplied with the wrong one, she asks if i have an Se or an S2 and tells me loads of kak about there's a differance, she then hangs herself at the end by saying the S2 in normally aspirated

They are running scared imho, they know theres a problem and dont want to admit it, she even hinted at that in our conversation.

I dont want to give them any more of my money or SJ for that matter so wont be going down that route, i will be taking legal advice on my options.

AVOID DOUBLE S & SJ SPORTSCARS EXHAUSTS
there customer service sucks balls and in my opinion so does there ill fitting and badly designed product.

[Avonvilla]

U should of kept the other system LOL,

Well thats great customer sevice Not! SJ's should be responsible sending u a replacement and they should send it back to the manufacture. Maybe time for a Peco

Theres always someone aint there lol

I would go for the Peco but i hated the noise of my 2.25" thats why i went for the SJ in the first place and the posts indicate the Peco is quite loud and fruity

[Dico]

I have'nt checked if you have already, but if you have'nt perhaps make a post in the 'service' section voicing your concerns.

I'll be doing just that......... once i've been refunded

TOSSERS the lot of em!!

[johnbenk]

Hi

Yes the Peco Big Bore is fruity but the FUN FACTOR gets better now that it has got some carbon build up in the tail pipe, the noise gets better.

Try driving through an "underpass" with the hood down, my bet is you will
turn round and drive back through just to hear the NOISE.

Its Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr T

[Avonvilla]

Hi

Yes the Peco Big Bore is fruity but the FUN FACTOR gets better now that it has got some carbon build up in the tail pipe, the noise gets better.

Try driving through an "underpass" with the hood down, my bet is you will
turn round and drive back through just to hear the NOISE.

Its Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr T

LOL Just not my thing mate sorry lol

[dans]

Hi, sorry to hear your grief... been there!

I got on well with the guys at Double S, they were helpful and polite. Although they did insist on seeing the exhaust in the car.
I had no probs getting the exhaust to fit though.
There certainly seemed to be a few comments that indicated that I was being fussy and they were changing it as favour, but then they still cut it open to inspect it, and made comments that "it was a problem on some cars" whether that meant some models or some Elans I couldn't get out of them.

IMHO the sports sounded sporty, until it hit 3500rpm and then it started sounding like significant bits of the car were falling out behind you. There is no way a proper performance exhaust should do that, unless its on the back of a Saxo with a bean tin cable tied to the back of it!

To top it all off I am now getting some odd noises from the exhaust when changing gear.... <sigh>.......

As monty suggested... think I'll look at changing the silencer in the future, but it will be a while before I save up the pennies now. Especially as I reckon I spent an extra £100 changing the silencers i had from SJ.