bent exhaust pipe - Range Rover Sport

[Rambalam]

Hi all

I am new to the site but gaining heaps of of useful information on my new car a Buckingham Blue 2006 RRS 2.7 turbo diesel. Found the car great for towing, first week I had it towed a 2.5 tonne boat to Exmouth and back from Perth and it performed flawlessly with good economy. Have come from a Toyota Prado and am a happy convert to the Land Rover brand :)

I hope to contribute to the forum and will post some pics once I get the vehicle off road. I also plan to attend a GOE seminar to learn more about its off road capabilities.

Anyway, quick question I am hoping someone can help me with. I jacknifed a trailer today in a rush and bent one exhaust pipe into a rubber/metal looking block on the inside of the exhaust. Other than that there is minimal damage to the back bumper which I was able to cable tie as a fix.

I can't seem to get the exhaust to bend back away from the rubber/metal block. This block appears to be there for a reason and I am not sure what its purpose is. I am planning to leave it as is but want to make sure doing so is not going to cause damage to the vehicle.

Could the block be the bumpstops I have heard people mention in the forum? And is so would it matter if one of the exhausts is touching it? I have driven about 50kms since the incident and there are no issues with performance.

Anyway thanks for reading and look forward to learning from you all.

Cheers
Phil

[~Rich~]

This block you are talking about might be one of the harmonic balances that hang over the rear chassis on both sides, they pivot on an asix. They help with NVH levels. As long as the exhaust pipe is not closed off too far you should be ok to drive around before getting it fixed.
( The blocks also designate your car as being male!)

[Rambalam]

Hi Rich

The block I was talking about probably is the harmonic balancer as it does rotate/pivot on an axis. The exhaust resting on it may restrict this movement. Apart from designating the car as a male what does this balancer do? and what will it affect if it cannot pivot?

Sounds like I will need to get the exhaust fixed. The exhaust was bent almost closed but I managed to bend it to about 80-90% open with no noticeable affect on performance.

Thanks for your response.

[~Rich~]

As I understand they help "balance" the car - giving you the magic ride these cars enjoy. No I won't give you any issues until you get the exhaust fixed.
;)

[Graeme]

If the exhaust is vibrating against the block then see if it can be temporarily tied back or forward away from the exhaust.

[gghaggis]

The blocks help reduce vibration through the chassis. If it's not free to move, the worst that can happen is you'll notice a "harsher" ride and maybe a bit of noise.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Rambalam]

Thanks all for your input.

Driving around today and getting a fair bit of vibration and noise from the exhaust resting on the block so will go to a muffler place on Monday to see if I can get it realigned.

Cheers
Phil