Downpipe - removal and possible upgrade question?

[Nathan Revill]

So, I was driving out of a car park the other day and BOOM, this metal slug in the floor ripped the flexi in half on the downpipe so I need a new one. Just for the part Audi quoted £250, Euro Car parts don't do one, so I was looking at getting a new flexi and welding it on, or buying a second hand exhaust off eBay, but I have the opportunity to add a de cat downpipe, so a few questions.

1. Do I really have to unbolt the drive shaft to the rear to remove the downpipe? I just cannot seem to get the exhaust out!
2. If I put on a de cat from ebay like this one, will it fail the next MOT, as I saw somewhere that says, if your car originally had a cat, it must have one to pass the MOT now, and would if fail on emissions?

If I do go down the welding a new flexi on, Anyone around Bournemouth want a few quid to weld it on?

Its a 99V turbo Quattro, currently mapped to 212BHP.

Thanks.

 

[Lemon S3]

Yes a decat will fail an MOT, your best best would be to get a sports cat or some people put the cat back on for MOT time but thats a bit of aggro in my opinion.

I don't know about how to change the DP as I've not done it before but if you use the search on here, you will prob find a guide on how to do it.

 

[<tuffty/>]

Should mention that the DP you have linked too isn't a straight fit for the A3 quattro... its for a fwd A3 which won't have the prop in the way... the A3 quattro uses twin cats like the S3 too but smaller bore..

<tuffty/>

 

[jay1601]

go de-cat. either just put the cat on for the MOT or if your friendly with a tester they will pass it for you

 

[actualeddie]

is it easy to switch cat on and off if you have the tools/time?

 

[<tuffty/>]

is it easy to switch cat on and off if you have the tools/time?

depends on the setup... using the A3 DP linked to above you would need both the decat and sports cat version of the centre section (would possibly have to buy 2 x DP's to manage that) then you swap between the two as you need to...

Of course that doesn't help if they decide to pull you over for a roadside spot check...

<tuffty/>