When my car was on the lift at the dealer the other day, and the exhaust was dropped at the back, the tech pointed out a bracket was about to rust off. He said he there was a kit, so I went over to parts to get a price.

The guy knew exactly where to find it, without looking it up. Brings it out, says "it isn't rocket science, it is just a bracket," then tells me it is $66.

As I walked down the bays, I saw several other Volvo's with the same style hanger. They must commonly corrode and fail, if Volvo handles a clamp on bracket to replace it.

Oh for the days of my 850, which had a bullet-proof system that never showed corrosion.

FCP has the bracket for $40 (way to go, dealer), which I still haven't decided to buy.

Get a new bracket, if it falls off you won't need to worry about your muffler but the flex pipe portion of the down pipe behind the engine - $$$.

Also get a couple of new rubber hangers while you are ordering, and a cabin filter :) Might as well, you are going to need them.

My 850T rear bracket was ready to fall off when I replaced the muffler.

Klaus
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Two great Volvos, a 1967 220 and a 1998 V70R

Hello, Just for everybody's information there's a great pictorial write up on Volvoforums.com on the replacement of an exhaust manifold and flex pipe. I don't know if the flex pipe was seperate, on the manifold or part of the downpipe in this fellow's example. It might be a case of 6-of-one,half-a-dozen-of-the-other.
Here it is---->http://www.volvoforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44523
I'm biting my nails because I had to lower the rear of my exhaust system twice. Once to install a trailer hitch and again to get to my J hose. Next time I'm under the car I'll look to see where my flex pipe on my 2002 is fastened. "Keep on Flexin'". Kira

The flex pipe usually develops a crack due to neglected maintenance, ignoring a top engine mount failure or broken exhaust hanger, for an extended period of time. Not from lowering the exhaust when on a lift.

Kira, you should be in great shape. Have some iced tea and sit in the shade!

Klaus
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Two great Volvos, a 1967 220 and a 1998 V70R

I'm glad to hear this. Of course now I need to go replace the bracket before it breaks.

I was thinking along the same lines - the mechanic had the exhaust at quite an angle. I just replaced the firewall motor mount a month ago. Can't these people reengineer stuff that was poorly designed 10 years earlier??? It isn't like they had no warning. Yikes.

Gotta use up all of the parts they ordered!

If the same old parts were 'fixed' at the factory, the mechanics would have nothing to do...

Klaus
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Two great Volvos, a 1967 220 and a 1998 V70R