Evening,

Anyone use the Walker downpipe, as opposed to Starla, for a late model 240 with the spin flange. How'd it feel and fit. Never used Walker, but there's always a first time.

Thanks,

Marty Wolfson

Proud member of the 300K club

I purchased a "Starla" center muffler for my 1990 240 DL last month from FCP and when it arrived, I scrapped off the Starla sticker, and "Walker" was stamped into the metal.

Oh my,

Is that stuff still going on. I researched the archives and apparently about 8 or so years ago, some of the BB'er were commenting about that same issue.

Had I purchased a Walker downpipe, I could have saved about $20. Wonder if the downpipe is a Walker-Walker or a Walker-Starla. How can a Starla be a Starla with a Walker sticker underneath. Is Walker made in Sweden, and what's the thrilling advantage of Swedish (as in Wilkinson's razor blades) steel if I should be so lucky as to see it show up in our exhaust system. Btw, I'm not really impressed with the Volvo exhaust, purported to be manufactured in Sweden, that only lasts about 4 years in the rust belt. Must be made in the US with a made in Sweden stamp over it. Don't get me goin' on the warranty business.

Posted below is the response (not my spelling) received from FCP to one of our BB brethren years ago:

"The brand is Starla and these are made in Sweeden. The Walker that you

see is the Sweedish Manufactured brand which is adifferent brand of Walker

that is available in the United States. Trust me, these are Sweedish Parts."

Please let me know if I was helpful.
Thanks,
Nick

Looking for answers not trouble,

Marty

Every Starla muffler i've seen (and that would seem like dozens over the years) has "Walker" embossed in the sheet metal under the Starla sticker. I believe Nick is correct about the Starla product being mfd in Sweden, but i'd still be curious to see a US made Walker side by side to compare.

On the downpipe topic I've lots of experience too, but none of it very helpful. My current theory is the day of the week your particular pipe was welded up has more to do with its suitability than the brand name.

Bruce reports getting quality parts from Volvo dealers.

-

Art Benstein near Islamorada

The second worm gets the early cheese...

Thanks guys,

I got cold feet on that Walker downpipe and ordered the Starla. I have a Rock Auto order getting ready and was going to lump that Walker in with it to save a few bucks on the downpipe, but I'm averse to messing around with ill fitting exhaust components.

There's a thin line between saving money and adding angst.

Marty

I've used walker parts once or twice. The quality isn't quite as nice as the Starla stuff, but I have no reason to complain.

You can tell that some of the pipes are standard elbows, bends, joints, etc. that have been welded together to male a pipe that might otherwise come as one piece from another source. That said, things have fit reasonably well, and haven't rusted into oblivion yet...

Walker-Starla is the same company from what I have seen. Then there is Bosal USA. The OEM downpipe was solid with heat shield and a thicker pipe, hence these aftermarket ones are louder and do not last very long either. The weld at the bracket where it mounts to the engine is what goes first. OEM not made anymore so you get what you pay for.

There was not much to the Starla down pipe but never compared. I lathered the mounting hardware with anti seize and double nutted thinking it will go as soon as a muffler pipe goes or sooner.

There is a seam weld half way down joining two lengths rusting nicely and I'm not in the rust belt.

Davico after market cat. shown.

Tom

I thought there are/were basically 3 types of pipe to cat joints, like this:

==cat pipe===(())====front pipe===
Non Turbo with 3-hole spin flanges on both cat and front pipes, with curved donut seal/gasket. My '93 940 NA is like this.

==cat pipe==( (====waste gate housing==
240 Turbo, no gasket, just one spin flange (can't remember which side it was on)

==cat pipe==]|[====front pipe==
Early 240? flat (fixed) flat triangle flanges, flat gasket

Maybe its the angle, but to me your FLAT Cat flange, with the curved sealing ring and a CONVEX flange at front pipe, is like this:

==cat pipe==]())====front pipe

I guess it can work if the curved donut is able to seal at the sharp-edged circle on the cat flange.


--
Bruce Young, '93 940-NA (current), 240s (one V8), 140s, 122s, since '63.

Good eye lucid. It looked odd to me too.

I recall that the cat was returned for the correct cat with a ==cat pipe===(())====front pipe===, OE style.

I remembered your flange modification photos.

Tom

Edit: The doughnut would not have worked on that cat flange.