two questions

1. the exhaust header pipe on my 90 240 is rusted near the front joint and needs to be replaced. does anyone have any experience with aftermarket pipes? they are much cheaper than the stock part but are they as good. or does it even matter?

2. is driving with a cracked/leaky header pipe pose any danger as far as exhaust fumes entering the interior of the car. besides being a bit noisy, the car runs fine and while i will eventually get the pipe replaced it's not one of my top priorities...but, obviously it will be if it's a danger.

thanks
grey 90

I cannot speak to all model years, but on our 1997 wagon, the OEM part was double-wall while the cheaper aftermarket part we priced was single-wall.

Double-wall keeps the exhaust hotter on it's way to the catalyst. There is a chance that the aftermarked part could fail state inspection if you happen to get an inspector who really knows old Volvos. (He wouldn't see any difference in emissions with the car sitting still).

On our original pipe, the inner pipe failed while the outer pipe was still intact. It sounded really annoying, but it was not leaking.

Hello!

I've recently replaced the header pipe. I purchased the one manufactured by BOSAL. Pretty much good quality for reasonable money. It was $77.46 + free shipping (www.APlusparts.com). Don't buy the header pipe from FCP Groton. They sell sloppily welded crap.

Sincerely,
Dmitriy.

I can't answer the first question about the cost of aftermarket pipes, but this is not a place to cut corners. Get it fixed now. A leaky exhaust does pose a danger to you; carbon monoxide leaking into the interior will kill you. If that doesn't get your attention, you may also eventually do damage to your engine if the leak is bad enough.

Ken

Ken's right. Fix it now, not later. As for the aftermarket pipes, I've had good luck with them on other cars. Plus, generally speaking the header pipe stays hot enough that rust isn't that big a problem. Generally speaking. It all depends where you live and what type of driving you do.
Richard
--
86 740T/87 745GLE/96 960 Wagon

thanks to all who replied to my query...i was 50/50 about the potential danger a.k.a. carbon monoxide but you guys just tilted the scale...thanks so much and what a great resource for new volvo owners...

cheers
grey90