While I was under the car fitting a new steering rack I spotted a small hole in the CAT, it ended up being a big hole one cleaned up.





I traced out the shape on some paper and then transferred it to some sheet steel.















Did a bit of shaping




Tacked it in place and hammered it to fit snugly.





Welded it up.





Ground it down.




Started up the engine to test for leaks only to find another hole that ended up like this. I think I will need to find a new CAT soon.

 

Dang RD, I've said it before but can't help repeating myself...hats off to you for keeping your car on the road, you have had some PIA rust issues!

 

I've always thought Jaguar exhaust systems are poor quality but the CATS in particular are atrocious.

Even though my 2000 X308 was rust free, this is one of the CATS at 5 years old:



My 2001 and 2005 XK8's looked much the same.

I'm amazed the body of yours has outlived the outlet casting.

Graham

 

I just take my hat off to your fabrication skills Race D.

 

Will those spot repairs pass the MOT?

 

In theory, perhaps because it is now a modified CAT an not OEM, it should not pass. In the UK all cars post ~2001 may only use OEM "type approved" CATs.


However it is highly unlikely that any MOT tester would pick up on the repair to the OEM CAT or even spot if a CAT was not "type approved". I have passed two MOTs since I first repaired the CAT.


I spoke to a local exhaust fabrication shop about this need to only use "type approved" CATs on post 2001 cars, they said that they were concerned about this when the MOT test was changed, however they said that they have never had any customer complain about failing an MOT with a non "type approved" CAT.

 

I hope that no MOT testers are reading this - or else you know what will happen...................