Can this snapped cat be welded?

[the_old_diver]

Good Morning. A friends 1996 Audi A4 B5 1.9 TDI (AFN I think) developed noisy exhaust and examination shows it has snapped off just after the cat element. The converter is quite new - still has paper label on it and while maybe 5% of the holes in the gauze are blocked (haven't touched them) and I am wondering if it is less than rocket science to weld the thing back together ?

The pain is that I cannot reach the cat's bottom flange with my mere human arms so was thinking of sacrificing - chopping off - the £11 connecting pipe between the cat and the centre silencer and bolting the rewelded cat to a new connecting pipe before offering this up to the turbo outlet flange. I figure it will be easier to join the connecting pipe to the centre silencer under the car than trying to get the connecting pipe / cat flange bolted up.

Is this a dumb idea? I only have a domestic garage, trolley jack and axle stands to access under the car. Poverty is an element here. Exhaust place wants £160 to replace cat and connecting pipe, parts place will sell new cat and connecting pipe for £84, but if cat can be welded back together I could get by with just a new £11 connecting pipe plus the cost of the welding.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions / advice.

Bad end.jpgGood end.jpg

[Eshrules]

erm, I'm the king of bodges so don't get me wrong when I say this but - not a cat (ha!) in hells chance of repairing that. Get a new cat, fit it and live happy.

£84 for a new cat is cheap, if that isn't affordable I'd take the car off the road until you can afford to replace it.

No doubt someone will be along soon to suggest a homebrew decat.

[Issac Hunt]

Its not easy to weld rust you know! Seriously though, even if you can find someone to weld it (who will want money for doing it) I dont think it is going to last very long.

Few weeks at best maybe? With winter approaching I'd cough up for a new one. From your post, its not that dear and it'll give you a reliable car. You'll be cursing your bodging when it snaps in the snow at -10 and leaves you stranded.

[the_old_diver]

Thanks, Isaac.
There is no rust at all actually - it is a plain fracture of solid metal with soot covering it. Still, the consensus seems to say "no" to welding and my MIG is out of gas anyway so I guess it's a new cat. I think I might have to remove the next pipe to get at the bottom cat flange though :-(

Cheers.

Isaac... what a username :-)

[NickPicks]

Isaac... what a username :-)

That's his real name.

[the_old_diver]

That's his real name.

Oops, apologies...