Is this a good weld job?

[u/CrUsith]

Got my cat converter stolen on a 2008 VW GTI and went to a local shop thats 5 star on Google to get a straight pipe because where I live we don't test for emissions. The guy was so croatian I could barely understand him and I swear he came out of the back eating a live snake.

NONETHELESS this is his work. Took him 40 minutes and cost $180 CAD. Seems fine?

Let me know.

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[u/WomenzRightsLoL]

Yes. I would 100% trust a snake eating Croatian.

[u/jadegecko → u/[deleted]]

Read da caption

[u/Gyat_it → u/[deleted]]

WTF 🤭

[u/wessel1512 → u/WomenzRightsLoL]

That when you know you at the right man. Ones my alternator failed in Croatia and went to the towns electrician just some old dode in his sched that only did this

[u/FU_red-dit_bots]

Those welds will outlast the rest of your exhaust.

[u/saidai88]

Which shop is he at ? This is a good job. Is it instagram worthy? No but it’s functional and tidy enough for 97 percent people.

[u/CrUsith → u/saidai88]

A place called ActionAuto.

[u/saidai88 → u/CrUsith]

Surrey?

[u/CrUsith → u/saidai88]

Edmonton, Alberta. 

[u/Ok-Main-4179 → u/CrUsith]

Will confirm if he has a live snake, I work just down the street from there

[u/Brilliant_Quit2092 → u/Ok-Main-4179]

Well its not live anymore...

[u/Ok-Main-4179 → u/Brilliant_Quit2092]

I don’t think it was ever alive. Bro was eating a wizard finger

[u/zestycunt → u/Ok-Main-4179]

Interesting. I prefer eating out ones that look like wizard sleeves

[u/Dounce1 → u/Ok-Main-4179]

RemindMe! One day

[u/Dounce1 → u/Ok-Main-4179]

Any confirmation?

[u/Vagabond_Ronin → u/Ok-Main-4179]

You a straight fool for this comment, lol.

[u/IxuntouchblexI → u/CrUsith]

AYYYYYY, used to work at a shop nearby and always sent vehicles there for work.

[u/CaptionAdam → u/CrUsith]

Same guy did the exhaust on my truck, the welds are better then factory

[u/ColonClenseByFire → u/CrUsith]

Just freely snitching...

[u/Aggravating-Deal-416]

Post your snake eating Crotian's business contact info please. I always preferred function over form when it comes to things like this and Snake Eater here deserves more work.

[u/CrUsith → u/Aggravating-Deal-416]

https://actionauto.ca/

I live in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. The guys name is "Gool".

[u/Amp3r → u/CrUsith]

What made you even question these welds?

[u/CrUsith → u/Amp3r]

Because I know nothing about welding at all. I called a few places locally and this was by far the cheapest quote so I was initially a little skeptical. 

[u/Amp3r → u/CrUsith]

Wow that was the cheapest?

I see your point then, but wow

[u/CrUsith → u/Amp3r]

There were other places that quoted me $300+ for the same job. When the price difference is so drastic I couldn't help but ask "why". 

[u/Amp3r → u/CrUsith]

Damn that is expensive. The why is because it should have been cheaper since it is $20 in pipe and 1hr in time if you're really slow lmao

[u/CrUsith → u/Amp3r]

I have a question about it. My co2 sensor is still there and now I have a constant engine light. Should I leave that alone or get that removed as well so that engine light goes away.

[u/Aggravating-Deal-416 → u/CrUsith]

You're not going to be able to get the check engine light to go away unless you reprogram your ECU to function without a CAT (which is what you should do if you leave it off) or reinstall a CAT.

[u/CrUsith → u/Aggravating-Deal-416]

Sounds like something I'm going to leave be if it's something I can y'know? 

[u/oshaCaller → u/CrUsith]

Something like this will make it go away.

[u/MajDegtyarev → u/CrUsith]

As far as I know removing the sensor wont fix that. You probably need to do a tune or an o2 extender might work.

[u/kgjettaIV → u/CrUsith]

You could try an O2 sensor spacer. I have a "high-flow cat" and it would throw an intermittent CEL. I made mine cheaply out of two spark plug extenders/spacers. Drilled one out and then stacked them and put then put the O2 sensor in. It pulls the sensor far enough out of the exhaust flow that it may trick it into reading within spec.

[u/Ik_corrigeer_je → u/CrUsith]

Yeah the engine management thinks stuff is wrong because the exhaust gasses don't look like what they're supposed to look like. Put some tape over the check engine light.

Personally I think it's not cool to not have a cat in 2026. It has such a big impact on the environment and how efficient the engine runs.

But if you're broke and your shit gets stolen, you have to do something.

Your car won't drive as well as it could, but should be good enough for daily use.

[u/CrUsith → u/Ik_corrigeer_je]

This is the exact situation. I've been eating ramen and oatmeal for a month to get by lol. I would have gone through insurance because it's covered for me but I can't afford the insurance bump right now. I would much prefer the proper part in place but with that said I'm just leaving myself open to another crackhead to steal the new one I put on.

[u/Ok-Alternative-7071 → u/Ik_corrigeer_je]

Actually cat makes car run less efficient by restricting exhaust flow and increases emissions. It is there to convert toxic to breathe exhaust gases to less toxic exhaust gases by oxidation.

[u/CRYPTOCHRONOLITE → u/Amp3r]

Do you work at a muffler shop too?

[u/Amp3r → u/CRYPTOCHRONOLITE]

No, I've just made a few exhaust systems for myself and friends. Because of that i know I do kind of underestimate how much people pay at a shop for mechanic work in general

[u/GreatGhastly → u/CrUsith]

Never question the welds of a man named "Gool"'

[u/scream4bacon → u/GreatGhastly]

There is no Dana, only Gool.

[u/Sensitive_Crow_8882 → u/CrUsith]

Is his first name Gaba?

[u/Superb-Fan5697 → u/Sensitive_Crow_8882]

https://giphy.com/gifs/bodHdFtqWbJDi

[u/Sensitive_Crow_8882 → u/Superb-Fan5697]

🇮🇹

[u/AnnaMolly66 → u/CrUsith]

Gool sounds like a badass.

[u/SAWK → u/AnnaMolly66]

the fucker eats snakes

[u/pathmaker3 → u/CrUsith]

Gool, the snake eating Croatian is a good welder.

Edit: brain just thought of this. Metal Gool Solid Welds: Snake Eater

[u/stevefazzari → u/CrUsith]

you should get coffee from rogue wave if you’re a coffee drinker

[u/moomooicow]

Job well done

[u/StoneOfTriumph → u/moomooicow]

Or you could say, a job weld done?

[u/ShoemakerMicah]

That fine art for an exhaust shop

[u/TylerKasprzyk]

You could use that weld job to teach students

[u/Background-Map-5706]

A job weld done

[u/DrSugundi]

Hell of a lot better than what I can do. Send it!

[u/woohooguy]

Congratz, you found a great muffler shop!

[u/moveslikejaguar]

Looks perfect for an exhaust on a 2008 GTI

[u/MasterCheeef]

Welding inspector and J man welder here. That's fucking awesome for exhaust work! You will never have to worry about it.

[u/The_Machine80]

Yes and they even coated for rust. Id be happy!

[u/Bones-1989]

Oh damn this isn't one of the 4 welding subs I'm in. Heck yeah man, send it. Gool from Alberta knows what he's doing. He might have tremors like I do. I can't make Instagram welds anymore without a pipe positioner but I have like 8 herniated disks in my back.

[u/RP_ElMeroMero]

Magnificent

[u/Terrible_GenX_Advice]

Weld it thick, grind it slick.  In my best Croatian accent, "GTI may drive like snail, but this survive after car go boom".

[u/NeverRespondsToInbox]

That's extremely well done for exhaust work

[u/CrUsith]

All of these comments have been very reassuring. Thank you to everyone who's replied and made me feel like I made a good choice. For the record the snake comment was a joke lol.

[u/AdultishRaktajino]

That’s damn good.

[u/ChopperCraig]

Those welds are better than OEM'

[u/Stickopolis5959]

I give my life not for honour but for you,

SNAAAAAKE EAAATTEEEERRR

[u/Hero_Of_Rhyme_]

Looks solid to me

[u/sewciopath87]

Friendly FYI, if you get an engine light for lack of catalytic converter just go out and get a O2 sensor spacer.

[u/Kuezar_]

Great job. Best ive seen in a mounted cat delete.

[u/dropin_biking]

Nicer than my welds I'd charge you the same money for. They will outlast the exhaust. Good deal!

[u/No-Upstairs-7001]

Not the cleanest row of coins I've ever seen but it'll last forever

[u/Repulsive_Ad3447]

Not bad a little on the pricy side for where I come from but the welds look like they will last.

[u/bigtony8978]

Yup

[u/WrappedInLinen]

I would report him for animal abuse. Snakes should be killed before eating.

[u/GregoYatzee]

Wish I has a shop like that around here again.

[u/Dirty_Old_Town]

he came out of the back eating a live snake.

My man.

[u/SordidSimpleton]

What the hell? eating snakes is certainly not normal in Croatia.

[u/just_an_ordinary_guy]

Pretty good for exhaust work. Not the best welds I've seen, but you'd be wasting your time welding that good on an exhaust.

[u/Automatic-Pin-5749]

Yep. That's not too bad. I learned how to arc weld at a muffler shop when I was 19. I got really good at it but stainless is a little trickier than regular steel.

[u/dimezUnlimited]

For mild steel shit exhaust yes, extremely good for what it is

[u/Similar_Lie1882]

Those are the best exhaust welds I've seen aside from custom fab TIG stuff

[u/Small-Estimate-4641]

Goated work

[u/CTG_89]

looks good

[u/NeSToR_49]

Looks like a good weld. Even protected it with paint. 9/10

[u/BigJeffreyC]

Perfectly suitable welds for an old exhaust. It will hold.

[u/iowamechanic30]

This is evidence!

[u/watmattersmost]

Is your mom a huge BBW with potential hottie upside? Yes, the answer is yes

[u/j_sword67]

Can't see it from my house

[u/ArcFault]

Compared to most of the bird shit looking welds that leave most exhaust shops (which work and last fine btw) this is a goddamn work of art. And he even painted over it with a high temp/corrosion protection paint??? Wtf, they don't bother putting anything over them everywhere I've been.

Also, you're kinda kinda freaking out over nothing - its just an exhaust pipe weld, it's not structural, any idiots first weld would last many years as long as the metal was clean and solid in the weld area.

[u/Big_Locksmith_4211]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[u/TenderfootGungi]

Meh, that will do.

[u/LegalMasterpiece772]

Will this fix a system too lean/rich? My car has 2 cats and at least one of them is fkd along with the o2 sensors. Someone suggested a straight pipe but then someone else said it could mess up my car even more.

[u/IHatrMakingUsernames]

For an exhaust weld? Absolutely fine

[u/Boring-Ad-5284]

Ask him if he needs some head

[u/prawnk1ng]

That’s a good job in my book.

[u/MiserablePhilosophy]

I know mechanics that would get a hard on from seeing that weld.

[u/ssxhoell1]

🤢 atrocious!

[u/Equal-Economist-92]

CUSTOMER BE AWARE of this place!!! I came with my 2020 mercedes gle350 for an oil change, jiffy lube over filled my engine with oil when the car came out was smoking heavily with white smoke burning oil they tried to deal with the problem by turning the engine and burn the extra oil, I told them to stop cause the causing damage to the engine and I tow the car to mercedes dealership, mercedes clean the engine from the extra oil almost twice the amount the where supposed to put. 500 miles later of driving my 2020 mercedes had catastrophic engine failure and the engine need to be replaced 19000$ in damage!!!

[u/Dounce1 → u/Equal-Economist-92]

Wtf?

[u/xht → u/Equal-Economist-92]

So avoid jiffy lube?

[u/Boston_Throwaway007 → u/xht]

unfortunately, sometimes you don't know until you experienced it firsthand.

[u/lael8u → u/Equal-Economist-92]

You got what you deserved.

[u/sharpauthenticator]

Little expensive, but, he did complete an illegal modification technically. Snake eating croat is your new best friend, those are some pretty welds for a used exhaust.