Technical Demon strikes again! Can you Id this stuff?

[DemonPandaOwner]

So, I was.walking back to the car at Tesco this morning and saw this hanging out the exhaust.

I'm not sure how.long it's been like it as I park the car rear end against a hedge, so it could've just happened this morning, or the last time I used the car at the weekend.
At first I thought some weirdo had tried to shove something up the exhaust (sounds daft but there are odd people out there!) But it doesn't seem to have shifted on the 3 mile run home.
Dad says it's just a birds feather but I can't see any shafts on it, nor figure out how a foot long birds feather has wedged itself up the exhaust pipe.

So, can anyone shed some.light for me? A quick Google suggests the stuffing from the back box is starting to leak out. If this is the case I'm guessing a new rear exhaust section? Looks like.poor old Panda is going to need some professional tinkering soon.
DPO

 

[Johnbee]

You’re correct in your last paragraph, it’s the innards of the back box coming out. Time for a new back box.
Oddly enough, it must be the season for it as my Panda also has a ‘Cats tail’ hanging out the back. I’ve just ordered a new backbox for Manda as mine is also quite cruddy with rust.

 

[DemonPandaOwner]

You’re correct in your last paragraph, it’s the innards of the back box coming out. Time for a new back box.
Oddly enough, it must be the season for it as my Panda also has a ‘Cats tail’ hanging out the back. I’ve just ordered a new backbox for Manda.

Thanks for the reply. I just spoke to my local independent Garage who said to just pull it out or cut it off and not worry. As long as it;s not making loads of excessive noise it'll be okay for a while.

 

[koalar]

Bit of the fiberglass packing blown out

Nothing to worry about

Just as long as the back box isn't too corroded

Noisy or leaking

Just cut it off and ignore it

Some new back boxes do this from new

 

[koalar]

Thanks for the reply. I just spoke to my local independent Garage who said to just pull it out or cut it off and not worry. As long as it;s not making loads of excessive noise it'll be okay for a while.

Correct

 

[Johnbee]

Thanks for the reply. I just spoke to my local independent Garage who said to just pull it out or cut it off and not worry. As long as it;s not making loads of excessive noise it'll be okay for a while.

Your welcome. Mine is also badly corroded, hence why I’ve ordered a new one.

 

[DemonPandaOwner]

Bit of the fiberglass packing blown out

Nothing to worry about

Just as long as the back box isn't too corroded

Noisy or leaking

Just cut it off and ignore it

Some new back boxes do this from new


View attachment 458561

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm not sure if this is really a novice DIY job, so will put some money aside for if / when it does need doing!

 

[portland_bill]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm not sure if this is really a novice DIY job, so will put some money aside for if / when it does need doing!

If the pieces come apart easily, its fine for a novice. Likely it'll be well stuck together, requiring a lot of patience, a good deal of swearing, and is easier with some experience. So much easier with the car in the air.
Needs a good look. Often the exhaust is a one piece for fitment on production line, requiring cutting for replacement back box. Often easier to replace centre pipe too.

As long as the fluff is coming out, it'll just get noisier. However, there is a risk of the fluff being drawn forward, and could build at the catalyst, blocking the exhaust flow. The exhaust pulses, like two steps out, one back in. When the exhaust valve opens, the exhaust gas rushes out. The valve shuts, the gas is still moving, causing a vacuum behind it, so the gas is drawn back a little, before biing hit by the next pulse. This is why at the tailpipe you hear and feel the pulses. Whilst counter-intuititve, it does draw water into the exhaust when driving through floods, which is why it is recommended to keep the revs up.
In the late seventies/early eighties, the Morris Marina used to get issues with the exhaust fluff. The back box centre pipe would fail, the fluff would travel forward, and clog the front box. Persuading customers to have the whole system replaced, instead of just the back box was always a struggle. Dissection would reveal the front box clogged with fluff, yet when new it contained none.

 

[koalar]

There's no suction on the exhaust unless the timing is out

I test the exhaust with a piece of kitchen paper for this, it should always be blown outwards, even if one of the cylinders isn't firing

Packing coming out of the tail pipe is very common even on new back boxes, small bits are of no concern, in fact even if all of it comes out it will not be much louder due to the internal baffles

No it doesn't suck water into the engine if the tail pipe is submerged, I have driven a Punto 1.2 with the tail pipe submerged and water over the sills

There is absolutely no risk to the catalytic converter

 

[portland_bill]

There's no suction on the exhaust unless the timing is out

I test the exhaust with a piece of kitchen paper for this, it should always be blown outwards, even if one of the cylinders isn't firing

Packing coming out of the tail pipe is very common even on new back boxes, small bits are of no concern, in fact even if all of it comes out it will not be much louder due to the internal baffles

No it doesn't suck water into the engine if the tail pipe is submerged, I have driven a Punto 1.2 with the tail pipe submerged and water over the sills

There is absolutely no risk to the catalytic converter

So you're saying that my experience is just my imagination then?

 

[koalar]

So you're saying that my experience is just my imagination then?

I am saying fiberglass coming out of the tail pipe is common, and causes no problems there hundreds of thousands of cases

It's almost a feature of the trailblazer even from new

https://www.tbssowners.com/threads/fiberglass-packing-coming-out-of-tailpipe.47568/

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=78505

I have driven through rivers in a Punto with the exhaust submerged without any problems

This guy start and left to idle with the exhaust submerge

This moke A+ series engine has been dragged out of a river with the exhaust full of water, all that happens when it's started is the water is pushed out

I not saying water can't damage an engine, sucked into through the inlet would be a catastrophy and probably scrap the engine

I never heard of a catalytic Converter blocked with fiberglass or can not find I single image of one

You do get bits of CAT in the back box or exiting the exhaust