Flexi on the exhaust of my diesel hack( Corsa van) has been blowing for some time now, so today as weather was fair & new one has been purchased weeks ago, I set about the job. This is at the side of the road by the way. Car ramps, wheels chocked. Under I went, armed with grinder & all the necessary tools. What a fanny about, restricted room, exhaust clamp off & having to grind the old flexi off from the other side. Had to lower the whole exhaust down. Has anyone had the same trouble removing the two centre rubbers that hold up the zorst, this took me 1/2hr, what the hell..

OK, beginning to get somewhere now.Because the flexi was an off the shelf job, I had to fettle everything to fit & then some. Two hours in & my arms are giving up. Was wearing gloves, but still managed to cut my hand twice with the grinder Everything back together & only the centre hanging rubbers to go on. Oh for f*** sake, what the hell. Landed up using ratchet ties, when I eventually found some to pull up the centre pipe to slip on the rubbers.

I was under & up so many times from the motor I was beginning to think I should have got this done at a exhaust shop than trying to save a bob or two.Job done hours later & clearing up feels like a major task as I'm sore & injured. Oh, on start up, no leaks I think I would have cried or lost the plot if there was a leak. Anyway, that's my wee story.. Rant over. Thanks for listening......

I feel your pain Jim, I have lost use of a garage I used for jobs on the vehicles.
So now I am grovelling long about on my gravel drive.

I had a particular trying time changing a gearbox/driveshaft seal on my coupe last week.

Gets no easier as we get older eh Jim?

Oh Joe that's a real job. On paper my job was quite easy, but as you say old age thrown in with lack of space, big belly etc, it just doesn't get any easier right enough. The body is shouting back, I ache all over.

There are certain jobs I'd always pay to have done (or, on starting them, wish I had) and 95% are exhaust jobs. Good luck

I feel your pain too.

After 21 years of working under cars, getting cramps in muscles I didn't know existed and rust flakes in the nostrils/ears one time too many, I did the only sensible thing... I now only work on motorbikes. Anything car related is a garage job.