Today I broke down and finally bought a new muffler trying to quiet my car a little before a long roadtrip. I was happy because I ordered the parts in time for them to arrive the same day and still have sunlight to swap it out. This is all stock OEM exhaust (96 EX sedan) I should add and I was happy because I called around and saved myself $100 doing it myself. The pipe and muffler were clearly rusted but soon as I start it up its leaking again, but clearly quieter.

I ran my hand around the exhaust prior and didn't feel anything. Because its so loud in the cab I'm thinking the leak is between the motor and cat because it howls at higher RPM. My question is does this generation have a known weakpoint in its exhaust? I have yet to clog up the muffler but I'm thinking its the downpipe because I can't really reach it very well. Any input or experience with this leak would be appriciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

This is, what I like to call "The Two Friends and a Potato" diagnostic procedure. Assign your lucky partner to manning the potato at the exhaust pipe. Start the engine, and while idling, have said assistant shove the potato into the exhaust tip. It will cause enough pressure, that the subsequent "Hiss" will make your leaks' location quite apparent.

P

 

You could also spray carb cleaner around the connections and listen to a change in tone. Wherever it changes that is where your problem is. I ran my hand around my exhaust and found my leak the other day. I got a really bad leak on the downpipe around my o2 sensor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NAiL05 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could also spray carb cleaner around the connections and listen to a change in tone. Wherever it changes that is where your problem is. I ran my hand around my exhaust and found my leak the other day. I got a really bad leak on the downpipe around my o2 sensor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm thinking downpipe as well. Honestly I have seen a drop (3-5) in my gas mileage, that'd might explain why. Yeah exhaust sucks and is expensive but i'd much rather have it in the downpipe that in the cat or header. Will try the potatoe thing, I'll feel like a rebilious young kid again! *I think it was my grandpa and his friends that shot the exhaust pipe off their school bus by jamming it with potatoes when parked.

 

I usually just use a rag. You can control the pressure a little better. When your helper tries to block the tailpipe with a fistful of rag, any leak will start hissing much louder & easier to find.

Does '96 have that flex section with the braid over it? That might be a weak point. And if it leaks thru that braid, the leaking exhaust will be so diffused that it's hard to feel it with your hand.

 

chk the exh manifold as well i have seen a few crack, u need to remove the shield to properly see it ..,,

 

The rag trick is prolly your best option

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NAiL05 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could also spray carb cleaner around the connections and listen to a change in tone. Wherever it changes that is where your problem is. I ran my hand around my exhaust and found my leak the other day. I got a really bad leak on the downpipe around my o2 sensor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Highly combustible carb cleaner on a hot exhaust ? DOH !

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by alotawatts &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Highly combustible carb cleaner on a hot exhaust ? DOH !</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, i've seen plenty of guys suggest this before to cool things off among various things

Every brand has a different flashpoint buy guys please don't be stupid. I wouldn't do that even with a fire extinguisher right next to me. Get a spraybottle full of water of something!

JimBlake, yeah it has a flex section but I'm pretty confident that's its not leaking. My old eclipse leaked and i know what to look for on that. I probably should take the heat shield off of the header and check but it really doesn't sound like that and you can usually smell it if the leak is bad enough. At high RPM it really sounds like its coming from my feet aroung downpipe area, I'll try to diagnose when I get out of class. I also could not believe the amount of carbon built up on the inside of the old muffler pipe. Like I said earlier makes me wonder if the leak is around my oxygen sensor...

And Jimmy, I was looking at your list of rides where do you work man? I wish I had a large garage lol! Gotta love the Saab, never driven in one but I know they're nice. I got a friend who rally's the old I-5 turbos, and you gotta love their video of the saab beating the crap out of all the LeMans cars off the line! Wish I knew where that was so I could download the commercial. BTW what kind of transmission do I need to tow a tractor trailor on my accord, is it a straight bolt on?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Schmitey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I wish I had a large garage lol! Gotta love the Saab, never driven in one but I know they're nice. I got a friend who rally's the old I-5 turbos...</TD></TR></TABLE>
I don't have a garage for all of them. The driveway looks like a parking lot! Maybe in a couple years the kids will graduate & move away with their cars...

I don't think Saab ever had a 5-cyl. That was Audi. They used to have 3-cylinder 2-stroke engines until sometime in the '60s! Then V-4.

 

my bad, yeah i think it was Audi. But I talked with him at length because I couldn't see the advantage of having an inline 5 and it would be out of balance. Aparently the engine spools fast and just loves to have a turbo on it. I think the video I referred to was an Audi as well. And a two cycle into the 60's what the hell? That'd be a pain in the *** not to mention the thing would run like crap and your exhaust would clog to hell. I can't imagine pulling up to the pump and figuring "hmm I pumped twelve gallons so that's 4 oz. of oil." V4 would be weird too, sorta like VW's W6. You save space i suppose but its just an extra head to mess with and bend valves, same for the W6 but I think its electropneumatic or whatever they call it like Chevy's new LS2 and newer gens. Too much technology and not enough money to keep up!!! I got one thing to say to all those ******** with fast cars...I get 30 mpg so you can suck it bitches!!!

 

Update

Finally found the time and a warm day to locate the leak. Its on the rear pipe right behind the flexpipe. Which explains why its so damn loud because I'm sitting right over it. Also am I just blind and dumb (ok that's gonna get a sarcastic yes), I know the 96 EX is OBD2 (I think they switched in like 95). OBD2 is two separate oxygen sensors right but where the hell is the second one, all I see is the sensor right before the cat?

Anyways main question is where can I find a cheap resonator/rear pipe? Cheapest I've found is like $150 OEM but I think walker makes some cheaper ones. Is the flexpipe absolutely necessary or do you think I could find someone local to make me a bolt up (does anyone make bolt ons for that matter)?

Thanks again and I hope you all completely gorged yourselves for thanksgiving!