A few months ago i purchased and installed new headers and an exhaust system, did not install a new cat though. I am having a rattling noise the first time after starting my car coming out of first gear. i'm not sure why though. i have done some research and it seems like my heat shield could be rattling?

its definitely coming from under the car somewhere near the middle towards the rear.

any advice would be helpful as i don't want to pay a mechanic just to look at it, thanks!

 

So don't pay a mechanic.

Crawl under there with a hammer and start tappin and shaking ****. See where the noise is coming from. And check to make sure all the bolts are tight and didn't back off after getting hot, check the hangers too.

Edit: I said TAP things, not hit them as hard as you can and come back here talking **** about how someone told you to swing a hammer at it.

 

alright thanks ill have to check that out.

i also have another question. sometimes my shifter won't go into 1st or reverse. i put the clutch in and try to shift it but its as if a bar is in the way and won't let it shift. i have to release the clutch and then press it in again in order for me to get into 1st or reverse. what could be the problem?

 

the noise is the heat shield or the honeycomb in the cat. its probadly the cat. my car does it too.

 

My 92 had a mostly dissolved heat-shield on the CAT that I eventually just removed. So much of it had rusted away that there really wasn't much to mount it to. The bottom was held on by a bent metal coat hanger. I wish I would have taken a pic, there was maybe 1/4 of the top CAT heatshield left and about 2/3 of the bottom. The rest had been consumed by rust over 18 years.

 

Make sure none of your hangers are loose or corroded to ****, too. A loose one could cause a rattle easily. As for your shifting, I know there is a safety feature so that you can't shift into first unless you are below a certain speed. My old accord sometimes wouldn't go in first right away either even at a stop. It's nothing to worry about. I would just do what you do and push the clutch again or try to shift into second and then back into first to realign the syncro. Others say put it in reverse for a second, let the clutch out and roll back a smidge, then go into first. Vise versa for if reverse is giving you trouble.

 

I agree, check the shield for the cat. Mine just started rattling like a **** within the past week. So much that people would look at me at stop lights b/c of the noise.

I got a 5-6 inch stainless steel hose clamp from Menards for under $2 and solved the problem.

The holes for the bolts had rusted so that it why is was rattling.