j13760

About a week or 2 ago my exhaust started getting loud. I finally pulled it up on some ramps to see what was going on. There is a thing after the cat that is like a metal mesh type thing. Well the mesh is ripped or fraying and it's making all the noise. What is that part and any idea why is would have ripped? tia

Alex01tib

Sounds like your describing the flex pipe.

The flex pipe is there to allow your motor to rock under acceleration without yanking the exhaust off; but if your motor mounts are real bad there will be too much movement. So replace the flex pipe and have your mounts checked (front and rear)

Bullfrog

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.as...amp;D=%2D152589

you will need to measure you flex pipe but summit has just about every size.

radu_rd2

Or you can replace the whole pipe between the exhaust manifold and the cat, I think it's about 80$ (check rockauto.com or hyundaipartsonline.com, it's called flex pipe or front pipe).

Alex: is there any DIY way to check the engine mounts? How do they test them?

j13760

Thanks for the part name!! It will be mush easier to ask a muffler shop how much it will be to put on a flex pipe (I'll buy it so I won't get bent over by them). Is that something that would break under normal conditions? I know my wife has been driving it on some real broken up roads (good old NY roads after winter salting!!), could the potholes and all that type of stuff mess it up?

Bullfrog

Flex pipes wear out with age, Rough driving, road salt, water all contribute to wear and tear. Plus its made of steel mesh, if you get dirt in there its just an abrasive and any time it flexes its grinding away. my car is an 01 and last time i looked at it, it had a few frayed braids..I would look into your motor mounts though if your going to replace it. No use getting a new part when it will wear out prematurely, and could lead to other accelerated wear and tear.

j13760

How are the motor mounts checked? I don't want to dump a ton of $$ into it because I'm selling it soon. I want to make sure it's good to go, but I don't want to go crazy with spending dough on checking it out. Anyone think it's a good or bad idea to cut the old flex pipe off and clamp the new one on? I could do that myself and save a few bucks.

j13760

Has anyone tried to replace on themselves? I don't have a tourch to heat the bolts so I think I'd have to cut the pipe and clamp a new one on. All the shops here are quoting me like $250-$450 and the part is only like $75 for an all new unit or $35 for a new universal one...

Bullfrog

If your selling it soon then cut and clamp. I had to do that to my old honda i used to have. Its not going to be as pretty but very rarely is the flex pipe the first thing someone looks at on whether to buy a car...

j13760

Well I as going to sell it.... But I put insurance on my "new" car and it was cheaper than I had thought. So I might keep the Tib. I really didn't want to sell it, but I didn't think I could afford insurance on 4 cars. Turns out it was cheap to insure my Explorer. So I might just keep all the cars.