Have Exhaust Leak Can I Easily Fix It This Way???

[rjdavis21]

I have a pretty bad exhaust leak and Im pretty sure its coming from the flex section on my downpipe. I can feel around it while the car is running and feel it coming out...also I think my "ears" on my downpipe are bent up a little causing there to be a gap between the o2 housing and the actual middle of the downpipe section causing a small leak. it sounds like a tractor :thumbdown and I hate it and know im sure i wont pass inspection. this has come from dragging the flex Im sure. my question is can I buy a new 2.5in or 3in flex from slowboy and cut the old one out of my 2.5in downpipe and put the weld the new one in place to fix this? and also take the downpipe and make the flange that connects it to the O2 housing and straighten it back? would this work and fix my problem? please help thanks.

 

[jasoncitrano]

Why don't you just buy a new downpipe?? save yourself alot of time, but...if your short on cash they sell an exhaust putty, that works pretty well at autozone for about 3 bucks you can put it on there and try that...i would just replace teh downpipe though...

jc

 

[Khadgar]

My flex section started to leak as well, I just picked up a new one for 39 and had it welded in.

 

[rjdavis21]

cuz i am short on cash and u cant exhaust putty the flex section.

 

[Module Unknown]

Just curious, but how long would you guys (or anyone) consider that a reasonable amount of time for a flex section to function properly without failure would be?

I'm a little bummed since I just figured out why my car is ticking and sounding like a tractor. I knew I had an exhaust leak somewhere but just pinpointed it to be coming from the flex section of my only 6 month old HRC eliminator downpipe. My only option is to repair it, for a number of reasons. It's an expensive part, has a proprietary o2 housing, and the rest of my exhaust system has been custom fit to work with this downpipe. I would have expected it to last longer than 6 months! This is teh suck. Oh well, sh|t happens.