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  #1  
Old 08-25-2004, 04:02 PM
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Cracks in converter pipe?

I noticed a strange noise the past couple of days coming from under my car. When the car was in park I would rev it up and when I let off of the gas I would get a strange vibrating buzz-type sound. Not really metallic, like a heat shield; somewhat more subtle.

Anyway, I stopped by my local Midas shop to see if he would put it on the lift and look for the obvious. The engine was off and he banged away on the heat shields but couldn't come up with anything noticable. I started the car up and revved it while it was on the lift so I could duplicate the noise for him.

His diagnosis was that the front catalytic converter pipes were cracked where they hooked up with the main cat. he also said if they were cracked back there, they were probably cracked at every joint along the pipes. His suggestion was to replace all of the cats and piping from the headers to the resonator.

If I got all of the parts from Subaru (over $1000), he would install them for me for 3 hours labor. Anyeway, here are my questions:

1. I have never heard of this problem in all my years here. Is this a possibility?

2. How could he tell if they were cracked if the heat shields were still in place?

3. I checked subaruparts.com and found different part numbers for front and center caps, depending on the year. (The 96 alone had 3 part numbers each for the left and right front cats and 2 numbers for the center cats. There were notations like u1, u0, and c0 after the descriptions. see
http://www.subaruparts.com/diag/?mod...ategory=440A-1

Harry (newsvx) said I could have the complete front and center cat assemblies from Kyle's 94 FWD SVX. Could I make the swap to my 96 without diffaculty? Would it take the 3rd O2 sensor like the 96 has?

If anyone has had any experience with this, please let me know. Are there some other issues that would cause the same noise? As I said before, I never heard of this cracking before. My 92 pearlie had 167,000 when I sold it without a problem like this; my 96 only has 75,000.
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1996 Polo Green LSi #216..138,100 miles...SOLD

JFICX8659TH100216.....Date of Manufacture: November 16, 1995.....
Fuji Heavy Industries..Ōta North Plant....Ōta City,. Gunma Prefecture, Japan

In-Service Date: January 2, 1997



"The Pristine Green Polo Machine”
First Polo Green on the Network
First Clear front turn signals, JDM Alcyone hood emblem, rear panel, and BOXER engine cover on the Network (US) (2000)
First 5000K HID factory fog lights (2007)
First SVX JDM BBS wheels on a USDM SVX (2013)

HID lighting (5000K) for headlight and H3 fog lights, PIAA SuperExtreme 120W high beams, rebuilt EG33 longblock, Cometic head gaskets, Phase II flexplate, AMR aluminum radiator with custom silicone hoses, 160A high-output alternator in aluminum-ceramic coated case, new design alternator wiring upgrade v.4, rare factory headlight protectors, refinished JDM BBS mesh aluminum wheels and custom, polished billet aluminum new hex center caps, LED grille mod, R1 Concepts high-carbon cryo slotted rotors, Akebono ceramic pads, Goodridge S/S braided brake lines, Smallcar Stage 1 shift kit, ThermalTech aluminum/ceramic-coated valve covers, Energy Suspension urethane front & rear swaybar bushings, Bontrager22 rear swaybar with QS Components Chromoly Teflon/Kevlar endlinks, "$15.00/5 minute" suspension mod. Hella Supertone horns, Custom stainless steel exhaust system with 2" headpipes, Magnaflow cats, AeroTurbine AR25 resonator /AWD "Bullet" muffler.


R.I.P. 2010 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5 CVT...338,000 miles. Totaled by a 1,300 lb. COW March 4, 2016

2014 Hyundai Avante Limited ...178,000 miles. Actually quieter and smoother than the Outback

2007 Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT...102,000 miles.
Plenty of parts, service and windshields.


4th Registered Network member —2/21/2001

My NEW locker..I...My Email..I..Wikipedia/SVX .

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  #2  
Old 08-25-2004, 04:05 PM
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I'm smelling a little BS here John

I think he was trying to sell you repairs you don't need.

Take your car to an independent shop, preferably to one that's been in business for years. These places typically can weld up cracks or make you custom pieces to fix the problem, not recmomend you buy an entire new exhaust system for one un-seen crack

Todd
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Old 08-25-2004, 04:41 PM
svxstarship svxstarship is offline
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Could be a cracked flexplate and nothing to do with heat sheilds or exhaust. A cracked flexplate can sound very much like a rattling heat sheild.
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Old 08-25-2004, 07:15 PM
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He probably hears an exhaust leak. My pipes were also cracked right before the main cat. You can't see it because it's hidden under the lip that the heat shield goes in to. You can hear it when you step on the gas and let the rpm's drop.
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Old 08-25-2004, 08:12 PM
Ron Mummert Ron Mummert is offline
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Exclamation

...and you've ruled out the resonator as the culprit?
I've had the heat shields tightened up twice in three years, & the buzz went away. No cats replaced on the batmobile yet at 132K. But, of course, we both know that the '92s were superior vehicles.
And no, John, I still don't want any of your left over cats of any variety.

Ron (happy that the engine still purrs).
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  #6  
Old 08-25-2004, 08:59 PM
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Re: Cracks in converter pipe?

Quote:
Originally posted by svxcess
Harry (newsvx) said I could have the complete front and center cat assemblies from Kyle's 94 FWD SVX. Could I make the swap to my 96 without diffaculty? Would it take the 3rd O2 sensor like the 96 has?
Our '96 SVXs could take the primary cat assemblies no problem, but the secondary cat has no 'hole' for an O2 sensor like the OBDII secondary cats have.

If you need to replace your OBDII secondary cat, you can probably get mine from me very shortly...

-Chike
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  #7  
Old 08-25-2004, 10:42 PM
lamboman1pa
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I beleive the converters components are by federal law to be warranted for 8 years or 80000 miles. Check your owners manual.

Good luck, John

96 SVX Polo Green

97 Outback Sport

Oh yeh and my other car
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  #8  
Old 08-26-2004, 06:05 AM
dcarrb dcarrb is offline
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Wasn't an SVX, but sounds familiar

The header pipe cracked on my GL wagon (shortly after the warranty expired, natch), and I got the same tapdance from my cheerful Subaru service writer: gotta replace everything, just over a grand and hey, we take credit cards.

The proprietor of a nearby, independent muffler shop got out his welder, worked for about ten minutes on the offending length of pipe, and charged me forty-four bucks.

(And people wonder why I won't take my beloved Subarus to Subaru for service...)

Hope you, too, come up with a cheaper soloution.

dcb

Last edited by dcarrb; 08-26-2004 at 09:36 AM.
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  #9  
Old 08-26-2004, 01:21 PM
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svxcess svxcess is offline
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My car went to my favorite custom exhaust shop this morning for a thorough inspection. It seems that the flange on the front of the secondary cat had eroded and the gasket that connects the front and rear cats could no longer seal the system.

They cut just behind and in front of the flange and welded in a 5" piece of stainless tubing on each side, connecting the pipes from the front cats directly to the secondary cat.

They also only cut away enough of the heat shields to permit the sawing and rewelding. Any loose play was eliminated by spot welding them directly to the pipes.

Total cost: $100

I have the part he cut off and will take close up photos of the hole in the flange. Just made of plain steel and not stainless


There is an federal EPA law covering such emission parts like these, starting in 1996. They are covered under warranty for 8 years/80,000 miles. But the fine print only covers defects in workmanship and loss of efficiency of the cat itself, not deterioration of the attaching points. My car was within 200 miles of the 80K cutoff.

This seems to be a much better solution for the moment. I have access to primary and secondary cats if I should need to use them in the future. My sincere thanks for all here who took the time to respond to this post. You are all the greatest!!
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Subaru Ambassador

1996 Polo Green LSi #216..138,100 miles...SOLD

JFICX8659TH100216.....Date of Manufacture: November 16, 1995.....
Fuji Heavy Industries..Ōta North Plant....Ōta City,. Gunma Prefecture, Japan

In-Service Date: January 2, 1997



"The Pristine Green Polo Machine”
First Polo Green on the Network
First Clear front turn signals, JDM Alcyone hood emblem, rear panel, and BOXER engine cover on the Network (US) (2000)
First 5000K HID factory fog lights (2007)
First SVX JDM BBS wheels on a USDM SVX (2013)

HID lighting (5000K) for headlight and H3 fog lights, PIAA SuperExtreme 120W high beams, rebuilt EG33 longblock, Cometic head gaskets, Phase II flexplate, AMR aluminum radiator with custom silicone hoses, 160A high-output alternator in aluminum-ceramic coated case, new design alternator wiring upgrade v.4, rare factory headlight protectors, refinished JDM BBS mesh aluminum wheels and custom, polished billet aluminum new hex center caps, LED grille mod, R1 Concepts high-carbon cryo slotted rotors, Akebono ceramic pads, Goodridge S/S braided brake lines, Smallcar Stage 1 shift kit, ThermalTech aluminum/ceramic-coated valve covers, Energy Suspension urethane front & rear swaybar bushings, Bontrager22 rear swaybar with QS Components Chromoly Teflon/Kevlar endlinks, "$15.00/5 minute" suspension mod. Hella Supertone horns, Custom stainless steel exhaust system with 2" headpipes, Magnaflow cats, AeroTurbine AR25 resonator /AWD "Bullet" muffler.


R.I.P. 2010 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5 CVT...338,000 miles. Totaled by a 1,300 lb. COW March 4, 2016

2014 Hyundai Avante Limited ...178,000 miles. Actually quieter and smoother than the Outback

2007 Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT...102,000 miles.
Plenty of parts, service and windshields.


4th Registered Network member —2/21/2001

My NEW locker..I...My Email..I..Wikipedia/SVX .

.
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