Had the car for a couple of months, stock except for flowmasters and the mac h-pipe I added. I thought I would do the right thing this time- spend the extra dough and keep the exhaust legal and never have to deal with annual exhaust swaps, but God hates me apparently. When I got the new mac pipe installed initially the exhuast shop that did the labor stripped the header bolt. I took the problem to a reputable exhaust shop down the street got them to weld in a new header bolt and I thought I had my problem solved. Within a week I detected the most annoying sound ever...a slight exhaust leak. Sure enough a week later it was very noticeable. I had my friend take it back to the muffler shop that put the new bolt in and they "checked and fixed any exhuast leaks". I got my car back in the same condition basically, maybe they tightened it slightly, but a leak was still very audible. The only incident that may have initially contributed to this problem was a pretty bad bottom out on a driveway that may have mangled the exhaust a little. Another exhaust shop said that if a problem like this keeps occuring the only solution is usually to cut one end of the h pipe to adjust it so it fits flat on the collector of the header- then a leak will not spring up a week or two later. The theory makes sense, but I really don't want to mess up a $400 pipe that I just bought. Is it possible for one of the two cats to have a leak? Like I said the driveway incident was pretty rough...almost brought tears to my eyes. Is it maybe possible that the exhaust shop that installed the new header bolt could have messed the alignment up or something? If that scenario is even possible it could maybe explain why the h pipe does not want to stay sealed. The right header uses a gasket, so there is also a slim possibility that one of the exhaust shops fabricated a gasket that didn't hold up because they didn't have the right one in stock- I had a shop have to resort to that on my old saleen so I know it can happen...If anybody has a clue what I should do I am listening...I am almost about to give up, get rid of the pipe and throw on the good ole o/r h pipe and start over with a working exhaust platform. My only other question is when the exhaust bottomed out is it possible, and if so, what happens if the h pipe is pushed up against the headers harshly? Are there any other engine problems that I may have created with this scenario?
Need help with an exhaust leak that "can't be fixed"
- Thread starter 98yellsvtcobra
- Start date
Dave00GT
New Member
I had an exhaust put on my truck by a local shop. Two weeks later the damn thing was leaking on one of the welds. Took it back to them, they fixed it. A week later, another leak at the same spot. Three weeks later, I get the SAME leak!! And I noticed they melted the paint off the bottom of my bed, exposing bare metal. Finally I got so pissed, I walked right in there and told the guy fix the damn problem or I want a whole new exhaust at their expense. Before the guy could even say anything I said I'd inform consumer reports and file a complaint. I ended up getting new mufflers and tubing for nothing. But I had to prime and paint the bare metal spot.
I'd say take it to the guys that screwed it up first by stripping the head bolt. Tell them that the exhaust won't seal because of THEIR screw up and you want it fixed or you'll take legal action for damage to your car.
May sound harsh, but I've been screwed waaay too many times by local auto places. I've seen guys drain freon from elderly peoples cars in the summertime, just so they come back and get their a/c serviced. I worked at a garage for 2 1/2 years. I've seen it all. Don't get robbed!!
I'd say take it to the guys that screwed it up first by stripping the head bolt. Tell them that the exhaust won't seal because of THEIR screw up and you want it fixed or you'll take legal action for damage to your car.
May sound harsh, but I've been screwed waaay too many times by local auto places. I've seen guys drain freon from elderly peoples cars in the summertime, just so they come back and get their a/c serviced. I worked at a garage for 2 1/2 years. I've seen it all. Don't get robbed!!
Dugan racing screwed it up initially(I posted that whole ordeal a month ago) they chose to blow me off and try and charge "at least 300" to fix their problem. I am in the middle of disputing that work legally, but I don't feel comfortable giving my car back to them. The shop that fixed the header bolt they screwed up is pretty friendly and only charged a 150 to fix it. The thing is they have looked at it 3 times since I got them to install the header bolt and each time they said it should be fixed- but also noted that I had probably hit a speed bump based on some scrapes on the h-pipe. Is it possible that they may have just botched putting the bolt on, or is that pretty hard to mess up? I am an honest person and therefore feel some what reaponsible for bottoming my exhaust out- so I don't think it would be right to stiff them with "the problem" but then again, if I put more money into it and the leak comes back again... 
Dave00GT
New Member
Well I think what you need to do is simple. And thats determine where the leak is coming from. If it is coming from the header, in or around the bolt that has the problem, then its nothing you did. If its anywhere else on the exhaust, then I'd say you probably did it when you bottomed out. I doubt that bottoming out on the driveway, would even hit the header would it? I haven't really looked under my car to see the clearance, but I would think you would hit the oil pan, or lower engine brace before the exhaust header ya know?
Dave00GT
New Member
Also, a leak from the header would be pretty loud and you would hear a defined popping everytime that cylinder's exhaust valve opened. So you would almost be able to hear that cylinder running through the leak. If it was further back, your exhaust leak might still be loud, but it would be more "smooth" because you're hearing all 8 cyl. running. When you have a leak at your header, more then likely you'll only have 1 or 2 cylinders that aren't sealed at the header, so the sound will obviously be loud because you're hearing the combustion right there and like I said, you'll notice a pronounced "pop" everytime that cylinder fires.
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
The leak is definately at the right header/hpipe. I won't even drive my car now I am so embarassed by that terrible "ticking" leak. I have worked on cars many of times or heard them with this leak so I am 99% sure its at the collector and hpipe. I know the bottoming out did not directly hit the header...but I was more concerned about the hpipe(which did hit) pushing up on the header- which is where the other potential damage could have occured. The leak is so bad that I am sure the gasket is burned up completely by now and thus the leak is "complete". All I really need to know is if I take it back to a shop how will I know if they fixed the leak the right way, or if they just got a temp. fix that will blow in a couple weeks.
Dave00GT
New Member
Thats hard to say honestly. I would like to believe that you would know if they fixed it right away, but its a tough call. Wish I had some more answers for you bud. Best of luck with it, I hope you get it all figured out.
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