exhaust repairs, brand recommendations

kj-dec · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2016 12:45 am

Sorry for duping but lots of views and no responses in the performance category: http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=84293

The exhaust on my 2002 Limited 4x4 is failing. Factory upper cats, Walker lower cat/crossover, cat back all replaced with Dynomax parts in 2010/2011. The donuts between upper and lower cats blew out, there are pinhole leaks from rust all over, and the mount on the rear cat broke off leaving a 1" hole in the pipe; so far muffler wrap failed completely, and a tin can, inside coated with exhaust putty and clamped over the hole is helping but the un-round pipe is still letting it leak. I'm stuck with a sloped driveway to work on and a hostile HOA so ability to do real work on it myself is minimal. Time for new installed by a shop.

The Walker lower cat barely made 5 years. Magnaflow and Cherry Bomb make replacements (along with several chinese manufacturers I've been warned away from). The upper cats _may_ need replacing; Walker, Magnaflow, and Cherry Bomb list replacements.

The local muffler shops want $1200 and up to replace upper and lower cats and the muffler (which is still ok). I think thats the chinese parts. All three pieces from Magnaflow approaches $900 for parts but my mechanic will put them in for a fair price; presumably the Magnaflows are better than the no-name units.

Looking for recommendation on which cats to get, which brand. If you've had good or bad results with the available units, please post. I don't want to pay for factory on this (the factory crossover/lower cat also rusted out sooner than I had hoped, and was not covered by even the extended emissions warranty); its too much money for this aging vehicle.

Thanks

dstnm523 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:02 pm

I put in magnaflow replacement cats for my 04'. They fit perfectly and were $530-ish from 4wheel parts. Took a few hours to install myself as the clamps from exhaust manifold to cats are kinda difficult unless you get a ratcheting 10mm box wrench. The transfer case/transmission support will have to come off to make room for install too.
Solved my o2 failure codes. Hoa is a double edged sword, sometimes I wish we had it but other times not lol. Take it to a field to make repairs?

kj-dec · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:41 pm

dstnm523 wrote:

I put in magnaflow replacement cats for my 04'. They fit perfectly and were $530-ish from 4wheel parts. Took a few hours to install myself as the clamps from exhaust manifold to cats are kinda difficult unless you get a ratcheting 10mm box wrench. The transfer case/transmission support will have to come off to make room for install too.
Solved my o2 failure codes. Hoa is a double edged sword, sometimes I wish we had it but other times not lol. Take it to a field to make repairs?

Thanks for replying!

I checked that site; the upper cats are $259 each now, and the lower/crossover is $352, so replacing all of them is > $870. Thats the cheaper line; the OEM line with 'more precious metals' goes over $1100 for the three parts. I don't know for sure I need the upper cats (they're original and have 78K miles on them but this is the rust belt); the Midas shop that gave me the nosebleed quote said I did but when they showed me the system with the car on their lift (sigh, jealous, want/need a place with a lift of my own!) the uppers still appeared to be pretty solid; the only leakage signs were at the lower flange where they attach to the crossover (and those donuts are blown so there was carbon everywhere). I could get lucky and only need the lower again; sadly have to replace the cat as well as the pipes when its the pipes that have failed again.

Thanks again for the reply.

dstnm523 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:03 pm

Ug, I forgot older libs have upper and lower cats. Mine has "drivers side" and "passenger side". I replaced mine a couple months ago due to symptoms of clogged cats which ive read comes about around 150k miles or so. Mine was at 170k when I was getting recurring codes for slow response o2 sensers after the cat

kj-dec · **Posted:** Thu Apr 14, 2016 10:52 pm

That explains the cost diff. I'm going to hope the upper cats are still ok and just go for the cheaper Magnaflow lower cat.

kj-dec · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2016 1:53 am

Got the Magnaflow Direct Fit lower cat / crossover setup installed today. It went in slick and clean, no problems. Unfortunately the removal of the old one jostled the muffler enough that the rear pipe just broke off of it. The mechanic patched it up but a new muffler and possibly tail pipe will need to go on. And the Dynomax 2.5" tailpipe (part of their cat-back kit) is OOS everywhere I checked that had a reasonable price.

So much quieter now!

FYI I got two different exhaust donuts; the FelPro was different (much thicker) than the Walker. Turns out the big/tall FelPro is for the drivers side, the shorter Walker is for the Passenger side.

I want a lift so very much... multi-hours in the sloped driveway with the HOA badgering me the whole time to get the holes patched, one gasket and spring bolts replaced, and universal mounts in place to keep the muffler from resting on the crossmember, and my mechanic cut the old one out and installed the new one in 45 minutes on his lift.

exhaust repairs, brand recommendations

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