94 Camry DX - To Weld or Replace?

[karl_karl]

My car was sounding like a TDI, so I checked underneath and sure enough there was a hole in the exhaust system.

The exact point is where the hanger connects the flex pipe to the frame (just before the catalytic converter). The hole is very clean where the hanger fits in. Should I get a shop to weld this back on, or do I have to replace the whole pipe?

Karl

[bigbird]

unless u want to replace id just fix it and be done with it.

[CamrySExxx]

id pick the cheapest, welding.

[Mike Gerber]

I just had this repair done on my 94 Camry 5SFE engine. The muffler shop I have used for years welded in an aftermarket flex pipe and and new piece of exhaust pipe, bent to fit using the old one as a guide. Total cost was about $150. Toyota only sells the whole exhaust system piece including the cat converter. The Toyota OEM part is way too expensive to be a practical repair.

Mike

[karl_karl]

Thanks for the tip. I gotta phone around for an exhaust shop because my regular mechanic doesn't do exhaust work anymore.

I might try a patch in the meantime because I'm suffering from a loss of power which makes the 2.2 litre engine even slower.

I'm wondering if a welded job will increase my emissions at all? I have to take the E-test in July of 2008 and don't wanna go through a bunch of bull to get it passed.

Karl

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by karl_karl

Thanks for the tip. I gotta phone around for an exhaust shop because my regular mechanic doesn't do exhaust work anymore.

I might try a patch in the meantime because I'm suffering from a loss of power which makes the 2.2 litre engine even slower.

I'm wondering if a welded job will increase my emissions at all? I have to take the E-test in July of 2008 and don't wanna go through a bunch of bull to get it passed.

Karl

This problem has nothing to do with your loss of power. Unless there is a restriction in the exhaust system, which sounds like (no pun intended) this is not your situation, the exhaust system will have no effect on power. The only correclation i can see is if you are reluctant to step down hard on the gas pedal, due to the increase in noise.

The welding job will also have no effect on emmissions.

Mike

[karl_karl]

I bought this high temperature steel putty product my local autostore and patched up the hole, this is a temporary job for the impending winter. The noise is largely gone, I might re-apply the product and put some high-temp. exhaust tape around the patch.

The welding can wait until emissions test is looming. You were right about the power, it was just the noise forcing me to ease up on the gas. The RPMs remained constant when I was traveling at hwy speeds.

Thanks for the advice.

[marc780]

Weld in a section not just do a patch, otherwise in my experience its a waste. The quick check of exhaust system is to crawl underneath with a big screwdriver and bash it all along its length with the handle. It needs to make a clang and not a thunk otherwise it will soon be holey in these places too.
Replace as much of the exhaust system as you can afford to now. If it made a hole in one spot there will soon be others so replace the whole thing as soon as you can, if you intend to keep this car.
There are many aftermarket exhaust systems that are acceptable quality and much cheaper than toyota charges for a bunch of steel tubing and some mufflers.

I'm wondering if a welded job will increase my emissions at all? I have to take the E-test in July of 2008 and don't wanna go through a bunch of bull to get it passed.

As long as the welding job is airtight and the rest of the system has no holes, it wont. If there are leaks in the exhaust system, the machine has a reading to pick up any attempt at diluting the exhaust gas with air as it assumes you are just trying to beat the machine.

[karl_karl]

Thanks for the tip. I will just use the patch for the winter here in Ontario because the road salt would start wearing down any new exhaust system I put on.

Have any of you guys had any luck buying an aftermarket exhaust part and getting a mechanic to install it. With previous cars, mechanics wanted to be the one to purchase the parts to charge a mark-up...what tactics do you guys use?

Karl