99 Camry Front Pipe Help

[HelloFrog]

Hey guys I came over here from Honda-Tech looking for some help on my sisters 99 camry. Looks like she needs a new front pipe. It is that pipe with the flex pipe and the cat in it. Checked with the dealer and it was like 1200 for the part. Anyone know anywhere I can get it cheaper or if anyone has had success passing emissions with an aftermarket one. Just trying to see what options are out there any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Russ

[HelloFrog]

The leack is actually in the flex pipe. Is it possible to just cut out the flex pipe and weld in a new one?

[blackhawk]

yah u can do that if the leak is their

[bronzemaxell]

Originally Posted by HelloFrog

The leack is actually in the flex pipe. Is it possible to just cut out the flex pipe and weld in a new one?

i bought a flex pipe with cat from egay around $155 shipped, simple install, works fine now.

[Hajoca]

I had the flex section cut out and a new one welded in at a muffler shop for around $120 CDN on my V6. Too many rusted fasteners for me to bother with.

[HelloFrog]

I agree the bolts on the flange just after the cat are pretty much a pile of rust. haha. would rather cut it out. Bolts would have to be cut anyways.

[Mike Gerber]

HelloFrog,

I too had the flex pipe cut out and a new aftermarket one welded in recently on my 94 Camry. Had the work done at an independant muffler shop I have been using for years. Exhaust work is one thing I leave to the professionals. Too much rust in our area to fight terminally rusted bolts and nuts, while on your back. Cost was $175 with an additional piece of exhaust piping in front of the flex pipe also put in. I'm in the Chicago area. Let me know if you need a shop in this area to do the work for you.

Mike

[HelloFrog]

Thanks man. Did you pass emmisions?

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by HelloFrog

Thanks man. Did you pass emmisions?

I haven't had to take the car for emmissions since having this done a couple of months ago, but I really don't see how it would affect emmisions. It's really just a hollow section of pipe made out of interwoven strands of metal fibers. It allows the engine to rock back and forth and gives some flex (as the name implies) to the exhaust system. Without this flexing ability, the exhaust system would just break as the engine rocks back and forth.

Mike

[Hajoca]

Inside is a section of corrugated tube, like a flexi straw, the outside braid is there to add strength and restrain sharp bends and stresses. As long as the weld or clamp used for repair does not leak, it will not be a problem.

The other method instead of a flex joint is a ball and socket flange type kept together with springs.

[kpszar]

One place where I live want $430, I was are you kidding I can get a full custom exhaust for that. And another shop wants $275, which is a crap load cheaper. The first shop they told me that they can not wield a flex pipe to it and need a whole new front pipe. Most of the money id due to the cat! I am going to ask the shop it they can make a custom front pipe for me just like oem but with a high flow Magnaflow cat or something.

[daveart]

well ill tell you now(i work at the dealer as a mechanic)the aftermarket ones are garbage,you will end up putting a original eventully,be that in a year or 2 but maby sooner,every time we see the jobber cats brake up inside and all the crap goes down your center pipe and muffler in some cases,now i know its over 1000$ at the dealer(mainly cause of the cat)but you can assure you the cat wont put out a code and will last at least 9 to 10 years,what ive seen is some muffler shops will weld on a new flex(only if its original,the jobbers pipeing metal is too thin to do this),thats what you would be getting at 200$yet you could be lucky,depending the shop,but from what ive seen many times its not the best choice,i understand toyota oe parts are expensive,i have a 01 camry 4 cyl and like i said i work there so i was lucky that i know the sound and heard a small leak while it was still under warrenty so we replaced it free of charge,if it wasnt free i was going to take it down and weld a new flex on it,i wouldnt have even thought about getting jobber,im sure there are some on this site that have gone through this,i worked on one that he had it one for 1 year,no warrenty from the shopp he had it done,after i changed it it still ran like crap and set codes,i removed the center pipe and taped all the crap from the old one out,but the muffler i couldnt save,so what did this client of ours really save,lets see, lets say he bought it for 200$(good price cause as you know they can be more)then a year later he paid us 1 hour labor to bring it in and lift it ,inspect the exhaust ,so thers another 89$(ya 89$ a hour and i get paid 20$out of that,so there hes at 289,then he still had to get a new original one at over 1000$,plus the muffler he ruined with the jobber one,then ther is a nother hour labor for me to do the job,so,as a toyota technitian,this is my advice,ask stever h(hes on this form somewhere)we work together but hes a parts guy,he will say the same thing.your better off with a toyota original used than a jobber new,this is my advice to you ,make no diff if you follow it to me,but trust me in a while you will say i should have listened,when it comes to toyota the original parts are always best,expecally (i know my spelling is bad,im typing fast)electrical and exhaust,

[ONE_to_HATE]

holy thread revival batman!

[carsrus]

I paid like a 100$ to get a new flex pipe welded in a few years ago. No problems.

No need to drop a tonna cash, nothing lasts forever.

[retiredat44]

I had a new flex pipe put in a couple weeks ago in our 1989 Corolla. I bought the flex pipe at a local auto parts store for $25. I paid the shop $75 to cut the old one out and weld the new one in..