Rattle Noise: Catalytic converter or heat shield?

[dieseldaddy]

Got this rattle (worse when engine warm) that annoys me. Sounds like heat shield, but underneath inspection can't find anything loose or worn. Could this be the catalytic converter? How would I know? Not at idle, just when accel. Sounds like right under passenger side front floorboard. I didn't notice any holes or anything in the muffler or pipes either. PO had new installed <3ys ago.
Any ideas?

'91 Corolla Wagon DX (NOT All-trac) 5-spd manual

[freakinbox]

I had both the heat shield on the cat itself do it... Along with the one on the manifold.. Now it's the heat shield above the cat connected to the floor lol. The one on the cat is welded on and sometimes the spot welds break. Mine just fell off on the original one.

[dieseldaddy]

Good to know. Besides a warm floorboard, is there any potential danger in the cat heat shield mysteriously disappearing?
--
Hey wait a minute... my cat doesn't look like this:

Instead mine looks like it has a herringbone type weave around it. Guess the shield already "mysteriously" disappeared. Well... I'll keep looking for the source of that noise.

[SCT]

My cats heat shield rusted out before, so I cut the heat shield off. The shields basically keep things like bags melting on to it when you go over one. Also, to keep the heat from warming up the car's interior. But if it's just the lower shield on the cat, cut it.

Check this, on the down pipe where the flexing part is, make sure nothing is loose. Sometimes the weld on the rings that cover the ends on some sort of wire shield that protects the flexy part comes rusted and breaks off allowing it to rattle. I see that more often in any exhaust rats.

When cool, try tapping the cat to see if any abnormal sounds comes from it. Pretty much everything else wherever you think the noise is coming from...

[jpless]

Mine's doing this too. I think the nut holding my tie rod down flew into the heat shield because I heard a loud pop while accelerating, then this noise started. I looked under and noticed both tie rods were disconnected so I got that fixed. When I bang on the cat, it definitely sounds like something in there. I even took a coat hanger and straightened it out and passed it through the heat shield a few times. I was able to hit whatever was in there a few times but not able to get it out.

Sounds like my best bet now is to either take it off and try to shake it out or cut a hole in the bottom of the heat shield and wait for it to fall out. anyone know the best tool to use for this? I don't want to cut too much and end up hitting the cat itself! Please let me know.

Thanks!

[** ~~ {{ Bando }} ~~]

these are reasons why i totally eliminated my cat