NewKens1 Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 We have 2 OBW's. One is a 97' and the other is a 99'. Both have heat shield rattles. Is there a cheap fix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctoth Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Take 'em off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commuter Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 See the FAQ sticky for some ideas. Yes, there are cheap fixes. Commuter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I'm planning to put some huge stainless steel clamps around mine; will have to check out that FAQ for more/better ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I got under the Legaback and tightened all the nuts, then with a large Vice-Grips squeezed all the tabs and joints to a fair-thee-well. Quiet so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 400 watt stero with a sub woofer nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 400 watt stero with a sub woofer nipper doesnt that increase vibrations? I think washers would work best, what do u think? but is the problem that the heatshields are rusted? and need to be cut off, soo hmm:-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbhrps Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 The shields usually start to rattle when the clamping portion of the shield that wraps around the exhaust pipe rusts through or breaks off. My 97 developed the same rattle which I fixed with an exhaust clamp (since that was what I had at the time). I'd go with the alligator hose clamp method that was suggested. You'll be done in no time, and the problem will not occur again. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 Mine rattle where they curve up fight before the engine. How does one affix a hose clamp there? nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 I haven't actually looked at mine to see where they're rattling at so I don't know if I can get a hose clamp on there, but if it's possible I'd probably just undo it and open it up, slip it around or whatever and then reassemble and draw 'er down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 I haven't actually looked at mine to see where they're rattling at so I don't know if I can get a hose clamp on there, but if it's possible I'd probably just undo it and open it up, slip it around or whatever and then reassemble and draw 'er down. The sheilds are fairly robust, thats why whenver i see the hose clamp im a little i cant even bend them with pliers where they ratle, so i dont see hoe a hose clamp would bend them nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 Hm, well I could be misunderstanding how the heat shields rattle. I just figured a hose clamp snugged up around the loose area might keep it from shaking around. Anyway I should probably look at the FAQ for better ideas, though they only rattle at a certain low rpm so I haven't been overly motivated to try to fix it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep2112 Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 I had one on a cat that was bent up and rattled even after wedging a flathead screwdriver in it to straighten it. A friend of mine took the bolts out, put some washers in-between the 2 shield pieces (on the bolts) and put the nuts back on. Rattle went away. Some other shields were easier to break off than to repair. On my previous car (92 Eclipse), the shield over the muffler broke off on one side one day and I had a HORRIBLE rattle in the back. Thought the car was going to fall apart. Brought it Midas to see what they could do. Guy put it on the lift, broke off the remaining part that was attached, lowered the lift and said, "All fixed, no charge".. From what I've heard, the Japanese manufacturers are more concerned with heat problems than other companies and they over-do it, so it's safe to remove them if they're a problem. Guess it depends on if you're driving through tall, dry grass and like to park often with the engine running in them though.. edit: how did this get out of order?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commuter Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 Mine rattle where they curve up fight before the engine. How does one affix a hose clamp there? nipper Are you talking of that short approx. 90 deg bend right where the exhaust attaches to the engine? My 97 has/had rattles from those pieces as well. I don't know just how they are attached, as it is under the shields, but I assume it is the same tactic as the other shields. When I got my car at 2 yo, I noticed that someone had ingeniously used the "nail" approach to quiet these shields. A picture would be worth a thousand words here, but I'll try to describe. What they did was to use a screw (about #8 or 10, 1.5 or 2" long) and screw it into this short shield at about a 30 deg angle (from horizontal, pointed up towards the front of the car) at the lowest part of the shield and where this short first shield butts with the next sheild on the pipe. The screw was turned into the little gap where the 2 halfs of the short first shield come together. In other words, the screw is wedged against the exhaust pipe itself and the 2 halves of the shield itself. In order to screw into this spot, the head end of the screw will be pressing against the next piece of heat shield. It serves to 'wedge' and tighten everything up. The original screws rotted away a couple of times and I've had to redo it. Last time, I picked up some stainless steel screws. They should last a long time. Nice and quiet so far. Commuter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbhrps Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 If you can't fit a hose clamp around the heat shield because its too wide at the point where it is rattling, either remove the thing entirely, or using channel locks and vise grip pliers, crush/bend the shield down to the header pipe, and either use a clamp, and if that won't work get an exhaust shop to mig weld the shield to the header pipe in a few places. Even crushed down to the header pipe the shield has got to do most of the job it was intended for, rather than removing them entirely and losing its insulating properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker1100r Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 The hose clamp fix seemed to work well for me. Very cheap, very easy, very effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 Packing heavy gauge steel wool in then clamping seems to work great. On my car, i'm using twisted baling wire to hold them on, but they rattle anywase. It really doesn't matter much, everything else on the car makes noise, why shouldn't the exhaust? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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