the front flex joint is starting to leak on the Outback.  It seems to be a shame to throw away the whole front pipe with good cats and at the moment, no other problems.  Suggestions?

 

Thanks,  Mark

Hi Mark;   There is a  fiber doughnut on the last cat. The resonator pipe is cupped attaches with 2 bolts with springs.

You will want a new doughnut and a new pair of springs and bolts.  

Changing is not to hard.  Expect the spring bolts to be frozen and break.

Thanks Tom,  that we have done earlier in the year.  What I am talking about is the mesh type of exhaust pipe right after the head, before the O2 sensors and converters. I think it is about 6 to 8" long

Mark

You need to first determine if it's just the gasket and rusty bolts/springs, or if the pipe and/or flange are actually too rusty to seal. 

1. For gasket - get new Subaru gasket, bolts, nuts, springs and replace.  In the northeast those parts are almost always rusted to oblivion and will either easily twist off with pipe wrenches or cut or torch them off. 

2. If it's the metal pipe then yes it's definitely worth keeping the original OEM converter and repairing the flange.  Simplest is to find a good, honest shop that will just weld in a piece of pipe. I send people to a local place here that charges $45-$75 for Subaru's.  I've done it  and do my own vehicles, but that's so cheap for a really annoying job that's it's not even worth my time to piece together parts, fabricate, weld on someone elses vehicles. 

If you're amped up to DIY this debacle:

Unfortuantely there aren't a ton of easy straight forward ways to recommend doing this.  There's a number of different ways: 

a. flange repair.  good that phrase, maybe with "subaru" and see what you get.  there's brackets, there's just the flanges, there's slide over pipe fittings (those look neat but getting a subaru specific one that works with the right ID/OD combo...

b. just weld in straight pipe.  that is frequently done here - a local shop charges $45-$75 to weld in pipe for rusty fasteners.  you can do that yourself too.  or weld on new flanges. 

c. buy a used rust free part from a parts car

Oh okay - I see what you're saying in your most recently reply while I was typing.  

I'd just get a used one - check ebay or yards.  

Or investigate welding in a new one.  I've bought small weld in sections  of flex pipe before, so it can be done but you need to be able to weld. 

Check Subaru prices just so you know, amazon has aftermarket I think for $250...