Exhaust pipe bent; help me fix my mistake

TRevs

TJ Enthusiast
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Nov 11, 2019
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TX & CO
I replaced my rusty exhaust with a cheap walker kit from manifold to tailpipe. I heard a modest leak, and with the blower /soapy water trick, found it where the resonator joins the catalytic converter.

IMG_1043.jpeg


Apparently I hadn’t inserted the resonator into the cat pipe far enough, so the clamp had crimped the cat pipe inward for about a third of its circumference.

So now the inward crimp prevents the resonator from going in more than an inch or so.

My options as I see them:

-Order a new cat ($140 + shipping)
-have a shop cut the damaged part and weld the two pieces together ($ ???)
- hammer out the crease on some kind of round 2” anvil ($priceless)

advice or other ideas?
 
Torch? Heat it up and bend it ish back?

Harbor Freight or borrow a pipe expander from your local auto parts place.

Call the vendor, confess your ignorance and plead for mercy?

Find someone that welds? I'd help but Oregon is a bit of a haul!

-Mac
 
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Reactions: SkylinesSuck
I crawled under it several times but with all the noise from the engine I couldn’t localize it. I also have an irrational fear of using my hands to feel for air leaks around exhaust pipes on a running vehicle.

With the colonoscopy blower it was super easy to spray soapy water and feel around the pipes. Found the main leak in 30 sec (as well as some microbubbling from the manifold and the factory muffler welds).
 
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Reactions: TheBoogieman
Torch? Heat it up and bend it ish back?

Harbor Freight or borrow a pipe expander from your local auto parts place.

Call the vendor, confess your ignorance and plead for mercy?

Find someone that welds? I'd help but Oregon is a bit of a haul!

-Mac

The loaner pipe expander worked great. Thanks for the suggestion!