exhaust rattle

[TraceZ]

The thing bugging me about the car now is a rattle in the exhaust. Ever sinse I installed the Borla I have a rattle in the cat that wont stop. It almost sounds like the guts are loose, but it was fine before the Borla. I cannot see it rubbing on anything yet when I bang it with my fist I can hear it.

Why was it quiet with the stock exhaust? What is the best solution?

[soCalTA]

some junk could have gotten inside the tube and messed up the inside of the cat. I had a similar sound and it was the cat ... changed it out and all is fine.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

A rattly cat is maybe a loose brick. That's what happenned to me so I smashed it out with a pipe and a hammer. I tried to comply, but it just wasn't in the cards. This was the second Random cat that I had - the first wouldn't pass emissions and the warranty replacement fell apart before a year went by. A real waste of $300 - Thanks for nothing Random - you sell junk.

[TraceZ]

You guys *are not* going to believe this. I found the rattle, and it was in the cat all right.


I dropped the y-pipe and cat out of the car so I could closely inspect it for rattles and possibly gut it. In the process I was tapping on it with a rubber mallet. I tapped really hard and the rattle changed pitch and got very bouncy. Once I had the y-pipe completely removed I wiggled it around and out came the following:


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You should of seen the look on my face. Needless to say that little sucker sure did make a lot of noise. I've got it all back together now and it drives wonderfully. No more rattles!

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

You ain't workin on MY car, son! Spark plugs in the exhaust - sheesh! What's he going to come up with next? - Hey, wait! Is it a Honda plug by any chance?

[TraceZ]

You ain't workin on MY car, son! Spark plugs in the exhaust - sheesh! What's he going to come up with next? - Hey, wait! Is it a Honda plug by any chance?

You aint whistling dixie! How in the heck do you figure that got in there?

The only thing I can guess is that maybe when I had the drivers side exhaust manifold off to replace the gasket that I might have broken off one of the plugs and the end fell into the open exhaust pipe.

Or, it could be from that Civic I ate up last week. In that case, it's only indigestion.

[Joe 1320]

You ain't workin on MY car, son! Spark plugs in the exhaust - sheesh! What's he going to come up with next? - Hey, wait! Is it a Honda plug by any chance?

I was just going to say the same thing. LMAO!

[94 formula]

Wouldn't you have noticed a cylinder misfiring though with a snapped plug?

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Duh! Actually, it's an old plug, and not one of the ones that the car is running off of, RIGHT TRACE?

[Z Ya Later]

But I thought a plug in your exhaust makes you go faster. That's the Civic boys tell me lol

[TraceZ]

Duh! Actually, it's an old plug, and not one of the ones that the car is running off of, RIGHT TRACE?

10-4 good buddy. The car runs on a set of stock double platinums. They are only a year old. The only thing I can figure is it fell in the pipe when I had the manifold off. I did do the plugs at the same time I did the manifold gaskets, so that would make sense. That had to be what happened, I just cannot imagine any other sinereo.

[Craig 94 TA GT]

Wow, I never expected that You said you started hearing the sound after the Borla install. How long before that did you have the manifold off?
I'm very glad it wasn't a problem and easy fix, especially with your bad luck lately

[Superman09]

I have a Borla exhaust also on my 99 TA. It rattles also. Well it seems mainly when im braking i hear it rattle and sometimes when i get on it a little but mainly when i brake. This is weird. Maybe i can find a spark plug too, but this is def annoying

[TraceZ]

I did the exhaust manifold gaskets and spark plugs last year. That piece-o-plug must have fallen into the pipe and slowly worked its way to the cat. I dont drive the car much so it is entirely possible it took it the year to make the journey. Maybe it was wedged in somewhere and installing the Borla knocked it loose so it rattled? I dunno.


If anyone else has a Borla and an exhaust rattle I would definitley say it's got to be a chunk-o-sparkplug in your cat. Just go get it out and the rattle will be gone!

[crazycooter]

cat rattle!

Did it just happen while the car was in gear? Mine is doing the same thing! Just installed new SS Dual, and whenever the car is in drive or Reverse and braked it rattles bad! When I give it the gas no rattle, the nose is definatly coming from around the Cat not sure if its inner or outer. Let me know ! Thanks