Repair 7

How to Repair an Exhaust System Leak

While some car problems may go undiagnosed for a long period, its likely youll notice an exhaust leak soon after it happens. If your cars exhaust system is leaking, it will noticeably create more clouds of exhaust, noise and smell while idling in your driveway. Minor leaks may close up once the exhaust system warms up and expands, so inspect your car when it is cool to see if the exhaust system is leaking.

Instructions

1

Jack the back end of the vehicle up off the ground, and place jack stands under the vehicles frame for support. Place wheel chocks against the front tires.

2

Inspect the exhaust pipe for cracks or punctures. If you find one, ensure it is the only one.

3

Cut through the exhaust pipe with a hacksaw, roughly an inch on either side of the leak to remove a section of the pipe. Ensure your cuts are perpendicular to the pipe to make inserting the replacement pipe easier.

4

Snip an appropriately sized piece of aluminum sheet metal with tin snips. Youll use this to bend into a replacement pipe that will be slightly longer than the opening you cut with the hacksaw.

5

Wrap the sheet metal around the steel pipe to form a pipe-shaped tube. Ensure the new pipe, called the inner sleeve, is small enough to fit snugly inside the two ends of the original exhaust pipe.

6

Fit one end of the inner sleeve into the original exhaust pipe, and then push the other end of the inner sleeve into the other end of the exhaust pipe.

7

Create another new pipe with the tin snips, aluminum sheet metal and rolling device. This time, make the new pipe slightly larger than the vehicles exhaust pipe, as it will serve as the outer sleeve.

8

Place the outer sleeve over the inner sleeve, and secure it an inch from either end to the vehicles exhaust pipe with exhaust clamps.

9

Wrap several layers of muffler tape around both ends of the outer sleeve, between the exhaust clamps and the vehicles exhaust pipe. The tape will ensure no exhaust is able to leak out, as well as eliminate any vibration noises associated with your work.

10

Remove the wheel chocks and jack stand, then lower the vehicle back to the ground.