Re: 91 200tq Exhaust Rattle in Cats?

[Andrew Duane USG <duane@hunch.zk3.dec.com>]

Hairy green toads from Mars made Peter Dowker say:

>   I have a funny rattle in the exhaust system. When I first heard it, my heart skipped a beat and I thought " o no, not the turbo..."  The car is 200 tq, 91, 128 k 
> miles, reasonable condition.  Noise sounds like a loose flap or pebbles in a can, sort of a rhythmical clank, varies with speed (road speed/rpm can't tell - though 
> when I drop it into neutral while slowing for a stop, and boost the gas, I get no apparent reaction from the noise).
> 
> I've found that the spring loaded retaining screw apparatus (no idea of the real name) that connects the catalytic converter to the exhaust system pipe heading 
> toward the muffler ) was loose on one side, and needed to be tightened. Eh, voila, il a disparu (the noise went away) for 3 days....
> 
> Hmmm... do I need to think about catalytic replacement - worst case - if so, which ones should I look at?  I have the Stebro SS exhaust on the beast.
> Do I need to replace the retaining screw things? (such technical jargon -amazing how illiterate one is without the manuals/fiche). Do I need to learn the names 
> of the parts in question?

My 100Q does this. The clamps that hold the pipes together
near the cat are loose, and keep rattling despite tightening
all the time. I live with it a bit.

The heat shield is also a common problem. Mine seems to have
been taken off somehow :-)

If it is in fact the cat "guts", you need to replace it.
I think rapping on the cat with your knucles (WITH CAR COLD!)
can ascertain if anything is loose in there.

-- 

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)			duane@zk3.dec.com
Compaq Computer Corporation		(603)-884-1294
110 Spit Brook Road
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH    03062-2698

Only my cat shares my opinions, and she's too psychotic to express it