badsp0rk

OK, I have an 02 GT.
About three months and roughly 1,500 miles ago I installed a set of headers, a new (catted) midpipe, and a new catback system.

Everything was going fine until last week. Last week I took a trip up to Rochester, from Connecticut, and put about 800 miles on the car (round trip). The way up everything was good. On the way home when I got off the interstate I heard a clanging noise that seemed to be coming from the engine. It would go away when I reached higher RPMs, and when I parked, and started the car up again, it went away altogether.
A few days ago, still home on my school's little mini break, I took the car for a spin to the doctor's office. On the way there, I heard the clanging noise again once the car was heated up, and only at lower RPMs and especially at idle.

Fearing the worst, I assumed it was an exhaust leak. So, when the rain finally ended today, I crawled under the car to inspect the H-pipe and catback as best as I could.. not finding any carbon anywhere. When I started the car up and looked underneath water was leaking from where the headers connect to the H-pipe, but no more clanging noise. I took the car for a spin, to warm her up, and alas the clanging returned. When I parked the car and checked under neath, no more water leakage (the pipes expanded when the metal got hotter I assume??), but the clanging did start up again.

I've heard exhaust leaks before, and I always thought they were more of a puffing noise, and would be slightly louder. I'm certainly not ruling out the possibility that maybe I have a leak on the header to the engine connection, but I think it highly unlikely as I figured it would be a lot louder and sound slightly different; this sounds more like metal hitting metal.

Finally, when I installed my headers, they were too large to fit in my car pretty much, with a 1 3/4" diameter (it seems most mustangs get the 1 5'8" treatment, for good reason!) So, I had clearance problems, and my steering shaft is rubbing against the header a tad bit. My starter could only get one bolt in there properly, too, as the other was simply impossible to get on.. against the laws of physics. Also, the headers rub the frame in a few places. One more thing, on my drive home from Rochester, some trucker's tire exploded, and while I dodged most of the debris I did hit one piece.
The noise is coming from the driver (steering shaft) side.

ANY suggestions as to what could be wrong here???
I DID jerry rig the oil dip stick back into the pan.. maybe that came dislodged somehow and is rattling around...??? But the noise is only at low RPM, and only when the engine is heated up..?? Maybe it IS at high RPM too, but my exhaust is so loud I can't hear it..??? Maybe something warped my steering shaft and when the car is hot the header expands and rubs harder..?? (but when I move the steering shaft it deosn't change the clanging whatsoever).

ANY suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.. Since I'm garaging the car very soon, if I can't fix this next year when I start her up again, I guess I'll have to bring it to a mechanic..??

Thanks people!


edit: one last thing.. maybe it's my predator tune somehow?? maybe even though the last gas I got claimed to be 93 it really wasnt...??? although it's not quite a pinging noise..

Voodoo

Ah remember when I said I had the same noise untill my muffler fell off. That's funny because that's what I was thinking about. It was only the heat sheild on the converter though. You may want to have a shop put it on a lift and check around for rattles. They do that all the time. My brother in law is a Volvo mechanic and when he's looking for a noise he takes a screwdriver and pokes around putting the metal end on various parts and the other too his ear.

2000GT4.6

It sounds like to me your exaust is heating up, and then banging off a part of the car. The headers touching the body is a no no btw. You are asking for a fire.

badsp0rk

Yeah, I know touching the frame is super bad, but there's literally nothing I can do to prevent that; next year I plan on getting a new k-member, in hopes of more header clearance, and when I drop my stock k-member I'm going to try my best to bang the headers into place properly, so no more rubbing anywhere.. but on the passenger side it's going to be near impossible (all four of the "pipes" are touching in some way).

On a side note, I wouldn't recommend JBA parts to.. anyone..

kcp1989

about the headers touching the frame- get some of that heat/fire proof header wrap stuff and wrap the sections where it touches the frame. Also helps to keep less heat from entering the engine compartment.

sm0ke

I used to drive a Focus, and when i replaced the exhaust, one of the brackets at low RPM's would hit the frame and cause a clanging sound under the car. at higher rpm's it would go away.

I don't know if that would help you at all but it may be something to check into.

neogenic83

funny mine is an 02 and it started doing the exact thing a couple days ago. let us know what U find out I have to wait a week before i can get to a lift. it is really embarassing makes the car sound like a POS

badsp0rk

You'll find out sooner than me man; I have one day to look over my car (friday), then it's garaged for the winter while I'm here at school... I won't get a chance to really look her over 'till Spring time.. so I'm gonna worry all damn winter long.

I think the guy who said it's the cat's heat shield is onto something; it happens once the car is warmed up, cat's aren't effective until the car is warmed up.... so maybe it's just that... i wish [&:]

Dan04COBRA

It's probably something stupid like the heat shield.

Did you replace the motor mounts while you were at it?

Jakes

It's pretty obvious, when the pipes heat up they grow/expand both in diameter and in length. When they get hot they're hitting something. But.... you got a screwed up installation. You should pull off those oversized headers and get some that fit properly and you'll most likely solve your problem. By the way, I hope you're not blaming JBA when you're trying to put 10lbs of stuff into a 5lb container.[>:]