buzzing after header install
 

hey guys wats up...got a quick question....i got my ss autochrome headers installed with the comptech catback exhaust.....it was great but after one week of driving i noticed a buzzing sound when i first pull off.....when i start to step on the gas the buzz goes away....

can it be that the bolts need to be tight again or us something touching

anyone out there had this problem...i did a search and found some issues, want to see if anyone had them latley

thanks

I had the same thing.

Turned out the 02 Sensor and its washer were just sitting in the bung, even thought I had tightened them down. Stripped the 02 Sensor, but forced it back in :thumbsup: If its the washer, add another or 2 to fill the gap. If its the entire o2 sensor, fix it or prepare to have it get worse and sound like a bee hive when you idle...mine did.

^ what he said or it can be the heatshield from the cat

it only happens when i step on the gas from a stop and start to move, then when i step on it a little more but when i give it more gas it goes away

check the hanger under the car that holds the downpipe right near the cat.. I've had issues with the xs headers where it will eat through the hanger rubber and then its metal on metal. Already went through 2, gotta get a new one again and put it on.

Id suggest bending the hanger so that its not putting so much pressure on the rubber hanger. Its not supposed to be wearing them out

I will take a look at it today.....how do you know if you have resonance? and it was fine up until yesturday, i took a long drive to PA so that must of broke everything in.

i will re tighten the bolts
check all the hangers
also check out the heat sheild

will there be any cons if i remove the heatsheild, has anyone done this?

mine does the same thing! interesting

L's TL did you take a look under your car yet to find out what's making the noise

nope but ima look as soon as i get home...i havent been driving my car this week, tryna keep down the mileage

:agree:

You will know if you have resonance. You will be able to hear it (almost sounds like a grinding sound when you step on the gas) and I can kinda feel mine through the pedal.

Wait about a week after initial install to re-tighten everything. This lets everything kinda get set and settle into place, then you will be able to tighten the bolts down even more.

The obvious con of taking off the heat shield between the cat and car is the heat not being able to disperse throughout the heat shield. The heat coming off the cat goes straight to the bottom of the car. The cat gets pretty hot, but I don't think hot enough to do real damage unless you are at the track for a few hours or tearing up the streets and then I don't even know.

Someone said something about a cat clogging because it was old and got hot enough to catch the car on fire because there was no heat shield. I think this was an extreme case, but just something to throw out there. It may have still caught on fire with the heat shield, you never know.

Kind of OT, but how long are catalytic converters supposed to last you?


Good luck and I hope the resonance stays gone :wish:

Once you install the headers, can you leave the exhaust manifold heat shields off?

yes

where are you going to attach them?

me and my neighbor looked and he said it's not the heat sheild vibrating....so this weekend we will bolt them up again and see what happens

I know ppl disagree but this is what happens when you buy $100 headers. Some are alright and some are not. It is made with cheap material and therefore you get resonance. For $100 you got a V6 header; that's a crazy price. But you will have to live with the cheap header cons: thinner steel, resonance, cheap hardware, decent fit, possible uneven flanges (that is why they include a thicker gasket).

I've had that noise problem a few times and every time, it was a nut that came loose. A couple of times, the nuts had actually fallen off completely and the bolts were just sitting in the hole, making the buzzing noise at certain RPMs.

Whoa I'd have to say thats installer-error right there :rofl:

I have noticed some of my bolts backing themselves off as well. I went to tighten everything back a week after first install, and then again after a few more weeks and it seems every time I get in there, a couple (the same ones every time) of the bolts are loose again.

Should I use some kind of chemical on the bolts to hold them in there better?
How hard will it be to take them off if I need to if I do put something on them?

You're right. I suck.

Yeah, whenever we work on cars together we usually end up at the dealership at the end of the day to fix what he messes up... :rolleyes:

Where are you a Pi Kapp at?

it was my heat sheild...problem fixed for me :o)

I have a moaning sound at 1900 rpm only. It sounds like a small saw going off every time i rev to 1900rpm. Im guessing i need to tighten my bolts up?

l'stl did you remove the heat sheild?

Just want you guys to know that is was the rubber mount that was holding the Y pipe that broke. that was causing the buzzing sound. i read that some users had this same issue is there a permanent fix for this?

Get a new one and set it up so that it won't break (mount in different spot or bend the hanger on y-pipe to fit better) or just remove it.

anyone find out how to fix this, my DC headers have been making that buzzing sound at low rpm's also..