• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Exhaust gasket is good and just bolts rusted away?


Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Messages
47
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Vehicle Year
2000
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Automatic
Sorry to post about a 2015 Honda Pilot EX-L 6 cyl 3.5, sister's car, but some have helped me here with cars other than my Ranger. thanks.

She brought it to me because it's loud from an exhaust leak.

It seems only the bolts rusted away? Or is there a missing gasket/flange?

When I enter this car to autozone's site looking for exhaust flange, it shows a diamond/pointed silvery type gasket that looks like it might have deteriorated away but then I click on it and it just shows metal rings which seem to both be existing fine on both sides of the pipe. This is right after the cat.
I found no videos or anything about this year Pilot to confirm anything. Most others have a coned shaped flange that allows some flex besides what the flexpipe allows.

Just bolt it back together? It seems there should be something more sealing that this. Maybe just use cut/sheet high heat type gasket or a paste? If autozone doesn't carry these exact bolts I might just use hardware store , then rust preventer paint and a couple topcoats to prevent more rust. Only this section basically is rusty. thanks.
 

Attachments



55trucker

Active Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Messages
602
Reaction score
183
Points
43
Location
Oshawa, Ontario
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0L
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
-
Total Drop
mild
From what I see there you have no studs left that are in usable condition.
You'll need to grind off flush on both sides the remainder of what's there, drill out the centre to go thru the remaining weld, knock out the leftover stud, install 2 fresh nuts & bolts, install the new gasket.
You may need some heat there as well, so an oxy/acetylene set or Mapp gas kit would be needed.
 
Last edited:

alwaysFlOoReD

Forum Staff Member
TRS Forum Moderator
TRS Banner 2012-2015
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
13,853
Reaction score
5,009
Points
113
Location
Calgary, Canada
Vehicle Year
'91, '80, '06
Make / Model
Ford, GMC,Dodge
Engine Size
4.0,4.0,5.7
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
^^^ yes.
You can get gasket material specifically for this situation and cut your own if necesary.
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Messages
47
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Vehicle Year
2000
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Automatic
thanks for reply.

still confused. Can anyone link a diagram that actually shows what part #s belong where so I can confirm if a gasket or something rusted away?

The 3 rusted bolts coming from the cat, I'm hoping to keep and not make a bigger project by grinding and drilling them out, torching etc, I do have a torch but just propane and had a rust box ranger that every little thing I needed to do became a big project because of stubborn rusted bolts, so I'd rather not mess with it - if the bolts rust away or break then I'd try replacing them, or even the whole cat.

all replies I've gotten so far from different sources:


It should just be a donut gasket. If it were me I'd replace the gasket and probably torch out the old studs and replace with bolts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Often times a dealer parts dept can be cheaper than aftermarket places. Replace the bolts with what you can source locally and here's a link to the gasket you need.
Gasket, Pre Chamber - Honda (18393-SDB-A00)

Best thing to do is clean all remaining gasket material on both sides, and install new gasket. Considering the amount of rust there, an exhaust sealing paste probably wouldn't be a bad idea on both sides of the new gasket, just depends how pitted the mating surfaces are.

Good luck.


-----------


From what I see there you have no studs left that are in usable condition.
You'll need to grind off flush on both sides the remainder of what's there, drill out the centre to go thru the remaining weld, knock out the leftover stud, install 2 fresh nuts & bolts, install the new gasket.
You may need some heat there as well, so an oxy/acetylene set or Mapp gas kit would be needed.


+++++

^^^ yes.
You can get gasket material specifically for this situation and cut your own if necesary.


-------------------------
 

55trucker

Active Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Messages
602
Reaction score
183
Points
43
Location
Oshawa, Ontario
Vehicle Year
1998
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0L
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Lift
-
Total Drop
mild
Not being a Honda forum we're sort of *in the dark*......try going into Rockauto to find the appropriate gasket for that vehicle application & location.
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Messages
47
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Vehicle Year
2000
Make / Model
Ranger
Transmission
Automatic
done,
but the other 3 nuts on the other side of the cat are probably going to rust away soon.

Thanks to the genius head of design at multi trillion dollar company Honda (and others..) for choosing to save like 12 cents on production costs of a $38,000 SUV by using these grade bolts to rust away easily.
I replaced them w grade 8 yellow zinc should last the lifetime of the car but the other side at least I have the technique down now if I have to do those later. Took damn near all day crawling under there etc (I hate wrenching on anything jacked up or on ramps so I crawl under truck/suv for this. Angle grinder cut off wheel wouldn't fit without hitting important metal tubes etc, ordering metal blades for my multi tool tomorrow which was useless for the wood/plastic/soft metal blade, have all the other masonry etc types but not for serious metal cutting. $6 harbor freight dremel tickled it, waste of time, need to upgrade that. Had a worn down small angle grinder cut off wheel that worked though. Sawsall metal blade mighta worked too. Even M42 cobalt drill bit with cutting oil didn't go so quickly, luckily successfully re-sharpened it on bench grinder first tries which is tricky, although the 30 min tutorial videos on that should basically just say keep 1 bit and don't use it just use a reference and grind the dull one to match it.


As for the mystery gasket, you can see in first pics there is remnants of something there, either some sorta thin metal sheet that deteriorated or I think they might have just used paste sealant at the factory. Parts diagram linked, on left , does show uses 18393-SDB-A00 which looks like a rounded metal ring when google for an actual image despite in photo you can see both sides have flat metal rings even if this ring is soft lead I don't think it'd compress that flat. Doesn't hurt to add the exhaust-grade gasket that I did. Autozone shows existing flat metal gasket in system but metal on metal seems dumb, have worked on many small engines never seen anything like that let alone for the exhaust of an SUV so I traced the hole and bought the closest match gasket from a random car (autozone doesn't carry cut-sheet exhaust grade gasket), holes don't line up but doesn't matter, kept it in place temporarily with a dab of caulk and bolted up.

Rust reformer painted the other side too hopefully slows the rust. Will topcoat later when have to stainless wire/hose clamp the heat shield back on which bolts rusted also. great.
 

Attachments

4x4prepper

Active Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
507
Reaction score
215
Points
43
Location
Atlanta
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
Looks like a good repair to me. In the FWIW category, it looks like to me it was designed with some kind of round gasket that was put into the recess and then a flat gasket went over the flange.

> for choosing to save like 12 cents on production costs of a $38,000 SUV by using these grade bolts to rust away easily.

google Q: "does japan salt their roads"

A: "The Japanese do not use salt and other chemicals to melt down ice on frozen roads during winter. Since it rarely snows in the Kansai part of Japan, snow melt after about ten minutes."

They do not salt their roads and after 4-6 years most vehicles are replaced.

Google "average car age in japan"

"As of March 31, 2021, passenger cars in Japan had an average age of approximately 8.84 years. Over the past decade, the average age of passenger cars increased steadily, hinting at improved durability of vehicles owned in Japan.Nov 25, 2021"

Designing for the Japanese market and designing for the American market are two different things. Since they have to warranty the emissions system, I do not think they were trying to cut corners. Bolts and studs on exhaust systems are just one of those things that fail in a system designed to be easy to take apart during the warranty period that is also easy to assemble at the factory. Not that I am really a big Honda fan. Though if you said the same thing about a Mazda SUV I would agree 100% :-D
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Today's birthdays

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top