(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best automotive exhaust hangers & flanges

A lot of people (myself included) use Speed Engineering and are very happy with them. The only thing you'll need are a couple of lap clamps for the header to off-road pipe connection since the ones that come with the headers are poo. You use the OEM ones for connecting the off-road pipe to the catback.

If you want a set with cats you CAN use these with some custom setup but I would say at that point your better off going with Texas Speed.

The cost of an exhaust repair can vary a LOT depending upon what they're doing to fix the leak, and how big the leak is. It can range from as cheap as $10 for something DIY like this or this, to as much as several thousand to completely replace the exhaust system from the manifold back. Certain repairs will last longer than others, and of course replacing the complete system will likely last the longest. So, when you go to a mechanic be sure to ask them exactly what they'll do to fix the issue, and then see if they guarantee the repairs for time/miles.

Exhaust hanger removal tool.

amazon.com/dp/B0012S9A5U/

Fair warning, it doesn't fit perfectly at first. I had to expand the holes on the mid pipe flange to accommodate the new mounting bolts. Easy enough with a step bit /other drill bit and a round file. The hanger rods are also pretty long to they almost touch the tow loops underneath. In addition to them being long they are also really close to the muffler, so I also had to order longer hangers so it would sit lower.

J2 Engineering for Mazda 3 Hatchback 2.0L 4.5 inches Round Double Wall Muffler Tip Catback Exhaust System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0764VLQNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tqO0Db4KNAPQ7

CarXX 4 Hole Exhaust Hanger Bushing Muffler Insulator Shock Absorbent High Density Rubber Universal - Pack of 2 (Blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FN79YYJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2wO0DbC1B9YAN

My first actual ""real" job was when I worked in an Automotive shop in High School. Welding exhausts was part of the job.

Tips n' tricks I learned:

Exhaust pipe can be a trick to get find a good ground on and hangers aren't always easy to clamp onto. Take an old truck battery cable, strip off the insulation and make a neat braid out of the copper. Now you have a pony tail ground! To use it, just wrap/loop the bare copper braid around the exhaust pipe and clamp your normal welding ground clamp to it.

Always leak check your work! When you're done welding up the pipe, have an assistant hold a rag or old welding glove over the exhaust outlet to bump up the backpressure while you look/listen/feel for leaks.

Most steel exhaust pipe has "aluminizing" which is just a thin coating of aluminum on the steel. It welds a lot nicer if you strip off the aluminizing with a die grinder flap wheel. Also if the pipe that you're joining to is used and has a lot of carbon/oil residue on the inside, try your best to clean that up too before welding. If you try welding to a pipe with a lot of built up carbon on the inside it'll offgas which can cause problems with the bead wanting to "volcano" and give a nasty looking weld. Clean pipe welds nicest and a little prep goes a long way.

Get the lightest and flexiest MIG whip you can because welding exhaust on the vehicle can require some tricky contortion at times. Also if you can get a Bernard gun with the rotatable head, that helps for tight areas.

Most exhaust pipe is only 16 gauge, so .025" wire is all ya need.

Some semi-specialized tools you may want to get:

These if you don't own a pair already. They work a lot easier than the old standby of using Channellocks and penetrating oil to slip off rubber isolaters.

A can of high temp silver spray paint. Putting a quick coat of high temp paint over where you've welded and/or stripped the aluminizing off the pipe is considered a nice touch. Only takes a couple minutes and 50 cents worth of spraypaint and customers don't like seeing rust on an exhaust they just had replaced a few weeks ago.

"Stud grip" Channellocks or Knipex Cobra pliers because you'll be "cherrying up" a lot of really crusty 3/8", 8mm, and 10mm studs with a torch and you need something that can get a good bite on them to turn them out.

An air cut-off wheel to hack off all the old hangers and hardware that you can't salvage and won't be reusing. I use a crappy old IR 3" , but if you can afford an extended reach model This one is the bomb

I'll bet the PO had an exhaust cutout installed. Really only way to know is follow the cable and see where the other end is.

It depends entirely on the exhaust you buy. Some may require additional or replacement mounts. I strongly recommend buying a set of exhaust hanger removal pliers like these. When I did the catback on my car, I spent the most time fighting with the damn hangers. If you don't have a set of removal pliers, they're a real pain in the ass. It's also helpful to have a spray-on lubricant (silicone works well) so the rubber hangers slide on and off easier. Aside from that, and assuming your stock exhaust comes off without too much of an issue, it should be fairly trivial.

Just as a FYI, they do make what looks like a C-clamp for repairing exhaust leaks, but these are designed to slip over or work around broken studs, etc. and are intended to provide a more-or-less permanent repair. They can be life savers for situations where you'd have to remove an entire manifold to deal with a broken exhaust pipe stud, for example. I've used them and they do work, and more critically, they stay in place once tightened down.

Example 1 and example 2

I have an 06 sport. The owner before me cut the pipes and muffler off just after the catalytic converter.

I also bought the thrush welded muffler and used this adapter to fit it to the pipe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043DL69E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I then ran a 1 ft extension and a turn down. Originally I just had the extension, but without the turn down the rear axle / differential was really heating up (im in FL). So I added a turn down.

I have no problem with fumes, but it sounds awful. Anytime the MDS kicks in it drones and the muffler isn't really that loud.