Big Money Pit

Well, as many of you know, i recently installed a new midpipe (rx8store) on my car.

I noticed that when I tooK the stock piece off, it had a hanger on it at the end towards the 2 bolt flange where it joins with the piece that has the mufflers on it. The rx8store midpipe does not have a hanger. I THINK the stock hanger was actually pulling the midpipe over to the drivers side, helping to keep a seal in-between the flanges, so that it wouldn't do this:



Can anyone verify this?

If I lay under the passenger side of the car and push on the exhaust towards the drivers side, it looks like the flanges line up better and can seal better. the spring loaded nuts are on tight, so I don't know why it's doing this.

Any guesses? Fixes?

Lord ET

iTrader: (1)

You might just take the old mid pipe and new one to a shop and have them cut the hangar off the original and weld it to the new one in the same place... Just a thought.

Big Money Pit

hm.

i would maybe thing about buying a NEW hanger...

but first i need some verification that the stock hanger actually serves this purpose.

i'll take some pictures tonight and post them up. i mean, let's all admit it... that's a pretty badass autocad drawing, but i think pictures are of the order.

Lord ET

iTrader: (1)

it is quite impressive. I bet it took you a couple of hours eh? jp

Vyndictive

iTrader: (28)

I just put a gutted cat midpipe on my car this weekend.

I know right where you're talking about: I would say that welding a hanger on there and using the factory grommet and mount would be very useful. That is a lot of weight to just have hanging there. That puts a lot of stress on only those two bolts.

Solutions I would look at. removing the mount from your stock exhaust with a saw and welding onto your new pipe.

Or just get a cheap exhaust hanger from autozone and find a place to mount that.

I'm not an expert. But thats where I would start.

Big Money Pit

i just did it in about 6 or 7 off to the side of something else i was ACTUALLY working on.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

-captain obvious steps in-

did you reinstall the donut gasket correctly and make sure it wasn't damaged?

Big Money Pit

that brings up another question....

donut gasket... is that like a regular, flat gasket that goes in between the two flanges or it is simular to what the stock exhaust has, which is a weird rubber piece around the pipe that fits inside the catback portion of the exhaust? i thought that might be it, but was unsuccessful at getting it off.

when i took it apart, it didn't have a gasket back there... not a normal, flat one at least. it wasn't leaking at all back then, either.

Big Money Pit

(this leak is much bigger than a gasket could fix)

Big Money Pit

is this the "donut gasket" you speak of?

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

man you draw well---glad the header is on--out of town this w/e and didnt return your call sorry about that. I will be home tonight after 6pm.
The hanger does serve a purpose--remember also the exhaust "moves" just a little during hard driving from chassis flex etc. Get the hanger. Both my midpipes i had an rb one before i got the mazsport one--had hangers. Now with headers you dont have the exhaust stay that bolts to the header as you do with the oem making that hanger even more important.
Also you may need to get the no leak soft aluminum gaskets to have a proper seal with aftermarket pieces--bet when you cranked her it was LOUD.
Olddragger

Big Money Pit

it's cool man... once i figured out that i needed to take the ENTIRE motor mount off, it was clear sailing from there.

i'll see how much i can move it around later, and if i need to, i'll fab something up and weld it on there as a hanger.

i'm just hoping that it will serve some purpose to re-align it.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

learning a lot arent ya!! Cussing yet?
yea the hanger does help to align it right.
You are going to like the hell out of this mod the 1st time you drive her.
olddragger

Big Money Pit

well, i looked at it tonight and... it's mainly the lack of donut gasket that's causing the leak.

anyone know where i can get a 2.75" internal diameter donut gasket?

DOMINION

^Yup at your local Mazda dealer for $40.00

I was just going to say you need a gasket but come to think of it I just got my RB mid pipe installed on Monday and we reused the Donut gasket and I went out and got a new gasket for the front where the mid pipe and the exhaust header connect and my car still smells like fumes and gas lol theres just no way around it my friend

Big Money Pit

i'm not having a problem in the front where the header connects to the midpipe, it's just in the back.

will the stock donut gasket fit? i couldn't get it off. it looked like it was bonded to the exhaust somehow,

Vyndictive

iTrader: (28)

I was able to save my Donut gasket. It was on there solid too. It took some time, but I was able to take a flat head screw driver and just tap it enough to start to loosen the donut, don't pry it or it'll start to come apart.

I'd say just get a new one. Make sure your new midpipe and stock midpipe are the same diameter.

Sorry, I just assumed that you put a donut gasket back in there.
Though I'd still look into putting the hanger on there.


My front is leaking pretty heavily right now also because I put the old stock gasket on there and its too worn out to take the shape of the new flanges.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

do you have a ridge to keep the doughnut gasket in place? if not (my midpipe doesnt) then you cant use it. from the pic the doughnut is not going to solve the problem--need hanger and correct alignment. I had to use the soft aluminum gaskets like a regular exhaust gasket
ddragger

Big Money Pit

i can make a ridge on it. i'll just weld a nice thick bead on there, all the way around the pipe, after i slide it on there.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

DOnt go to all that trouble--just get a Percy seal for good exhaust gasket--see Summit racing. It will work much better
olddragger

DOMINION

You can get it off. Trust me. You just need a paint scraper and a rubber hammer. Work around it like you would when you tune a drum or put lugs back on a wheel
-Gil

Big Money Pit

you guys think it would work if i slipped a bunch of regular triangular or oval exhaust gaskets on there? three maybe? and then made sure i bolted it back up real tight? i think that would close the gap for now.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

no it will burn out and it will be right back to where you started. get it to fit 1st,move it all around to get it to fit right 1st.
OD.

04RX8man

don't go to the dealer for the gasket when i replaced my catback i went to advance auto and i think the gasket was like 11bucks or something and i would also weld the hangar back on if that's how it is stock then it is ther for a purpose of some sort

DOMINION

+1 and just reuse the OME one. I have 35K and was ok with reusing it with my OBX CAT back and my RB mid pipe