mxt_77

So, for the last few times I've driving the S, I've begun to fear the worst. I heard a whining/squealing noise that seemed to be emanating from the bottom of my engine. I've never heard a main bearing as it goes bad, but I feared it was happening to me. Today, after performing an oil change and not seeing any signs of bearing material in the oil, I decided to troubleshoot the sound.

I used my "poor man's auto-stethoscope" (ie, a really long screwdriver) to try to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. I started around the timing chaing tensioner (since I'm on my 2nd replacement, it was a likely culprit). Nothing there. Accessory pulleys? Nope. Prodded at various locations along the block, but nothing. Finally I moved towards the back of the engine. It sounded like the sound was coming more from the back of the engine. I listened along the top of the header... nothing. I stuck my head down by the header/heatshield area and knew I was headed in the right direction, but just needed to get lower. So, I listened under the car. I'm almost there and my head is right by the cat. So, I took a wrench to prop up the cat/header joint and relieve some pressure from it... BINGO. The sound disappeared. Remove the support, the whine/whistle returns.

So, there it is... my exhaust leak whistles. Good news for me, because it wasn't a bad bearing. But I just thought I'd share with you guys, because I never expected an exhaust leak to sound like that. I always thought it would sound like a flutter, or a raspy noise or somebody that ate too many beans.

Anyway... now I just need to get my lazy butt under there and snug up those bolts (it's the spring-loaded ones, and I always have trouble with them).

If you're wondering, "Could it happen to me?" You should know that I've removed/replaced my exhaust a few times and only replaced the gasket there the first time... so that's probably why I'm having a problem (and possibly under-torqueing the bolts/nuts).

RED MX5

[QUOTE=mxt_77,May 19 2007, 12:40 PM] So, for the last few times I've driving the S, I've begun to fear the worst.

mxt_77

^ Oh, man... thanks for the laugh! Hope you weren't singed too badly!

RED MX5

I basically just had the equivalent of a bad sunburn (except for the missing facial hair).
My face was probably redder from the embarassment than from the burn.

I didn't see the fireball (obviously), but everyone said it was huge.
Right now I'm trying to figure out whether or not this is the dumbest thing I ever did.

TheDonEffect

Lol, damn, glad to know ur ok though.