a couple of months ago i slid off the road into a ditch and knocked my downpipe on this large cement block rather hard. the flex section was leaking exhaust a little bit after it happened, and the front of it looks as if it has been separated. take a look at the picture and please let me know if i should get a new downpipe or not.

sorry, its not hi res. i took it with my phone.

 

I would think about getting a new one. The exhaust leak is really not good for you (take it from the guy that had a broken flex pipe on his Accord for over a year).

The pipe shouldn't be more than a couple hundred, even from the dealer, and it's better than risking exhaust in the cabin, as well as a loss in backpressure from the crack.

 

Your downpipe is fine. What you're actually looking at is heat shielding...or aesthetic shielding if you look at it another way. The actual piping is just beyond that shielding. It's incredibly narrow and looks like it was shaped with a mallet. If you've ever seen your downpipe in its entirety, you'll see the C-clamps holding that shielding onto the piping itself.

 

Hmm...I'll take your word for it Paul. I haven't had a look at the pipe myself, so I'm not in a position to argue.

I figured the whole assembly would have a large heat shield covering the pipe and flex portion, like my Accord and Tercel.

If the shield is all that's damaged, then no, a new pipe is not required.

 

Well, I have the same size break in mine, does it come like that from thecompany and we just don't know it? I had bottomed out on some roads in town. If the car's running you can feel the exhaust coming out of the pipe. At leats for me.

 

try having the car running and put your hand next to the "crack" and see if you can feel exhaust /air comming outta it.

Then you'll know if thats your crack or just a crackin the shielding.

and if you need a whole new DP, i woldnt waste 200$ from the dealer to get one, just order the kamkikazi header + DP combo. well worth it.

 

It's not a crack. The shielding simply doesn't overlap there. There is no crack/damage. My stock downpipe is sitting in my garage with my stock camshaft, oil cap, rad. cap and other sundry tidbits and believe me, all of them come that way. You guys=making mountain out of a mole hill.

 

I second the notion that there isn't a crack in the downpipe. My stock dp is sitting in the garage also and it looks just the same.

 

Well, exhaust is coming out of mine....at least it felt that way in august. COuld it just be heat?

 

could be just heat, try having someone rev it with your hand by t, thats what i had to do when i found the leak in my exhaust piping.

But, i too just took a look at the stock down pipe and saw that little heat shield hole that pjal was talking about. So it could be nothing.

 

Can you see anything escaping? When I was checking out the exhaust leaks I had by my 2nd cat, I can see smoke coming out as well as smell and feel it.

 

Just get a Buschur downpipe anyways... it's a great part and helps performance!