I'm sure the answer from some will be "get a bigger hammer". In any case what is the trick to reforming the Evo's catalytic converter heat shield such that it doesn't run into the Standard Exhaust's converter?

I reformed the shield to yield maybe 3/8" of clearance between the driver's side edge of the converter and the shield. This was done w/o removing the shield from the car. Unfortunately at some RPM's (e.g. low) the two components are rubbing, hence causing noise.

What did you do to resolve this issue?

 

couldn't tell you, the only heatshield I have left is the one covering the exhaust manifold. Haven't melted anything yet and still going strong.

 

I have the same problems, as well as Todd, MP5, and anyone else who still has the shield. I told Brett about it but they still seem to be sending them out screwed up like that. Oh well maybe someday someone at Vishnu will test fit stuff or listen to there customers, that's what's holding me back from there Stage 2 kit.

 

We've install standard exhausts almost daily at the shop. Every now and then we come across such an interference issue but it is resolved by tweaking the heatshield away from the cat. FWIW, our tech usually uses a long screwdriver to "wedge" it away. That's about it. Another thing to try is loosen up the bolts on both ends of the cats. Twist the cat so it's farthest away from the heatshield before tightening them back up. This usually buys .25" or so more clearance. More than enough to keep it from rubbing/rattling. Or at least this has been my experience.

Shiv

 

All I did was take a hex-head screw...think it was like 8mm, and drove it right thru the factory shield(front passenger corner..its right by a huge *** weld) and up into the car, it doesn't affect anything on the inside of your car so don't worry, and nothing important is right there. It solves the problem. Our mech. actually reccommended that solution to me, as tweaking the shield doesn't always solve the issue.

 

In fact ill even take a pic real fast so you can see what im talkin about

 

The problem is that there is very little room between the cat and the wall of the Evo's tunnel for the shield to fit. Basically if the cat wasn't as wide or if the system was just a little farther to the passenger side of the vehicle this wouldn't occur.

Over night I though about rolling over the edge of the cat (e.g. the bigger hammer idea) to make room. Another idea was to pull the shield in favor of a sheet of Thermotec insulation. The latter solution would require removing the undercoating behind the shield (yuck). Finally given that this occurs because the system is vibrating only at some RPMs, it might fix or just change the RPM the noise occurs at by using less compliant hangers.

When I get back under the car I will try Shiv's idea and use whatever slack is in the joint to rotate the cat away from the shield. Most likely I will also get a set of the Kartboy hangers as well at least for the rear of the downpipe. I already bent the shield away from the cat as much as I can w/o screwing it to the tunnel wall to take the slack out of the rubber isolators holding the shield in place.

 

Just a short status update.

I tried to rotate the cat to increase the room between the cat and heat shield. Turns out that in my case there is very little play in the flange joints. Thus I was unable to get more than 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch additional room.

In addition I fitted the Kartboy hangers to the rear downpipe mount points. This change seems to be the solution to the problem. By firmly fixing (lateral) the pipe, the system can't hit the heat shield. For reference I also fitted the hanger that attaches to the rear sub-frame.

Also for reference I fitted the RMR subframe brace today. It clears the "standard exhaust" downpipe with sufficient extra space to prevent the pipe from hitting the brace.

 

we have installed several...and rather than making a hole in the car we drill a small hole in the heat shield and wth thin wire we wire the shield back...it works very well while still retaining the heat shield....My 2c