Leaking exhaust flex-pipe - '96 Maxima GLE
 

My '96 Maxima GLE is approaching the magical 300k mile mark, and all is well except I have an annoying exhaust leak at the rear of the flex pipe. I've crawled underneath the car, and it's at that rear flange where the flex pipe meets the cat (?) behind it. The issue is the leak is at the very top where you can't get a good look at or access it. It looks like the only way this is going to get fixed is to remove it from the car, at which point it's easiest to just replace the whole Y-pipe assembly I imagine.

I see a lot of older posts referencing aftermarket Y-pipe assemblies for around $200, but I can't find any such thing online. I see there's aftermarket ones buy the include the cats and are near $1,000. What's the most cost effective way to fix this, and are aftermarket units still available anywhere? I don't have emissions where I live, but plan to keep the main cat installed that's behind the flex-pipe. Any help would be appreciated.

IDK if this is still avail, but try this:
http://www.warpspeedperformance.com/...ust-parts.html

A good or better true muffler and exhaust shop can cut out the flex area and weld in a new one in less than an hour. Here in NY it was under $200 IIRC.

Except they only lasted 3 years or so with the salt and snow.

I ended up welding it back together myself with some new pipe and a flexpipe I ordered on Amazon. Cost $22 total. All the heatshields make it a bear to work with, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Was hoping for something plug and play but I couldn't justify spending $200+ on a used pipe, I don't think they cost much more than that new. I'm not really going for performance, just keeping a 300k mile car on the road. :) Quiet as a mouse now, appreciate all the responses.

Good for you!

I always wondered having no real welding experience if a flux SS 309 wire or sticks can weld a Stainless flex pipe to the existing steel pipes reliably?

Then we're talking a much longer solution!

It didn't seem to me that the pipes connecting to the flex pipe were stainless, so not sure if a stainless weld would actually help anything. Indeed, you can weld stainless to mild steel and vice versa, but the corrosion resistance of the weld is compromised, even if you use stainless wire/electrodes. Mine broke at the end of the Y pipe, where it met the weld that connects the flex pipe. But the woven mesh protecting the flexpipe was falling apart, so it needed replacing anyways.