The leak is right where the b-pipe meets the muffler.

The car is very loud when accelerating, definitely a leak.
I blocked off the exhaust tip on the muffler and looked under the car as it was warming up and exhaust smoke starting leaking from the b-pipe and muffler connection.

I'm guessing just a gasket and if so, how hard? Is a special tool needed to remove the bolts? Do I have to actually take the muffler totally off to change the gasket?

A mechanic at my job told me he thought it was a gasket the other day, but he didn't look at it himself. He's out on medical leave at the moment so him helping me isn't an option right now.

found this part online.. http://www.courtesyparts.com/20691a-...-p-130163.html

is that what I could try replacing?

 

cud b

 

Yes. Check the nuts too because you might need to replace them. Try using heat and a penetrating oil if you have trouble getting them off.

 

I'll give it a go once I get the parts.. I'm ordering two new bolts and 1 gasket from courtesy nissan.

Hopefully that fixes my problem.

 

When my exhaust leak was there, the flange weld was broken and had to replace the muffler and b-pipe

 

You should get down there and check the exhaust. If you look right behind the right rear tire you will see the problem. If it's too rusted it might not be fixable.

 

I'll have to jack it up and look to see if the flange is rusted/broken. Thanks for the info.

 

I'll put my money on that flange being rotted, fixed it way to many times, 2 of the 4 maxima/i3x's in my driveway currently have a slipper pipe w/clamps right there actually, it's the easiest, cheapest, fastest way to fix it, the rest of the piping lasts A LOT longer than those flanges, especially on 5.5g's for some reason.

 

well it's been a while since i made this topic, but I ended up finding the flanges on the exhaust pipe and the muffler were completely rotted out, and the resonator or whatever it is on the exhaust pipe had a nasty crack in it.. the muffler outer shell was completely wasted and the inner shell was just starting to give way..

I replaced the exhaust pipe and the muffler and I have to say.. the car is very quiet compared to the past 3 years! I'm guessing the resonator on the exhaust pipe has been cracked for a long time...

It might just be my imagination, but after driving around a bit, the car seems to be running actually much smoother and a little harder.. Perhaps my old pipes were also gunked up etc...

One nasty thing which will probably go away is the smell. It smells like new metal heating up, kinda yuck smell, but I'm sure it'll go away.

 

yeah give it a few days of driving and it will go away same thing goes for the new y pipes.

 

had the same issue with my 96 max. pipe was rusted and broke right off...it sounded like a race car which I kinda liked at first but got tired of all that noise and finally got it fixed.

 

This is an older thread, but works for me on my 5th gen. A muffler shop replaced the rusted flange near the front side of muffler by welding the 2 pipes together...now no clean/simple connection. (long story there, not my choice)

I have a leak just in front of the resonator and I have ( I think) to replace resonator asm which would normally join at 2 flange connections; one of them by the muffler is not there now.

Best way to solve the problem? I do not know how to weld, either. Would prefer not to have to replace muffler asm since that is not bad.