I currently have a 2003 enthusiast 350z fitted with the Nismo exhaust. After driving for awhile, I hear a rumbling noise coming from the exhaust when the car is in motion and while the car is idle. I lifted the car last night and it appears that the exhaust is hitting the crossmember below the Y-pipe.

My question is, has anyone else had this problem?
What did you do to remedy this?

For the record, I tried using the search function, but I couldn't find anything of merit. Thanks in advance.

 

Did you have the dealer install it?

 

I thought I heard somewhere that their were "spacers" to install on that crossmember to give it more clearance

 

No, the exhaust was on the car when I purchased it.


If there are spacers, I'd like to know where I could get some. This rattling noise is killing me.

 

I just dealt with the same situation. Nightmare...until its gone.

I used some black heater hose (rubber/silicone - good enough heat resistance for midway down the exhaust.) The hose is about 1/8`` thick and fairly dense. I used about an inch sq. or less in two places. I cut a piece and attached it to the brace pieces (there were two rattles on my car with the thick 3.1`` JIC ) with some silicone adhesive (500 plus degree). Ironically the natural curve/semicircle of the hose followed the contour of the pipe in one instance, and the brace in the other. Almost seems that this fix was meant to be!

Hardest part was getting under the car and taking the time to smear the silicone on the hose in a somewhat restrained/artful fashion. Hey, style counts

No fires, no smells, no RATtleS!

 

I've never heard of having to use spacers. Maybe just take a look at the entire setup. Make sure that the exhaust is sitting in all the hangers.

 

Thanks for the info man. I might have to give this a shot this weekend if I get around to it. Where did you purchase your materials? I'd rather use the same materials that you used since they have already been tested. Thanks again.

 

Search is such a pain sometimes. There are spacers which can be used to move the M-brace slightly downward. I just purchased some washers and inserted them between the M-brace and the car body (did not need to remove entire M-brace to do this). The spacers/washers only need to go on the four foward most bolts (at least in my case that sufficed). I put 5 washers per bolt (4). This move the brace down enough to totally eliminate the contact.

I will try to locate the thread which specified the washer sizes. You can just take one of the bolts off and go to a hardware store to measure the size washer you will need. When you remove the 4 foward bolts you can pull the M-brace down just enough to slip the washers in without removing the brace. I taped the washers together to make it easier to insert them together.

Contact for me was ocurring on most big or jarring bumps, now it is completely gone.

ncdoc

 

Thanks dude, I really appreciate your input. I think I like the washer idea the most. Please excuse my noobness, but this M-brace you speak of, is it the same as the crossmember?

 

Yup. Its near the area where the y-pipe and mid-pipe connect.

 

^ Yes, that black metal brace = crossmember .

ncdoc

 

I had the same problem in my '03. The solution I found was making a slight adjustment to the brackets that the cats are mount on up front. Turned out that they could be moved a little higher giving slightly better clearance at the mid-pipe to the crossmember. Worked fine, not more rumbling down there anymore.