Easy to remove heat shield?

I've got a 05 Legacy Wagon 2.5i, and it has had an annyoing rattle when I rev just above idle. Sounds like a heat shield, so I got under her and found what seems to be loose. The sheild is loose on the pipe between the cat and the joint where they join, near the join:

 

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8456/05subaruheatshieldrattl.jpg

 

Looks like just a few bolts to take it off, I'm going to try tomorrow. Anyone know how hard this will be or if any supprises are waiting for me?

I can't view the picture here at work, I it comes out easy. I think it also keeps a lot of crap off the carrier bearing for the drive shaft.

 

 

I removed mine last weekend. I found that the front of it was zip tied to the chassis. It didn't rattle.

 

I did snap one of the rear bolts, I'm thinking about leaving it out. or zip tieing it back in. Or cut that rear corner off, or may be drill the old rusty bolt out.

 

I have wired them with lockwire and wire twisters on Honda's.

 

I need to get under there and look and plan something. I have a while before I reinstall the tranny.

its like our cars are on timers...

 

same exact issue i was searching for before making a post. my passenger side is rattling now and its super annoying. i had the car on a two post, moved things around and it was a bit loose. now i wish i fixed it then. in my old 94 legacy, the trick was to just use some hose clamps and just tighten down. you dont loose the benefit of the shield and the rattle is gone. also read people use screws to create tension between the shield and the exhaust. i didnt go that route.

 

in regards to what to expect. the bolts are most likely rusted and will not come off easily. you might have to cut the shield around the bolt to avoid creating a bigger mess. then the shield should just come off if i remember correctly.

Well, I got under there, and as was suspected, I busted off two of the bolts and had to get new ones (stainless this time ). But I quickly gave up - this thing isn't designed to come off. I'm not even sure what function the two bolts I took off had, since the heat shield was crimped around itself and the bolts just held the two halves of the shield to itself.

 

So I took it into a shop. They guy told me he usually just cuts them off and tosses em. But mine were in good shape so he spot welded it back on. Maybe I could have clampted it somehow, but i'm not sure how I could have crushed it around the exaust pipe with just a hose clamp. We'll see if this weld holds.

just "fixed" my rattle today and for about 5 cents. both were rattling pretty bad but the shields were in good condition so i didnt want to go through the hassle of removing them if they seemed ok. the nuts were def rusted so that also saved me some time. what i did was just screw in a screw between the housing and exhaust to create tension between the two. the rattle may come back but hey, its an easy fix.

 

pics included for those who may be needing to do the same.

 

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn257/theflystyle/exhaust2.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn257/theflystyle/exhaust1.jpg

Good thinking on using a "shim" to put tension between them.

 

I just hope i'm not the driver that gets that screw in their tire if it falls out

trust me, i am driving around with a patch on one of my tires so i can understand the concern. that screw is over 3/4 the way in there and I would like to think that it wont be coming out.