Bythelake Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Hi everyone, I recently moved to northwest Pennsylvania, where annual snowfall is right around the 100 inch mark. I knew I wanted to get a Subaru with its legendary AWD to deal with the snow; and after some searching, I found a gem of a car in a used '05 LGT, with less than 60K miles on it. Shortly after getting the car, I noticed that the heater blows out gas-smelling air whenever I started the car. Fuel leak, I thought. And after doing some researching online, I found many fellow legacy owners complaining of the same problem. I did what everyone recommended to locate the leak. But spending a whole weekend fruitlessly searching for that glistening on a pipe, I found nothing. So the following week, when I took my car in to the dealer for an oil change, I asked them to look for the leak for me. They didn't find any leak. But they did find a gaping hole in the exhaust system. And the quote for the replacement, over $500 ($450 for parts and 60 for labour). I wanted to get a second opinion before committing down half a grand. So I told them to hold the repair for now. http://newmotorssubaruparts.com/media/images/oe/collision/7/7523305.gif The hole is in the "Intermediate Pipe" (number 23 in the diagram) according to the mechanic at the dealer. I spent a couple nights looking up information online, particularly sifting through threads in this forum. I think I have found some answers but I want some confirmations. So here goes nothing: 1. What the dealer calls intermediate pipe, is that just a combination of the midpipe, the resonator, and the y pipe? 2. Does the $500 quote sound reasonable? Can I get a decent replacement part for less than $450? I'm hoping someone could point me to a cost-effective path of getting this thing fixed. Thank you very much! P.S. This is my first post ever on this forum . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Bring it to a muffler shop and have someone weld it if the hole isn't ginormous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmP6889928 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 ^^^+1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBad Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 1. Yes 2. You can get the intermediate pipe for less by buying the parts yourself through a vendor here like Fredbeans.com. The intermediate runs 278 through them. You would need to get the gaskets for hookup to the mufflers and a new donut gasket for the hookup up front. Do the install yourself and save the 60 bucks labor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bythelake Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Thanks for the relies! A couple more questions: 1. Is OEM part only option? 2. What tools will I need if I want to do the replacement myself? This is my only car and I don't want to half way through the replacement and find out I'm missing a tool Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted March 11, 2014 Moderators Share Posted March 11, 2014 Put up a WTB for a stock exhaust, you should be able to find a replacement for $100 or less. Replacement is literally 6 bolts (2 connecting to the downpipe and 2 at each muffler) and one exhaust hanger. All will be either 12mm or 14mm I believe. If you have rust issues though, expect that you will need to "persuade" these nuts/bolts. That means a good penetrating lube (kroil or pb blaster), and possibly heat, cutoff wheel, etc. For ease of working on things, try to undo the to nuts/bolts to the downpipe right of the bat. If you can get those two undone then you can pull of the five rubber exhaust hangers that hold up the whole catback and drop the whole thing out--would make working on the muffler bolts much easier after you can pull the whole exhaust out from under the car. "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzr750r1 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Fixing this leak will be good. But it may not be the entire fix. If it persists look for the thread about the intake manifold gaskets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bythelake Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Whenever I search for intermediate pipe on anywhere besides any OEM part store, I get results of an entire exhaust system (this is the "catback" portion, right?). Why is no resonator showing up? Is it because all aftermarket parts do away with the resonator? I get that the entire pipe is one piece, and I can't just replace the midpipe or the Y-pipe, wherever that hole may be. But everywhere I look the midpipe and the Y-pipe are two separate pieces (thought they are always sold together). also, @kzr750r1, by "the entire fix", you meant the gas smell problem I had originally? I couldn't find that thread about intake manifold gaskets so I don't really get what you are referring to. There's a muffler shop 5 minutes away. They offer free inspection. I think I'll take the car there and get a quote. Would be great if they could just weld it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJuan Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 If the hole is too big, they can just cut that section out and weld on a new pipe. My wife's balls are delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BarManBean Posted March 11, 2014 Moderators Share Posted March 11, 2014 I would guess that a shop would weld it for you for under $100 total. Just make sure the rest of the pipe isn't going to rust out down the road. "Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>> Not currently in stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzr750r1 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Read through this one.as Max has mentioned the fuel lines are suspect as well depending on the region and age of the car. Intake gaskets from factory are smaller than the new upgrade gaskets. I only mention this cause I did have similar issues until I replaced these gaskets and not to mention the turbo, ect ect. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/diy-rough-idle-cold-start-cold-temps-lgt-07-09-155325.html?t=155325&highlight=intake+gasket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragman Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 On a cold morning, start the car. Look under the alternator on drivers side for the gas line that is leaking and the upside down hose clamp. There is the culprit. Search forum for its solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bythelake Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 If the gas smell doesn't go away after I get this pipe fixed, then I'll definitely look into the other possibilities. One thing I've noticed though, there was one time I was coming off the interstate to get gas. The car had run for more than 100 miles at the time and at normal operating temperature. While on the highway, I had the heat on and there was no smell. After I gassed up and restarted the car, the smell returned. Anyway, still hoping someone could enlighten me on why all the aftermarket midpipe and ypipe sets dont have a resonator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John J Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 The AVO system has one. It is not a low cost option though: http://www.avoturboworld.com/avoshop/center-pipe-with-resonator-p-77.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragman Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Nameless Performance's mid/y pipe also has a resonator in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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