In this video I help a customer out buy saving her money on a simple exhaust repair. Toyota wanted to replace the entire convertor however we replaced just the flex pipe. It's easy, cost way less but you know how it is when a YouTuber breaks out a welder 😉
-Enjoy!
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--Eric & Vanessa O.
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Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained.
-Enjoy!
If an SMA Video has helped you out please consider giving using "Patreon" to help support us. The videos take real time to create and pull us away from real work that pays our bills. CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/southmainauto
CHECK OUT OUR "SMA SWAG" STORE! Go on Teespring and get your very own SMA merch!
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If you don't like Patreon feel free to use the "PayPal Me" link: https://www.paypal.me/SouthMainAuto
The South Main Auto Amazon Store:
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AES Wave Automotive Diagnostic Tools: https://www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=https://www.aeswave.com/Miscellaneous-p9347.html
Thank you for all the continuing support!
--Eric & Vanessa O.
Feel like sending some swag to SMA because you love the videos but don't know where to send it?
Just ship it here:
South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained.
So underneath the 2011 Toyota I think it's a Camry it's the bigger one. The flexi gone bad. I've ordered one here from Napper it's classic 735 4796 It's a size I think we need. uh, at least based on uh, the input.
she's going to be a little bigger on the on the Audi uh. the reason we didn't buy this from Toyota is because it's got that little guy attached to it the catalatic converter. So there lies a couple problems here. Uh, a I can't unhook the cat on the back because the flange is so rotted I don't want it to disappear.
It's probably got a few years left before it falls off. so we're going to leave that alone. So what I think we're going to do is unbolt it from the engine I've already unplugged the oxygen sensor. We're going to take chop it off.
We can get right in here with the saw all lots of room around. We're going to chop this half off. We going to unbolt the front half. We're going to have to take the torch and cut both of both of these nuts because they're nonexistent.
We're going to cut those off, try to save the threads, and then we're going to kind of pull the system down, Slip this little guy on, put everything back together, give it a couple TS with the comment generator. Once everything looks good, all bolted up, we'll take it back down and see if we can't give her one of those with the comment generator. AK a The welder. At least that's the plan for now till something goes horribly wrong.
We've got an extremely well-used blade so hopefully we can grind our way through this thing. We're going to go right here. Any reason we can't do this. well, let's figure it out.
That took only about a minute. We just bought the farm. All right. So let's leave this stationary.
Let's unhook this. Oh on the arm. we'll give a little Spritz on there now that we've given it 8 seconds to penetrate. these ones usually always come off so Mazer uses a very similar nut and the second you touch them they get Gall right to the threads and it won't come off.
but Toyota they do a good job on their stuff here. they com off all Zippy zap. Never an issue. Don't know what they're made out of but free tip Friday For you never put heat on these, you put heat on them.
It's like lock tight. That thing will be bonded to those C so tight you'll never get it off. Now these threads here are beyond the point of cro. but I think I can take the torch and just just Nick the edge of them off and if we end up having to replace them we can.
We could just drill a hole up through and put, uh, put some nuts and bolts there. You know what I mean. That's our plan. Always have a plan B That's plan.
A plan A is have a plan B So I'm not too concerned if these don't come apart or if we can't Nick them off without hurting the other hurting the threads. Give it the old College try though, put it up on Turbo. Here we go. You got one shot.
Oh messed around too long there. Come back to this one. that one looks nice. Come add it on the inside. give it a little. just a neck maybe? No I think we screwed around too long. too long fella. Those things are pretty tight.
Let me get a little Hammer see if we can't expose it. Oh I think we still have some threads there. Looks pretty good. Check the other one.
This is one I was worried about. Come on. I've been worrying about you Whoa man die when. Oh that's still hot.
So I think we can, uh run a thread Chase over I think we're in good shape for the shape we're in. they look like they're 8 mm. We'll put a little bit of Cy on there. I've got a 8 mm 125 up in here.
go all the way. Let me get a shorty. extension is too deep. Oh whoa whoa whoa.
Let's see 13 M that one's good enough to go home with. I'm going try this one all the way. Look at that. save a thread.
Now we don't Now we don't have to worry about putting U You know, putting anything up in there. put cutting them off, putting a bowl up in. but that was going to be my next plan. Just take the bracket off.
just like that. just them off. throw them out. stick a 8 mm bolt down through a little tack well on top.
Bing Bang Boom She's still a little toasty so we're going to have to use a napkin. I'm wondering I don't know what this is on there for some kind of something I don't know if it's just a skid plate. so if you hit ramp or something hard to say, probably should go put this in the vice. Let's just see if this works.
Come on you freaking jerk hole, that's it. I'm going to put it in the bit I Think it's an air gap pipe anyways. So it's a pipe and a pipe. That's what what they use instead of a heat shield.
the air gap pipe. I Think that's what it is. I'm going to go lock in device, chop it off and we'll have a look. So that's what it is.
It's what they call an air gap pipe. So they put a pipe in a pipe and then you know once it hits the flex here, it's just plain old, plain old. Um, so not a big deal. We're going to stretch this baby out.
just a blonde one. Get that thing to slip over there? Then like I say we'll stick it up there. we'll get it all tacked and mocked up. Let's look to see how this fits.
The pipe on the car should not be an issue on this end. Oh, good thing we left that little flare on. There is just enough little flare. just fits.
We could even stick our pipe expander in here if we wanted to bring it out. Just a whisker. But I don't think we're going to right, that's heavy enough pipe in there? Yep, no. we'll be able to be able to fry that right on.
I Think with the welder. oh fried up. so I'm going to expand this. just a whisker.
Oh look at that. Oh it's very tight There we go. so that baby's on there and then now let's stick this up on. we don't need to put the gask or anything back in there yet, but we'll just bolt it on.
see where it lies up on that other pipe. Slip it in. come on look, come on baby. Oh yeah, there we go. We're up in there. Let's get this bolted on in the front, let to grab our 14 that we took care of. For some silly reason. we'll get the front pipe here bolted back up tight.
C The bolts on there. We don't have to worry about bolting this down. All right, that's up there. It's tiger tight.
Oh, this is going to look like a real Beauty Slip that off, Slip it on. As far as we think it needs to go, want to go, in a little bit further because I'd like to be right on the edge of this. How this is flared out just a little bit. so come in.
Ouch. Prick. there we are so we're right on the edge of that. I'm going to get the welder, shine this up a little bit, we'll tick a tack all the way around and we'll take this back down and and probably release this.
I don't know if that's in your viewfinder but that hanger and let this exhaust down. So I use these vice grips to clamp on there so we can clamp the ground on there. With a little bit of luck, the tip's not all plugged up. Get the jet engine started over there, let's just put a tack here and then let's stick one back here and we'll do a couple on the other side here.
Hey, it's that guy Now our B get Sten away on this side. move our move our voice grips to a better spot. Oops all twisted up in the cord over here that's attacked good there good there. Give her one more for good measure down here and then one more down here.
Ooh that looks good All right. What I did is down in the description box. I've listed all of my welding certifications for anybody who's curious. Uh, the list is short and doesn't include anything so don't look for too long.
Oh man, this guy can't even hang out into a socket. so unbolt this now which it should stay. should have enough tax on it to make it stay. Yeah, okay, yeeha grabbed us a 12 no mercy.
R Mercy There's another hanger back there. Ooh o, this might be all we need. Oh yeah, let's look at this other hanger. look, get the old using the OG stand today, huh? Look at this one that Relic stick that there.
tighten up the wing nut here. Let's pop this little guy loose. pippity, poppy. Come on now, let's very gingerly go down with this.
Oh yeah, I think that's all we need. so we've got her out in the open right now I Don't think there's any reason we can't uh, go weld a circle around those things I tried to think of one and I can't so let hook this back up. like so hopefully the welding helmet didn't get left on and the batteries are dead. Ow back my noodle.
Let's see. Oh no, somebody actually turned it off. That's good. All right.
Let's pretend we know what we're doing m he oh hit my head again. oh that looks good enough. Good enough for the girls we run with. Oh that lovely sound freak right on the edge. Oh now I get it? Freaking burn a hole in the pipe? idiot. Hate it when I do that guys Right to the end. Popped a little hole in it I Let It cool down. Other than that, it looked pretty good.
Look like we did a good job right to that last right to the last second. That's how life. Works folks everything's going good till it isn't so they don't look too shabby. Make sure I didn't miss any spot up top here I think we sealed the deal all the way around.
Um, once we get it back up in the air I'll I'll fix a little screw up down there where I popped the hole through it. All right, let's uh, let me get the gasket I'm just going to stick it back up there bold on and stick our hangers back in STI that right there like so grabbed a couple of uh, couple of these nuts. couple 8 mm right? we don't want to Snug a dug of those those all the way till we snugger Dugger these ones that's the torque spe all right I how you know it's in the book. trust me, those are just a that's a spec on know and then we'll grab our 12 mil again.
Come back to this little fella. Get that one started. Get this party started right here. that's it on that one.
This one here you want to spit out a little bit. Trust me, it works most the time and this is where it all went wrong. Look at that and that's why. I don't have any welding certifications.
The old Gap filler that was my nickname back in high school. That's not true. It was Rocco Um, that's it folks. We're done right.
Easy peasy and saved your a ton of money. We're just like g Go. We could probably put this uh, this thing back on there if we wanted to to be real clutch. that'd be pretty sick.
We don't know what it is, but we can do it. you know? cuz that's the thing. If she's going to a Car Show puts the mirror under here, you're missing this. You ain't taking home the tropy.
I'll tell you that. oops. a lot of stuff kicking around here. so I just chopped this off o Bring It Around Town here.
Get her nice and straight. knows well we'll just give her a little tack right there. Don't look. oh H should have put this away.
Oh, that looks good. That's it. Just like that. Shut this off.
I Think we're officially done. We've reattached the skid plate. Hopefully that's where it was originally. I'm going be real embarrassed if I edit this video and it was somewhere else that looks good.
Now she can go to the car show. probably get a point or two off of that blob there. But than that I think I think she's the first place winner. Well that's it folks.
replacing the factory Flex on your Toyota The good news is we were only at about $2,000 less than what the dealer quoted her to change it. Um apparently they don't do just the just the flexi. You know they wanted the the whole kitten. Kaboodle I call it and I can't really see any need to buy a converter when you can do just the flex. These flexes are only like $40 or $50 from Napa and then I don't know what we have an hour into it. maybe start to finish if you milk it something like that. So you know under 200 bucks or around 200 bucks probably or 150 tax by the time you do tax you about $200 bill probably. uh but that's way cheaper than a couple thousand or whatever it was that they told her.
And then the good news is we didn't take any of the rest of of apart and we can wait for the rest of the flanges to rot off the system and then do them. it. do them at that point which might be like I say a few years but you start fiddling with them and things start falling apart. It's easy just to not metal with things that make sure hook that up while not be metal in.
that's what I say when you guys metal your way on in that comment section. questions, comments, concerns, leave a comment about that weld for sure. When you're down there, check out my certifications, the list is short and there isn't any. and just remember viewers if I can do it, you can do it.
Thanks for watching.
Wow-sa, looks like a scene from the Towering Inferno! Good the Flex Deflector is on straight or the car would forever pull to one side at highway speeds. Good job.
I liked how you used the comment generator to restore the deflector shield to be fully operational.
Now the vehicle is "concourse correct" within available limits.
You see, the deflector shield helps keep Klingon grass from jabbing and hanging in the flex pipe braiding.
This is good fire prevention in the case of a high speed chase, or malfunction that leads to catalyst overheat. And off-road usage.
Thumbs up, yep, two thumbs.
You're my spirit animal , Eric O.
I wish I could do what you do. You should be decorated, next time we reach a star base or host a rear admiral.
"Comment generator" cracked me up. Nice repair.
Weldon keep it up
Most O.E. exhaust pipes, even the ones without the converters, are expensive and worth repairing. They flow very well and fit perfectly. Discount muffler chains are to be avoided.
Excellent work Eric! You had the machine dialed in well, if you hear a sound like the drag on your fishing reel taking off when a big trout strikes, you're golden!
Trolls can go where trolls should go to die….but there is just one tiny thing I would like to share from experience, and no, its not the safety squints.
There is something peculiar about the MIG/MAG process that gives off immensely more UV than any other welding process amp for amp. Get a cheap FR shirt just to cover the skin on your arms. No need for heavy jackets for the work you do unless the BB's start to annoy you.
Your work is first rate and your care for the customer is above and beyond most every other shop….Keep doing what you do brother!
I still look away when you start welding 😂
better than my welding !
I've never welded but I've watched a few welding videos and I can tell by the sound that it was going to be ok good job Eric O
Come out to the drier western states, reopen a new business and say goodbye to Toyota rust buckets forevermore .
Wipes it off…. Smoke rolls woah that's still hot. 😂🤣😂🤣
Nice welding job
I don't own a welder. I just bought my first bottle of MAP gas & I'm 71.
Therefore, I'm a YouTube expert on welding.
'Ya did good, Mr. "O!"
Nice welding, Man.
Your welding is better than mine…………
You actually weld better than an exhaust shop we used to use. They used a stick welder and there were a few come backs. We sent a lot of flex pipe replacements to them.
I'm not sure catalytic converters work. Almost every car has one but there isn't that many Cadillac on the road. I have been using one of years and not once have woke up to find my truck converted into a Cadillac. 😊
That was fun to watch and your comments are great. I kept trying to see where the original part had failed.
Dude seriously your awesome, I had actually made a jig out of exhaust pipe that held the entire front pipe/converter from the flange behind the converter to the manifold and that allowed me to cut the flex out and the rotten flanges and fry in some new ones…. Super cheap to make and I could crank those jobs out in a half hour replacing both flanges and the flex ( free tip Friday lol)
I can read invisible ink. Read all your welding qualifications – impressive.
I never comment. Great video.
Great to watch Mr.O doing his thing. 😊😊😊😊
Don’t feel bad Eric, you can’t be expert at it all. You never claimed to be a welder….😂
I seem to remember I saw welds like that in the hull of the Titanic. Ha Ha!
In case she goes to a car show 😂😂😂😂
That was funny but also show how professional are you putting everything together That little pice probably to protect the flex pipe.
Hello sir .
Thank you for a great video.
Quick question do use gas with the mig if so what kind cuz I have Lincoln from hd but it doesn’t come with the gas
The Ballad of Eric O ..the Fastest Trigger in the East !!
🇨🇦🤓👍
Great job as usual.Nothing wrong with your welding!
So if yanks say sodder for solder should it not be wedder for welder 🙂
Lol @ you for triggering the snowflakes. 👏👏👏
Although you are right about the Camry being the bigger one, the Avalon is the big one from Toyota. In America anyway. It was supposed to be a Lexus but they put it in the Yota lineup so it's quiet and luxurious so if you ever get a chance to drive one, its noice.
In the 90's it was easy to ram the underbelly and hit the flex pipe and it would be damaged easily. So you're absolutely correct in thinking it was a skid plate. Needed one in fact. The nose on older Camrys likes to dip below level often because of worn suspension parts.
I use those same mig welding gloves. They last a life time.
Weld? What weld! I didn’t see no sticking weld 😂 I watch a very good and trustworthy auto tech perform a verified repair to a customers vehicle. 😁
Change your name to Flexee King lol
every time I see Eric O welds I suddenly feel better about my own… <3
Andy is a thread chaser….
Will you remove the sticker?
I love these fixing exhaust videos. Keep em coming.
Awesome video Great work !
Wonderful video you actually look like you knew what you were doing, I suspect you’ve done this before
“Tight like a tiger”kc and sunshine band
As a certified (structural unlimited) welder of over 20 years, as well as being highly experienced in many other forms of welding. A welding cert is just like a driver's license, only means ya did it right once.
Replacing the faulty component rather than including it in an unrelated component should always be the better option
Were they "Rock Auto" magnets that I saw?
Another great video Eric! Fantastic camera work and explanation always. I really like your systematic analytical approach. I spent many trips to the junkyard years ago.
My non-paying (no matter how many parts store reciepts I hand him!) brother has a 99 Toyota Avalon with an exhaust leak. I've been trying to find time to get it off the ground to find out where the leak is and, I'm HOPING it's the flex joint. If not, he's just gonna have to live with it because the cheapest entire assembly that I can find is $800 on FleaBay, which probably won't fit anyway! I recently told him that, by rights, after already investing nearly $1000 (in the past year) of my own money into a car that's not worth THAT much, I should already have the title to it and, I'm NOT doing it anymore!
Also, I'm sure that ol Sparky enjoys pissing off the armchair mechanics just as much, if not more than you do Dr. O! If you REALLY want to get em fired up though, reverse your polarity, use Flux Core wire and DON'T chip off the slag lol!
I started laughing even before I saw the video!!😂‼️
Is Eric O. MIGging or does he use flux core? Is it easier to weld MIG versus flux core? Thanks!
As I watched you fix the burn through, I thought of the movie Grapes of Wrath. Ya, that was a bit crappy, but you did ask for comments. Seriously though, each video is a lesson on how to treat your customer to the best service. I agree with the other folks who wish they had a SMA in their community. You set the bar so high in a business that has sunken pretty low in service. Thank you for each lesson!
Quick question Why didn’t you just tack the front up and in bolt it weld it up then you only have one weld in position that’s easy to get to ?? Lol
Anyone disco. neg. Or positive cable before welding on cars?
A little worried about your welding without any goggles on there (tack welds at the beginning)…. for both glare and eye protection. Unlike the coof mask that the sheeple stupidly wore for 3 years, (and the stupider ones still do), goggles actually DO provide needed protection. Those peepers don't come with spares or warranty.
I'm not a certified welder but I did watch a you tube video about welding exhaust. A darn good one.
Eric, I saw you using vise grips as a ground for your welder. I’m going to try and remember that one. Thanks. What type of shop welder do you use?
Great work, I'd have had a sunburnt wrist/hand by now!
You charge $140 an hour? I'd think you'd charge $19.95. I remember back in 1953 you could get a mechanic to work cheap. Ha ha ha ha.
I am envious you don’t need to wear reading glasses…scourge of my existence
F a welding job, 1000% better then mine. Lol. I don't weld yet.😅
Eric O. the Torch Master! 🔥
You go Mr O great Job..
Awesome welding!!!!
Not bad welding, but I was going to say you should of made 600-800 dollars for that repair. 200 labor + 50 for the flex pipe isn't enough for all your hard work on that rusty piece of crap (plus welding the "show piece" plate back on). I can see you do enjoy your job and sometimes that makes up for the price differrence. Thanks for the video.
“Oh that’s still hot”. You think?
awesome content as alwayseric,keep 'um coming
Comment generator,Eric i have noticed that you are not using welding gloves or a welding jacket ,thee old cotton Tee shirt must repel those sparks well ,and being the resourceful chappy that you are ,a make you own hide jacket from the various hunting adventures avail to yourself and the good Lady of the Ranch
There hope this generates the wild comments
Plan A is to have plan b.Words from a wise man.
Was the first ever welder certified?
Impressed you tacked the flex-pipe skid plate back. You didn't need to and plenty of peeps wouldn't have bothered, but the fact you did so shows the quality of your work 👍
I personally would have just kept driving it with it broke like that if it wasn’t throwing any codes. But we don’t have very thorough inspections to pass here so I’m sure that’s very different in NY!
I'm not a certified welder neither I do alright unless it's exhaust then it's like amateur hour 😂 long as it's sealed and a it doesn't look like a goose went wild it's fine 😂
Another feel good video Eric…. Now I can have a good snooze Good job man
After doing them a few hundred times I'd definitely put the gaget on the flangle and maybe even a little mud for safe keeping, and bolt it into place then just weld it completely up. When you get used to it you can build a little weld up on the top side and while it's still glowing get around to the top from the other side and while it's glowing you can see it.
Then weld it up. I'm no certified, but dun did a lot of'm. ben/ michigan.
Eric, you make welding look really easy. I also replaced the flex pipe on my 2003 Camry a few years ago and that was the first time I learned how to weld on my own. I still have some leaks and will need to reweld some spots. Also on the same car, I had the infamous problem with the head bolts stripping on the 2AZ-FE engine after my car overheated. In the past, I did see your video with the stripped threads on a Toyota Highlander with the same engine where you used the Time Sert kit to re-tap holes into the engine block. You gave me the confidence to do the same and I was successful with doing that as well. Since then I have subscribed to your channel and have been a avid watcher. You are great teacher.
I’m a welder by trade, I love your sarcasm, good job 👍🏼
Looks fantastic from here in Arizona 😊
As a fella says "Fuck the begrudgers".
Nice repair Eric, yes, I'm still watchen!! lol Thanks guy for teaching your watchers.
I wish I could partake in the exhaust segments of your videos 📹 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
Great job Eric and being a shop thinking of your customers. Do them right and they will be back for more great service with good morals to your fellow man / women .
👍
Resident Rust belt Toyota guy here, and at my dealer we offer this option. we carry the split nuts and flex pipe and for the 4 cylinders its 1.5 and 2.5 for the 6 cylinder. what you did in this video is exactly what we do, although no one bothers with the little "skid plate".
Love your videos man keep it up
Nice, "plan A is to have Plane B" , perfect
Thanks
It a shield like wearing a helmet on head
You have all the same welding certifications I do, though I tend to specialize in TIG more.
It looks good from my house lol.
got my papers u did great hate exhaust most time i blow a hole in the top ugh fell your pain ford started using stainless hardware on exhaust what a joke
Hey Mr. o I do watch your stuff lot o tips thanks good keep up the god work
I worked with a guy that used to say he could cut 3/4 threads on a 1 inch bolt and spin a nut right on it. Just a target to shoot at for ya Eric ✌🏻😂
I could barely watch this. Clearly this called for muffler goo in a tube and some asbestos material packed around it for strength and heat resistance. Or maybe split open an old Colt45 tall boy can and wrap that sucker around it. Whip out a few zip ties and call it good.
Another WIN for Eric O. !!!!!
Every racoon/possum she rolls over will be impressed by the reinstallation of that… flappy/aero/skid plate thingy! 😄
comment generator…lmao.
"Self Made Auto" at it's best.
The best thing about your YT is your sardonic reverse trolling. Always makes me laugh.
So, simple crimp in thar Subaru and now wild welding. Am I right about the next video being about concrete pouring? 🥳👍👍
Worked with a millwright who would collect on bets made over his hand tightening vs torque wrench.
I've never welded anything in my life but I have a keyboard so that makes me fully qualified to comment on your welding.
This mod lowered peak torque by 300 newts.
What size welding wire have you had best luck with?