I finally got the whole exhaust out of the car. Just the manifold remains in the car. Everything looks pretty solid. I'm thinking it was a failure of the flexible joint where the pipe attaches to the manifold?? That's where the sound was coming from anyway... I'm not familiar with this type of joint with the springs on the bolts.. Looks like I just need new hardware (bolts, springs and the "flexible"gasket??? and then reassemble everything???? Is this how these flexible joints/gaskets fail???
Only other possibility is a leak on the manifold. I didn't take it out but it looks good and based on the condition of the rest of the system I'm guessing its the gasket/joint...
About the O2 sensor next to the flexible joint, With the O2 in place I cant put a socket on one spring bolt to remove it. When trying to remove the Os sensor It wont slide off the mounting bolts because it hits the spring bolt, which I cant remove because the O2 sensor is in the way. I removed the O2 sensor by cutting the spring with a dremil tool. this allowed things to flex enough to slide the O2 out and then I could use a socket on the spring bolt (which now has a broken spring)
My question is how to reassemble? maybe thins will fit together better going in, or maybe I can get the parts in place but now that the spring bolt is new I can use a wrench to tighten it. I could not get a wrench to loosen it due to the condition of the nut from corrosion. ????
Also, although all the pipes look good enough not to replace right now, there is some surface rust on everything... Is there any value in cleaning up the pipes and spray painting them with a heat resistant paint or do they make something for that or is that a waste of time????
Thanks to all for your help..
Sr