The car has about 83,000 miles. It's a southern car; not sure if the exhaust is original. The exhaust gets noisy at around 2600 RPM, but not the type of noise when holes are present (I inspected the system - no holes). I'm assuming it's the muffler. That middle "muffler" is a resonator, right? Should I try just replacing the rearward muffler?
It's hard to shift into first, but I can find nothing in the manual about the manual transmission oil. The shifting is smooth otherwise; would swapping out that gear oil possibly make the engagement into first easier?
I forgot to mention - the noise is an annoying "droning" that goes away mostly at about 3000 RPM. I don't like the free-flow exhaust sound, and that's what it sounds like. This car is not a showpiece, and I'm on a budget. Thanks again.
In the USA, there's a cat (up close to the engine) and a muffler. Don't recall there being a resonator, but I never messed with the exhaust.
This one I think I've got. There's a 'ball' in the shift linkage that's gone bad. It's on 'top' of the transaxle, back behind the engine a bit. If all you see is a toothed cylinder, the 'rubber' ball has come off it's center and you need to replace it.
See the shaft on the right side of this photo?
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white ball is what you need to check. May as well get the whole kit and do everything that's easy to get at. In the kit is a ball in for the shift lever inside too, but it never needed it on mine, and it's a PITA to get too unless you drop the exhaust... ;) Here's their shifter rebuild kit. ~$50.
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could just replace the ball, but if anything else is even suspect, I'd just pay the extra $20 and get it all done for the next 10 years. Get some moly brake pin grease or similar for the ball & socketed parts. Napa, Pep Boys, Autozone, maybe even Wal Mart will have it.
If the valve cover gasket it leaking, I'm told the engine oil will eat the ball. May as well fix the leak unless you really like doin' this job. :P IIRC they have a kit for that job too. Take pictures, be methodical as you take it apart and you shouldn't have problems.
Check for loose or rusting shields over the exhaust manifold and at the catalytic converter. Also check the shield over the entire exhaust system. Listen for the noise to locate where it is coming from. ;-)
Select 2nd gear before selecting 1st gear or reverse.
There are heat shields on the front of the 'firewall' too. May as well check those while you're there. Use your F15T (closed hand) to induce vibrations in the parts you're checking too and see if something rattles when you gently punch it...
If that works, it'll tend to confirm the diagnosis. It can buy time until you get the parts, but eventually it'll get so bad that 2nd is difficult to get to. BTDT.
Thanks Mark, Dave. Yes, the "ball" is missing from the shifter linkage as suggested.
Regarding exhaust shields, etc., what I can see all looks pretty solid. It's not a buzzing like exhaust shields make. It's a "crappy muffler" droning, but I can't discount that there could be a hole under a shield somewhere. I'll try to pinpoint the sound better. The rear muffler looks like a generic replacement, so I'll try and replace that one. I patched one small exhaust leak at a joint earlier, and that didn't make any difference. I think the muffler just doesn't dampen at a particular RPM
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