So, when I shift into a higher gear and push the gas down to accelerate, I hear a very slight noise, like particles being shaken in a tin can, maybe particles in my cat or something....Any ideas? Could it be the inside of my magnaflow coming apart? or a heat shield?

 

i want to say its a heat shield.

wait for your truck to cool down then crawl under it, using your hand, hit the exhaust and track down the noise.

 

Couple of possibilities: you heat sheild is one of the main ones.

If you do have a rattling from inside your cat, and you have a 98+ Ranger, there's a good possibility a CEL light is going to come on. You could have a ratio problem destroying your catalyst and that's an expensive repair nowadays -- CAT's aren't cheap.

I'd get under there and shake stuff around and see what you can find out. None of us can diagnose a noise accurately, lol.

 

You mean I shouldnt get under there and rattle and touch my exhaust after I just drove 50 miles? You think it might be warm? :

 

haha.


i know a few people that would do it.

 

I have a rattle sometimes too, but like 5speedin2.3 said wait for it to cool down it will deffinately be hot.

 

Or use welding gloves -- or your mom's potholders, lol.

 

good idea, i didn't think about that.

 

Which? The gloves or the potholders?...

 

both.