Exhaust system, spring loaded flange...
 

My truck developed an exhaust leak and was starting to get a little bit loud, so I took it to Mieneke mufflers, they put it up on the lift and found a leak from the spring loaded flange, and said that was what was causing the noise. They estimated the cost to fix it at $129 parts and labor and could do it right away, so I let them, now my truck is nice and quiet.

They also removed a counter weight that was on my exhast pipe. It looked like a solid 5 pound pop can with a brace to connect it to the pipe. I could never figure out what it was, but it's supposed to help remove vibration in the pipe. The mechanic said to just get rid of it because they just fall off and can become a dangerous projectile. So to prevent a problem I said to take it off. It practically fell in the mechanic's hand. No tools were needed to remove it. I'm glad it's gone now after seeing how easy it was to remove. It really can become a safety issue.

They said the rest of the system looked pretty good yet, so I was glad to get out of there without putting on a new muffler or catalytic converter.

i have no clue what that weight thing is. good they took it off instead of it falling off! Also i know you cant do it since its fixed is cut both flanges and weld in a section of pipe, much cheaper, but look it's already fixed.

The counterweight is there to suppress vibration in the pipe and cause less noise, but the mechanic says it's a safety problem, and I agree.

The spring loaded flange is there to allow the pipe to move a little and should not be replaced with a straight pipe. It also has a lead gasket/washer that helps to seal the flange. The spring loaded flange was cheaper to replace that a new muffler or cat, so I'm happy.

I don't have the lift, tools or know how to do that, so getting the pro's at Mieneke to do was the best call for me. It only took them about a half hour to do the job. So I was in and out of there in no time. :)

That sounds like a lot to fix that.... assuming it's the flange off the converter which is very common to go. A split flange, a donut and some new bolts should be all it needs. Years ago when it went on my '97 it only cost me $40 including labour. May have been something else though!

You don't get much for $40 bucks around here anymore. I was happy it wasn't a $500 or $600 bill. Just the fact that he saved me from a potential lawsuit over that counterweight was worth the cost. Plus I got very speedy service, no appointment or waiting, that is a great benefit to me. Labor was $65, parts extra. I'm glad it's a done deal, and my truck is nice and quiet now. The mechanics have to pay rent and utilities somehow.

That's all that matters! I guess mine was quite a while ago... now that I think of it that was probably at least 7 years ago.