About a month ago I was at the auto hobby shop and was lubing up some bushings when a guy walked over to me and commented on my totally craptastic exhaust system. Honestly it really was, 2 1/4' all the way back to some kind of cheap muffler, no y pipe just an extra pipe sticking out the side to give the look of a dual exhaust. He asked me why I didn't I just cut it off after the converter? Well, I thought that was a good idea. So I did.

I noticed immediately that now when I first start up the car, if I rev the engine up past say 2000 rpms in neutral or when shifting, it makes a crackling, almost like a backfiring noise. It only happens when I shift gears, actually when I let off the gas. Accelerates just fine but when I let off to change gears I hear a popping noise from the exhaust. Nothing else, no smoke or anything.

After the engine warms up the problem goes away entirely. I asked the guy who suggested cut off the exhaust about it and he said that eventually I'll need to put an exhaust on it.

I just wanted to be sure this is nothing serious like an internal engine problem.

Thanks, all help much appreciated.

 

If you removed the cat theres your answer.

 

no, cat is still there. exhaust is cut about 4 inches after the cat.

 

nope thats normal. Now put some exhaust on it so it doesnt sound like some white trash pickup truck from the trailer park.

 

mine did the same. all i can figure is pressure gets out quicker than havin a full exhaust...