Advisory: Keep your exhaust loop pipe safe!

[simpleJL]

Learn by my mistake.


On the driver side, your JL cat pipe has a loop in it that is meant to make both sides of the exhaust equal in length before they merge together. This loop protrudes down a bit and is fairly easily hit while rock crawling.

I unfortunately slipped off a rock with my driver rear, and landed directly on another rock right under my loop pipe. It pushed everything forward.

Luckily the driver's side cat itself took the brunt of it, and collapsed in a little bit. The mid pipe hanger snapped. I do have an aFe rock basher shorty exhaust installed, and it fared just fine.

I started having an exhaust leak right afterward. After doing some gandering and listening, It was coming from the manifold at the passenger side. I bought a new gasket ($15) and swapped the gasket. Boom, no more exhaust leak.

Things are still tweaked a bit, but she functions like new. Sort of.


I do have full belly skids from MetalCloak - but they do not cover this loop pipe.

Here are some pictures showing the exhaust damage, the passenger manifold gasket, my skid plates, and a random picture of my JL on some rocks. (the damage did not happen in the bottom two pictures)

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[AlrightyThen]

This just happened to me, hit the exhaust where it crosses over trans, now I have leak on driver's side manifold. Dealership wants to replace basically entire exhaust system @ $1,800. I'm wondering if replacing gasket will do the trick. How hard of a job was that?

 

[Billet_JLU]

To late I had to replace my y pipe and the passenger side cat. Install really wasn’t all that bad if you have long extensions for the cat. Unplugging the O2 may have been the hardest part.

 

[jayteal]

I'm about to install this EVO piece for the very same reason. It covers the exhaust loop, oil pan and tranny quite well. My exhaust loop has taken a beating (not as bad as yours) and I don't want an expensive repair to deal with. Costs ~ $425 which seems reasonable to cover some areas of the JL that really seem vulnerable to rocks. I wish I knew why the exhaust loop was so open. Sorry about your damage but a great reminder. I'm installing once my broken collarbone heals and I can lift more than 1lb over my shoulders.

 

[UKCATS]

I'm about to install this EVO piece for the very same reason. It covers the exhaust loop, oil pan and tranny quite well. My exhaust loop has taken a beating (not as bad as yours) and I don't want an expensive repair to deal with. Costs ~ $425 which seems reasonable to cover some areas of the JL that really seem vulnerable to rocks. I wish I knew why the exhaust loop was so open. Sorry about your damage but a great reminder. I'm installing once my broken collarbone heals and I can lift more than 1lb over my shoulders.

I just installed those skids a few weeks ago. Covers just what you need without going overboard. If you have a 2 door, might have to trim a little. No biggie.

 

[redelses]

I have been worried about that loop - in how exposed it is and that it is effectively the low point of the underbody as well. Was looking at the EVOs since it does cover that loop too.

 

[Billet_JLU]

Yup I was looking at the evo skid as well. Unfortunately I’m in Mexico for the rest of the year and my Jeep is in Ohio. My only concern with the evo skid is that I have the lod destroyer rock rails and I think they use the same mounting point for a bolt. I’d probably need to cut the evo skid.

 

[brazos]

Does this only apply to the 3.6–not the 2.0?

 

[D60]

Does this only apply to the 3.6–not the 2.0?

From what I saw the Evo products seem to specify 3.6 in the product descriptions

 

[stil2low]

Does this only apply to the 3.6–not the 2.0?

Yes. Since the 2.0 is a inline/straight motor there is no need for the loop on them. The loop is only on the 3.6 to make the drivers side down pipe the same length as the passenger side since the passenger side has to cross over to connect to the rest of the exhaust

 

[brazos]

Yes. Since the 2.0 is a inline/straight motor there is no need for the loop on them. The loop is only on the 3.6 to make the drivers side down pipe the same length as the passenger side since the passenger side has to cross over to connect to the rest of the exhaust

Thanks. That’s what I thought, but no one has ever accused me of being a mechanic.

 

[smokinjeep]

I'm about to install this EVO piece for the very same reason. It covers the exhaust loop, oil pan and tranny quite well. My exhaust loop has taken a beating (not as bad as yours) and I don't want an expensive repair to deal with. Costs ~ $425 which seems reasonable to cover some areas of the JL that really seem vulnerable to rocks. I wish I knew why the exhaust loop was so open. Sorry about your damage but a great reminder. I'm installing once my broken collarbone heals and I can lift more than 1lb over my shoulders.

Can you post a link to this part. I’m interested.

 

[SHYUperman]

Saw this thread awhile back and I found out that skid row sells an exhaust loop skid - https://www.skidrowoffroad.com/prod...aust-guard-for-jeep-wrangler-jk-2018-present/

Pretty easy installation and reasonable price. I'm running the MC skids as well

 

[UKCATS]

What trimming for a 2dr. is needed ? Is that info from EVO ?

Not from Evo. On a 2 door, I guess the fuel tank is farther forward (?), because the right side of the engine/trans skid doesn’t clear. In the first pic you can see where a cut off wheel was used for clearance.

 

[UKCATS]

Evo does mention it. Is this the cut...

Ha! My friends and I threw them on and never looked at the instructions. I don’t know, we just did what was obvious. Yes, that was the cut.

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