Aggrevating vibration at 4000 rpm

I have a 94' GSR, I have noticed that right around 3500-4000 rpm there is a vibration (buzzing) noise coming from somewhere in the exhaust. I think it is the header (which is stock)
Will buying a new header solve this problem?

Phil

I had the same problem on my old civic, in around the same RPM range. It was just one of the mounting brackets that held the mid-pipe. If memory serves, it was a $10 job to fix it :) It'd definitely be worth checking all the mounting brackets before spending money on the header. A few 'love taps' on the exhaust with your foot should determine where your rattle is coming from.

Yea im also STILL having that problem. If you fix one of the brackets and it helps, let me know cuz i need to fix mine. Thanks.:D

I had the exact same problem after I put on my cat-back exhaust. My problem was that I forgot to tighten one of the screws on the heat shield around the cat. At 3500-4000 rpm it would make this rattling noise and disappear after I passed 4000.

Thanks for the input. I will check all the brackets in the morning. I still want the header though. There are a lot of Tegs around Erie with headers, and the exhaust just sounds great. I drove a 95 GSR with more miles on it than mine last weekend. The 95 was equipped with DC header, exhaust dont remember the brand), and an AEM intake. It felt stronger through the 3500- 6000 rpm range, not to mention the fact that the exhaust note was a fevered pitch.

Lots of stuff I want to do yet...

Thanks again, I will let you know what I find.

Phil

I've got a 94 GSR and I had the exact same buzzing. Turned out to be the "A-pipe" or something like that...the first time I took it to the dealer and asked about it they said it would be $600...I went back about a year later for something else and asked about it, they said $300. A few months after that I had some major clutch problems and took the service manager for a ride to show him what was wrong. He heard the buzzing and said he would try to do something about it. They ended up replacing said "a-pipe" under "special" warranty...free for me! Unfortunately I ended up needing a clutch and that wasn't cheap...

My dealer is also perplexed by my buzzing problem. I took the car in for an oil change Saturday, and had one of the techs i know look at my exhaust. He said he removed some pebbles from inside my heat sheild, and the noise was temporarily diminished, although the tech also commented on a possibility of incapatibility between my factory exhaust parts, and aftermarket exhaust parts. He said I may be experiencing one of the effects of "back pressure" in my exhaust.
My wife and I drove the GSR 700 miles round trip to the Pocono 500 in south east Pa. The noise is now back... With a vengence. I am pissed.
I am wondering who to consult now? I want this buzzing gone. It pisses me off.

Phil

Good luck.
I can understand how buzzing and little noises can bother you. I had a buzz that happened when I was changing gears normally shifting at around 3000-3500RPM. It bugged me but I lived with it. I got a CAT BACK and it disappeared, what luck. Not sure about that imcompatiable thing. Sounds a little wierd but I guess it could be possible, it sounds like a dealer line to me.
Suggestion- Find out what recalls are out for your car. The dealer will never help you with that information. Look around online and then print out the recall lists that apply to your make and model. Bring it to the dealer and tell them to do all the ones that apply. If they want money, they are trying to rip you off. Dealers should be ashamed at themselves. They have so much potiential for business but they can't seem to clean there act up for people to go to them for help. No wonder we have to depend on ourselves, forums, and friends.

Regards,
Spotovi

I use AIM on a regular basis, and one of my AIM contacts (who also has a nearly identicle car) suggested that my buzzing maybe related to the A-pipe on my car. It seems that the factory A-pipe has a tendency to crack on high milage GSR's. I was planning on buying a header soon, so I am thinking that a DC 4-1 stainless might solve my problem, and get me some more midrange power in the process.
My contact informed me that his GSR had the same problem, at the same RPM, and the header solved it. I already have a cat back exhaust system, so the header is an evolutionary step anyway.

Thanks for all the input, I understand that there are a lot of "stealerships" out there, but I am fortunant that mine isn't one of them. My Dealer is worthy of my trust, not only have I bought my cars from them, but I used to work for them. I know most of the techs personally, and they do most of my work off the clock. It is important to know that Fred suggested that backpressure might be the problem, and he didn't try to sell me anything. In this case Fred looked at my exhaust while the car was on the rack for an oil change, and he didn't charge me for anything but the oil change.

Thanks again, I will post the results of my header swap.

Phil

Hi Phil,

Seems like your on top of it. Happy to hear that you have a good dealership around. I guess some of them do there job.

Let me know about the header. I'm thinking about one for myself and would like to know your experience with the change.

Regards,
Spotovi

I too had the problem with the buzzing A-pipe. Acura even issued a Technical Service Bulleting (TSB) for this issue, as it was common in many 94/95 GSRs. The problem was a bad weld where the exhaust manifold splits from one pipe into two (the A shape). The pipe partially separates and is able to vibrate at certain rpms (usually between 3-4000), creating that oh-so-annoying buzzing sound. Before having it replaced, I even went so far as to (temprarily) remove all of the heat shielding from the exhaust manifold, just to rule that out. My dealership wasn't too keen on a free replacement beyond the warranty period, so I went with a DC header, which cured it immediately. :)