I got myself 2 of the OEM seals from Mazdatrix to replace the leaking cheap-o seals that are on both sides of the main cat. They're the only two that are leaking, so I ripped all the old hardware off, cleaned the surfaces, gutted the clogged cat, and bolted everything back up with new stainless steal hardware.

It seemed somewhat quieter for the first 15 minutes of driving, and now actually seems louder then before. I took apart the joints on both ends, and reseated everything, and it still didn't help. The seals look perfectly fine, but I noticed that they come with one side on the inner metal flange flatm, and the other side has a slight ridge to it. Is there any specific way they should be facing, and do I maybe need two seals back-to-back or something retarded like that to seal this up? I cranked on that hardware so it's definatly tight enough to seal, and even got desperate and put some copper high-temp RTV on the selas before bolting it back up, and it still sounds like a pissed off lawmower going down the street.

Any advice?

 

Weld them?

 

Hehe, I've been tempted at times. I took a closer look at the other joints, and it almost looks like two gaskets sandwhiched together, but I don't think that's supposed to be that way, anyone have any insight?

 

The exhaust assembly is so rigid, you may have better luck loosening up some more hardware forward & aft of where your problem spot is, maybe even the 2 standoffs for the donuts on the sides of the car there, then after you've finally gotten the seating you want on the exhaust flanges, tighten everything back down elsewhere...

If you used hi-temp RTV, with a new gasket, and let it cure for at least 30 min or more, you still must have one hell of a gap for it to be leaking...