Capristo Exhaust Bracket Rattle/Vibration

I installed Capristo Exhaust brackets a while back with the goal of preserving my stock exhaust manifolds. Although since I have been hearing a very annoying rattling/vibration noise which I have a pretty strong suspicion is coming from the Capristo brackets, as I never heard anything like it back when I still had the stock exhaust brackets.

I don't hear it when I accelerate or have my foot on the gas, but as soon as I take my foot off the gas and let the engine wind down and the RPM's drop, I hear this annoying high pitched buzz or vibration behind me. For the lack of a better description, almost a kazoo like sound. And then once the engine winds down, the noise stops.

Has anybody else with the Capristo brackets experienced this type of rattle/vibration? I am wondering if I need to tighten the bolts which compress the springs? But then that makes me wonder if I tighten them if that would defeat the purpose of allowing the bolts on the brackets to slide to allow the manifolds to expand and contract?

Any opinions or advice is appreciated!

 

Thank you very much. I will definitely follow your advice and check the exhaust tips as well as I try to identify the source of the buzzing. Appreciate the insight!

 

Thanks for your insight and offer for the nuts, very kind of you! I have a follow up question, you mention the cupped caps on the springs should let the system move back and forth with the manifold expansion. Perhaps something is wrong with my brackets, as mine seem to stick in place. In fact before a drive, I have to physically slide the spring bolts back and forth a few times to loosen them up, or they literally do not move at all from before to after the drive. It is like they get stuck. If I do as I mentioned and loosen them up pre-drive, then I can see decent movement with the spring bolts from pre to post drive.

Do you lubricate the sliding area of the brackets at all so that the metal on metal with the cupped caps to the brackets slides easier?

Because mine seem so tight and can barely be moved even in trying to slide them by hand, I only assumed that if I tightened them further and compress the spring to try to eliminate the vibration noise, that I would only end up making the cupped caps virtually impossible to slide. I hope my description as to my issue makes sense, and let me know if your brackets are similar, or if yours seem to move easier?

Do you experience any type of vibration/buzzing noise when you let your foot off the gas and the engine winds down naturally?

 

Thanks, I checked it out. The thing I don't see, and doesn't seem to be specified in any of the instructions, is how much to tighten the bolts with the springs on them (ie how compressed should the springs be)? Do you remember how much you tightened yours? Since you are not getting any vibration you must have done it right!

 

Good point, in fact I was thinking about that recently as I am getting ready to install Fabspeed headers as I didn't want to be concerned about cracks, precats, etc any more. With my recent frustrations on the vibration/buzzing which I believe is linked to the Capristo brackets, I was thinking about switching back to the stock exhaust bracket at the same time I install the headers.

I know you have spent a tremendous amount of time working on 430's so I was curious of your thoughts. Once I install the Fabspeed headers in my mind I wont be concerned about the manifolds cracking or precats breaking up anymore. With this being the case do you think I am better off sticking with the Capristo brackets, or switching back to the stock exhaust brackets?

I also remember one person here on fchat suggested just using the upper bow spring portion of the stock brackets only. If I remember correctly the logic was that the bow spring was more than enough to support the exhaust, and by getting rid of the lower portion, you were getting rid of the rigid part that would limit the headers ability to expand/contract. What are your thoughts on this option?

 

I wanted to revisit this thread as I still have the same vibration noise which I believe is due to the Capristo exhaust brackets.

To review what I am finding, I don't hear it when I accelerate or have my foot on the gas, but as soon as I take my foot off the gas and let the engine wind down and the RPM's drop, I hear this annoying high pitched buzz or vibration behind me. For the lack of a better description, almost a kazoo like sound. And then once the engine winds down, the noise stops.

Has anybody else with the Capristo brackets experienced this type of rattle/vibration and hopefully solved it?

My car is currently in the shop as I am installing Fabspeed headers thus I wanted to trouble shoot the Capristo exhaust brackets while they have access.

I am wondering if I need to tighten the bolts which compress the springs? But then that makes me wonder if I tighten them if that would defeat the purpose of allowing the bolts on the brackets to slide to allow the manifolds to expand and contract? (as on my car they are already hard to slide by hand, it takes considerable effort)

Also considering a last resort of re-installing the stock exhaust bracket, but just the upper bow spring as some have suggested the lower rigid stock brackets really aren’t needed to support the exhaust. Technically with new Fabspeed headers I should not have to worry about cracking anymore like with the stock manifolds, so perhaps stock bracket would be fine. But in some way, would hate to abandon the Capristo brackets since I spent a lot on them!

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

Thanks for the insight! I’ll take a look.

 

Thanks for your insight. It’s interesting as my mechanic was actually a Ferrari test driver for 20 years. Yesterday we went for a ride so he could hear the rattle. Then he sat in the drivers seat and gently revved the engine while parked and he said he could feel the vibration and he too thought it was because of the connection of the exhaust to the chassis with the Capristo bracket design. While I can tighten up the screws I am wondering if this slight rattle can ever be eliminated due to the inherent design?

I am getting the Fabspeed headers installed this week and since I no longer will be worried about my OEM manifolds cracking, I am strongly considering re-installing the stock exhaust bow spring, but leaving the 2 rigid brackets off (as mine are cracked anyway). Since they will already be working there, it would probably cost me less than an hour of labor to remove the Capristo brackets.

My only reservation is that although I have heard the theory of going with the OEM bowspring by itself, I have never heard of anyone that has actually done it. I know you have more knowledge on the 430 than most due to all your work on the cars, thus wanted to ask your opinion of what you would do given my situation as I add the Fabspeed headers? Would you go back to the OEM exhaust bowspring brackets minus the 2 lower brackets?

Would you have any concerns with this “untested” option being able to support the weight of the exhaust over the long term without the 2 lower brackets in place?

Last, with the Fabspeed headers installed, would the bowspring allow enough room for expansion and contraction to alleviate the concern of cracked headers and thus the reason I went to the Capristo brackets in the first place?

Thanks in advance!

 

I am strongly thinking about reverting to the OEM exhaust brackets myself. In fact I have to make a quick decision as my car is in the shop this week getting fabspeed headers installed, thus why I am trying to decide as obviously it would be a great time to also change the exhaust brackets since they will be working right there anyway.

Did you end up removing the 2 lower rigid mounts and just using the OEM upper bowspring mount? This is what I am considering doing, but I wanted to gather some knowledgeable opinions before doing so as I have heard the theory, but never heard of anyone who has actually done it.

Do you think the bowspring by itself is strong enough to support the weight of the exhaust over the long term?

Also, while I am not concerned about the new fabspeed headers cracking like OEM, would the OEM "bowspring only" solution allow enough expansion and contraction to not stress the headers/cats/etc? Afterall that is why I bought and installed the Capristo brackets in the first place, thus I am really debating if I should abandon them now due to this rather annoying vibration/rattle!

Do we really have to choose between annoying vibration with Capristo vs. undue stress on our exhaust system with OEM exhaust mount?