exhaust parts for 94 supercharged engine

[chugach]

hello, my exhaust was rusted out and i bought a system from rock auto. i was very excited to see all this new shiny metal to put. i bolted the converter to the manifold then i installed the muffler. Then i realized the problem. there is about a 1 foot section missing.my old system was welded together with two little converters so i did not notice because i cut it off. i looked up some parts diagrams and there should be a small exhaust silencer that bolts in there. does anyone know where to get this part. i can not find it. it may be part 1741076152 or 1742076020. or if it is not available how do i get around it?? thanks

[pdgizwiz]

I have puzzled over this myself but my only S/C Previa is a '97. For it, the thing you're looking for is 17403-76040 (http://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/oem/toyota~pipe~sub~assy~exhaust~ctr~no~2~17403-76040.html) . It's available, but expensive. The parts lists I've seen list a different part number (18450-76120) for this for earlier S/C Previas, list it as a converter, and the price is nearly double. Is it just a hollow box for later ones? If so, why so much money? I don't know.
It sounds like the PO of your van just had a chunk of pipe welded in to fill the gap, and that is an option for you, too. But maybe you can find one in a junkyard, get the gaskets and bolt it up.
Or perhaps you could return the rear section get one for a N/A Previa, which has an extra foot of length on the front end to mate directly to the front cat.

[timsrv]

I understand the desire to fix everything ones self, but seriously, when it comes to exhaust work, unless you're dealing with a simple "bolt-on" part, I would just have an exhaust shop do the work. Have you ever watched those guys? They are amazing (at least the competent ones). If equipped with a pipe bender and the correct welding equipment they can custom bend and assemble an entire system in hardly no time at all. I can't speak for all shops, but the one I use is very fair on the pricing. They can fab and install an entire system for about the same price it would be for prefabbed individual parts.

The only thing that I don't like about the guy who does my work is he doesn't stock all the special bungs/flanges for mounting O2 sensors, adapting to manifolds, etc. If left to his own devices he will re-use the end parts (where bolting to manifold occurs) and weld all the other joints that would normally be bolted. He will even weld the O2 sensors right to the pipe. Because of this, whenever I go there I bring these parts and (including sensor mounting bungs) and he's happy to weld these on for me. Not sure why Toyota uses resonators and expansion tanks, but IMO, stuff like that isn't worth the money. I wouldn't hesitate to eliminate that stuff. Tim

PS: I would avoid the big chain exhaust shops. I like to find the independent shops where the owner is the guy who does the work (or at least roams around the place). Rule of thumb, you don't open a repair shop unless you now what you're doing (if you don't, you won't stay in business for very long). Tim