So I Have been noticing a rattle that sounds like a Geiger counter picking up radiation when mainly when I accelerate. I jacked it up and took a quick look and I believe the source is the catalytic converter cover is totally rusted loose. nothing is holding it in place. How tough is it to fix?

 

Hard to impossible?

Options are:
- MacGyver some wire hangers/pipe straps to hold it in place...
- weld a new cover onto whatever's left of the mounts on the cat...
- get a new cat with fresh mounts.

My cover rusted through one of the four mounting locations and rattled like crazy too... when I went to remove it to at least quiet it down until I got a new cover... the other three mounts broke also. Even though I bought a new cover, I haven't mounted it, cause there's nothing left to attach it.

 

The cover completely fell off and got lost. Not sure how vital it is to replace. I don't park on grass OTOH it might protect the catalytic converter from exposure to salt/water and rusting. It looks like it just bolts on (I was worried it was jacket arround the CC and that I'd have to disconnect the exhaust) but I am concerned about getting the old bolts out but I will need to get it on jack stands and taking a closer look. looks like the part is about $30 18181-RB0-000.

 

We call this the "rattle plate" in eastern Canada.

This is because it's only a matter of time before the bolt holes come too large from rust and the plate starts rattling. Since this is the plate that receives all the road salt and heat, it's the first one to fail. Most cars 10 years or older here do not have this plate anymore.

The usual fix is to get lager washers for the first time it fails. Once the holes get bigger than the washers, it's time to take the plate off.

 

It does just bolt on, but the issue is that the bracket it bolts onto is a strip of metal welded onto the CC itself. I don't know about your bracket, but where the bolts attach on the bracket completely rusted off, so I can't attach the new cover anyway.