EXHAUST LEAK!

[350_85cutty]

i think i have an exhaust leak, when i'm driving around, my eyes get irratated and i literally smell like i was working on the car, i know that's not good for my health but whats a good way to find where it's coming from. I really need to get that fixed asap as it's a health hazard as well as takes away from the driving experience and the gurls don't like when my cologne is exhaust fumes.....

 

[SBCregal]

your best bet is to listen for it.
have someone put their hand over the muffler outlet (use a rag...its hot)
and listen for where the noise is coming from.... a hissing type of sound.

or you could take it to a local muffler shop....from the sounds of it, thats probably where you're gonna end up having it fixed

 

[Blake442]

Does your exhaust dump in front of the rear axle, or do you have full tail pipes that go out behind the tire or under the bumper?

If it dumps in front of the axle, it's pretty easy for it to roll back into the car, especially at stop lights and such.

If it's a leak, it will make itself obvious if you listen carefully, and putting your hand near it will confirm it. With the motor running, carefully feel around all the junctions in the pipes to see if you feel any leaks.

 

[350_85cutty]

yes i do here a hissing sound, and i'm pretty sure i know where it's coming from. you see where the header collecters and exhaust pipe meet, where it bolts on with 3 bolts, it isn't tight, there is a gap and the gasket has play, but my mechanic said that it's not suppose to be tight, where the gasket is sandwiched in between the two, i thought it was suppose to be tight

 

[Blake442]

That mechanic is all kinds of wrong.

That flange where the headers meet the exhaust needs to be tight.
You might as well go out and get new gaskets for the collectors, as running with them loose will quickly burn them up.

When exhaust leaks directly underneath you like that, it doesn't take long for the smell to creep into the car.

 

[jrm81bu]

Go get some aluminum collector gaskets from advance and be done with it. They're worth the money.

 

[350_85cutty]

thats' what i thought. he said they'd burn up if they were tight...i think maybe he's hit the peace pipe too much in his day...do the aluminum ones work better? yeah i look stoned myself when i get out the car and my eyes are red cuz the fumes irritate em so bad! its not bad when i'm driving but once i'm at a light, that's when its bad, so much sometimes my eyes start to water! not good....

 

[jrm81bu]

do the aluminum ones work better?

I think they do. Plus they are reusable.

 

[grandprix2+2]

i have a very similar problem, except i havent noticed any fumes yet, just can hear it slightly when idling next to a curb and the sound bounces back right, the onl;y trouble is, where the flange with the 3 bolts is has seemed to have warped outwards, so i not longer have a flat flange where the header bolts to the exhaust. will the aluminum gaskets compensate for this or do i have a bigger problem on my hands?

 

[SV6 REGAL]

One way to find a leak is to have the car on lift and plug the exhaust pipe with a rag and pour a little oil in the motor when it is running it will smoke were it leaks.