Technical Smelly Exhaust. The car

Greetings oh fount of knowledge

I come to the well today seeking possible explanations as to why the exhaust for the Y Block in my Model A has an acrid smell.

It does not smoke, either on start up or under power. The best description for the way it smells is, acrid.

I have tried grades of gas from 87-93 all with the same result.

New plugs, carb vacuum tuned, timing in a sweet spot.

To quote James, The Godfather of Soul, Brown: “Somebody hep me now!”

Jeff

 

Summit sells stuff you can put in the gas to make it smell like roses, or blue berrys, or what ever.. Best I can do.

 

I have nothing to add.

 

Are you sure it’s the exhaust? The gas today burns so clean in my Y even with dual quads I have no smell but I sure did when my engine was open. I added a PVC system and I have no more smell in the garage that I did for hours after coming home. I had to put a 61-64 valley cover to make it easier and it’s great.

 

Has the exhaust or engine or any parts of the engine been painted possibly that's what you're smelling or aluminized Exhaust ?? I drove & A for over 20,000 miles sedan with half interior both with header's over fenders & full under the car no exhaust smell at all in cab

 

Acrid smell? Possibly coolant? It smells pretty bad when run thru a motor.

 

Mmmm. MMO is better than all that fruity kid stuff. Jack E/NJ

 

If I had to chose, I’d take acrid over fruit. At least it smells like a car. . Is that a grape with eyeballs I just put there?

Thanks Seb

 

I agree, but I’m not losing any coolant.

 

Jimmy

The smell is definitely coming out of the exhaust pipes.

I too have the garage fumes when I put it away. I roll it out before starting so as not to fume the garage.

Mind if I PM you for info on the PVC addition that you did? Sounds like it would do the trick for me too.

Jeff

 

The only things painted have been the exhaust manifolds but the “stank” preceded the paint job.

 

Yep! It stanks!!!!...

 

Not wanting to seem like a big stupe, I was in the process of Googling MMO when I had the forehead slapping revelatory moment. It’s the oil made famous by Stan Lee, right?

 

Rodent problems? Had this problem with old 8N Ford tractor and a 202 Mercury Comet out in the country. Packing acorns into the mufflers, burning critters and stuff like that. Anything spitting out the tailpipe?

Joe

 

Maybe you are not running her hard enough. Take her out and beat her like she owes you money. Just kidding, I have no idea, I always smell like exhaust.

 

We need Smell-O-Vision.

(look it up)

 

Could be idling or running too lean, even though it makes yer eyes water. Is it a stock cam? Stock carb?

 

I think the smell-o-scope would be more accurate ! Lol
Just started rewatching this show with my kids , too funny.


Anyways smell from your tail pipe.

pcv, or lack there of
Burning oil or coolant ,
Burning some type of paint or coating off the exhaust system ?

I had a forklift a few years ago that mice stuffed fresh, unroasted coffee beans in the exhaust.
It smelled like hair fire !! That one truck basically emptied out a warehouse!!!

maybe a mouse made a house in your tail pipe a-la-Richard Gere ?

 

If you are lean at idle you will get what I would call an acrid smell.

 

No spitting only stank.

 

Hah! Don’t have to look it up Jim. I remember when they tried that in a theater in town years ago. Everything smelled like wet newspaper.

 

Acrid? Are you sure it's the car? It's a good idea to have a friend (female preferably...they have a better nose and don't seem to care it they are insultingly rude) give you the sniff test every now and again. Particularly you hot rod bachelors. Those shop clothes tend to get a bit "randy" at times and you may not even be aware.

 

Going down the list of possibilities, not burning any oil. Not losing any coolant. Only new paint is exhaust manifolds and the stank was present before paint. So....., pcv seems the most likely cause, or lack thereof.

No mouse residue present. Neither bedding acorns or fur.

 

Hmmm. I’ll check that tomorrow.

 

Nuttin’!

 

I admit that on a rare occasion I may have had an odiferous “air” about me, but I’ve never been accused of being acrid.

Now, let’s see can I find me a sniffer for hire.

 

Remember there is a difference between a sniffer and a fluffer.....lol.

 

I didn’t build the engine or know about the innards. It is a great strong runner with a Holley 4160 carb with manual choke. 3 speed top-loader.

Doesn’t smoke a lick.

 

Which brings me to a question that I’ve tried to find an answer to for years. If the swallows return to Capistrano on the same day every year, do the spitters show up the day before?

 

With the plugs out in the open like that the first thing I would do is pull a few and read them for signs of LEAN like others have said.