Exhaust question

Joseph James

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I have had an exhaust leak and didn’t know where until I went to the muffler shop last Friday. I could hear clatter like a valve so I figure it was close to manifold. New gaskets when engine was changed. Manifold to pipe gasket was cooked. Muffler shop said the pipe wasn’t true and to double gasket it. I did and it fixed the problem.

Now, the car is running a lot richer than before. I can smell it. Is it related to the leak I had or a coincidence and something else? I guess my question is can an exhaust leak like that affect other areas?
 
Do you have fuel injection? If so an upstream exhaust leak can throw things off. I don't think a carb would be effected.
 
Do you have fuel injection? If so an upstream exhaust leak can throw things off. I don't think a carb would be effected.

I thought it wasn’t related but I am self aware enough to know I know less than I think I do, hence the question.

Thanks for the response.
 
The hydrocarbon smell has been there a while, I suspect. The reason was that on the negative exhaust pulses, they sucked air past the failed gasket to dilute the exhaust gases so that you probably didn't smell it. Now that you've taken away the "air leak", now you smell it.

Check to see why the engine is running so rich. Carbureted or whatever, it needs to be looked at soon due to a possible motor oil dilution situation. Then a fresh batch of engine oil and a new filter.

CBODY67
 
The hydrocarbon smell has been there a while, I suspect. The reason was that on the negative exhaust pulses, they sucked air past the failed gasket to dilute the exhaust gases so that you probably didn't smell it. Now that you've taken away the "air leak", now you smell it.

Check to see why the engine is running so rich. Carbureted or whatever, it needs to be looked at soon due to a possible motor oil dilution situation. Then a fresh batch of engine oil and a new filter.

CBODY67

It ran really lean and I found a loose screw on throttle body. Tightened and it ran better. Didn’t know it would go so rich. I’ll reset idle mix.
 
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