Rusty Bowtie

General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: ghost28 on March 06, 2016, 07:23:02 PM

Title: Chasing my tail
Post by: ghost28 on March 06, 2016, 07:23:02 PM
Allright guys here's the deal. I have been chasing a exhaust leak in the header area, and what I am wondering is there something you can put down the carb to cause a little smoke so I can identify where the leak is coming from? I remember that you could pour a little of ???? something down the carb to achieve this, of course without hurting the engine.  Any ideas
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: sammons on March 06, 2016, 08:03:47 PM
Ghost, we use to put a 1/2 teaspoon of ATF down the carb. On tough finds we would choke down exhaust(rag, 2-man job) to give a bit of back pressure to force out at leak.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: 62131 on March 06, 2016, 08:21:05 PM
A little bit of transmission fluid will do it
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: madmike3434 on March 06, 2016, 11:21:44 PM
Allright guys here's the deal. I have been chasing a exhaust leak in the header area, and what I am wondering is there something you can put down the carb to cause a little smoke so I can identify where the leak is coming from? I remember that you could pour a little of ???? something down the carb to achieve this, of course without hurting the engine.  Any ideas
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Might have to run a straight edge on the header flange to make sure its straight and if it is, then do same to exhaust area. Actually any leakage should show up as black soot, like a weak leaking spot in a head gasket.

Make sure that you torgue the bolts to the correct torque, aluminum is less than cast iron heads.  You might have to use crows feet sockets to be able to get at certain bolts.

Soaking gaskets for 3-4 hours prior to installation allows the gaskets to be compressed to a higher degree  & swell up  .   When installed and run, they dry out and blow up kinda like popcorn .  Hopefully filling the imperfection.

 From a 1932 fitzgerald gasket application guide.

mike lynch    8)
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: sixball on March 07, 2016, 12:28:26 AM
You can just do a "leak down test".  As you bring each cylinder up on compression use a spray bottle with soapy water to look for bubbles indicating the "gas" leak.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: ghost28 on March 07, 2016, 08:25:22 AM
Thanks guys. All good information. I made these headers for the nail head, and I don't think they are leaking at the flange, or at the collectors. So the last place to look is at the point where the 4 tubes come together. I am thinking a little bit of smoke might tell me the location before I take them off.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: sammons on March 07, 2016, 09:02:00 AM
Ghost, I'm sure i'll be chasing the same "ticking gremlins" myself, built mine also. (This thread reminded me)  :-\
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: EDNY on March 07, 2016, 05:05:03 PM
Wondering if you could have someone put on a pair of insulated gloves and with rag in hand choke off the exhaust pipe while you had your head near the engine.  Might get a wheezing or whistling sound???????????????????? :o

Might also then try to do the same thing in a zero light environment with laser light (or flashlight) to cut through any smoke stream?

High tech huh?
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: vette59jdwl on March 07, 2016, 06:38:18 PM
 I laughed so hard when i read this and i told myself  Wayner  settle down wait till the air clears. When i had this problem and i have had it twice so far.What i did was got out my trusty shop vac.took the wan out of the vacum port and put it in the blow mode. then took my bee smoker and  pored the smoke into the shop vac  wherever there was a crack or leak the smoke just poured out.   vette59jdwl

PS i think everyone of us has a shop vac  right
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: ghost28 on March 07, 2016, 07:44:36 PM
I got a shop vac, but no bee smoker.  It does sound like agood idea though. Hmmm maybe I could burn some of my dirty socks, nawww then I would have to throw the headers away ;D
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: EDNY on March 07, 2016, 07:47:53 PM
I laughed so hard when i read this and i told myself  Wayner  settle down wait till the air clears. When i had this problem and i have had it twice so far.What i did was got out my trusty shop vac.took the wan out of the vacum port and put it in the blow mode. then took my bee smoker and  pored the smoke into the shop vac  wherever there was a crack or leak the smoke just poured out.   vette59jdwl

PS i think everyone of us has a shop vac  right


I started making this one a couple months ago...never finished it, the regulator idea works great - only allows a trickle of air to enter the intake port so you won't have the noise of a running engine or vacuum cleaner.  The good news is if you make it...may come in handy for a future "EVAP" leak on another car.  The LP regulators are in the dump weekly.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U5kFib1WxE
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: EDNY on March 07, 2016, 07:52:13 PM
I got a shop vac, but no bee smoker.  It does sound like agood idea though. Hmmm maybe I could burn some of my dirty socks, nawww then I would have to throw the headers away ;D


Now that they legalized pot in your state...couldn't you just hire a couple of stoners to blow into your exhaust and wait on the other end. Start sniffing and when you get the urge to eat a lot of cookies..that's where the leak is. ;D
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: ghost28 on March 07, 2016, 07:58:46 PM
 

Now that they legalized pot in your state...couldn't you just hire a couple of stoners to blow into your exhaust and wait on the other end. Start sniffing and when you get the urge to eat a lot of cookies..that's where the leak is. ;D
[/quote]Now that's funny. Who know what effect that could have on the old buick, she might get addicted to pot.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: 62131 on March 07, 2016, 08:24:43 PM
Then would say it was made with pot metal?
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: sammons on March 07, 2016, 08:43:53 PM
You guys crack me up. ;D

Ed that would also work good for finding cockpit air leaks. You and Vette got it going on with that idea.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: vette59jdwl on March 08, 2016, 10:43:58 AM
  Ed, Ghost28 Sammons and 62131 You guys are realy funny  especially you 62131 you my man are on your toes  Pot metal lol lol  I should have thought of that one,and yes we have a few pot heads around here,and man they are some funny people  I do not know how they are ever going to become tomorrows society  they are always in a buz, I sure would like to see one of them put a pussle together. OH well Ed your closest to Montreal  and down river to boot.You would just have to time it right,get a straw through one of your key holes and start sniffing  lol lol   vette59jdwl
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: chopper526 on March 08, 2016, 12:23:17 PM
Stoners might like to use your picks to suck smoke out of, not blow in to!
Ghost, any chance that leak might have left a slight carbon trail? You could look for a black streak or sudge on the pipes.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: sixball on March 08, 2016, 01:30:18 PM
Set the header up like a hookah pipe and those pot heads will find any leaks. A new form of BLOWby. Sorry I couldn't hemp myself.  :)
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: chopper526 on March 08, 2016, 04:25:45 PM
Set the header up like a hookah pipe and those pot heads will find any leaks. A new form of BLOWby. Sorry I couldn't hemp myself.  :)

Sammons, that is spoken like a man with experience. ::)
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: 62131 on March 08, 2016, 07:43:47 PM
What about trying a smoke bomb like what is sold at your local fireworks store. Light it and insert in tail pipe then stuff a rag in it to hold the smoke in.
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: ghost28 on March 08, 2016, 08:03:31 PM
What about trying a smoke bomb like what is sold at your local fireworks store. Light it and insert in tail pipe then stuff a rag in it to hold the smoke in.
My neighbors already think I am a little strange, and with some of these ideas they might start a petition to get me comitted. My wife would be on the top of the list I'm sure. There is a kid down the street that smokes maybe I can talk him into giving my car a blow job. ::)
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: 62131 on March 08, 2016, 08:20:48 PM
I guess everybody will be glad when it warms up to stay so we can all spend more time in the garage, so we will have more to discuss  than smoking
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: Rattiac on March 09, 2016, 12:24:11 AM
X2 on the smoke bombs.  ;)
Title: Re: Chasing my tail
Post by: sixball on March 09, 2016, 10:12:54 PM
I think my last suggestion was so crazy that it was rejected by the site. It had to do with filling cylinders with water and seeing where it squirted out. This will work. Seal the ignition. Put a 3' snorkel  on the intake. Drive the car into a lake until the snorkel is just out of the water and see where the bubbles are coming from. :)
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