[ghost28]

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

[sammons]

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.

[62131]

A little bit of transmission fluid will do it

[madmike3434]

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

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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   

[sixball]

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.

[ghost28]

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.

[sammons]

Ghost, I'm sure i'll be chasing the same "ticking gremlins" myself, built mine also. (This thread reminded me) 

[EDNY]

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??

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?

[vette59jdwl]

 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

[ghost28]

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

[EDNY]

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

[EDNY]

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

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.

[ghost28]

 

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.
[/quote]Now that's funny. Who know what effect that could have on the old buick, she might get addicted to pot.

[62131]

Then would say it was made with pot metal?

[sammons]

You guys crack me up.

Ed that would also work good for finding cockpit air leaks. You and Vette got it going on with that idea.