Exhaust Leak??

[Lazzman]

It seems I have an exhaust leak somewhere, I figure at the exhaust manifolds or somewhere before the cats. I hear the ticking noise at idle and can smell exhaust fumes under acceleration.

My question is can an exhaust leak cause any problems or effect engine performance?

Please no sarcasm from Aldive or others, just honest help.

Thanks

 

[cgriffin_5139]

When my dfp sensor went out it sounded like a exhaust leak. Its on the driver side, and has 2 ruber hoses comming off it from the EGR tube if that helps.

 

[aldive]

My question is can an exhaust leak cause any problems or effect engine performance?

Yes it can indeed cause a serious problem - CO poisoning.

 

[budwich]

depending on where your leak is, it may impact your O2 sensors which of course will feed back to your computer and cause an impact and probably a code or 2.

 

[Lazzman]

Great advice from all, thanks.

I am taking her down to the local exhaust guy for an isnpection.

 

[aldive]

Did your rather high dyno numbers reflect all the woes you are having?

 

[DennisE]

Exhaust leak fixed

I too had the same symptoms. My handheld Fluke CO meter showed 350 ppm of CO leaking from what I thot was just the passenger side original manifold. I ordered the $115 Bishop OEM replacement manifold but was afraid to do it myself due to potentially breaking the bolts. So I took it to an independent Ford shop here. It turned out that the leak in the manifold was really small and the bulk of the leak was coming from the EGR tube that fits into the top of the exhaust manifold. So that also had to be replaced. It was a bit dicey tho because the EGR tube and the new manifold exhaust were offset by about one inch. The shop heated up the tube carefully and bent it into place. The EGR tube was $65. My mileage had dropped from about 20 on the highway to about 15 on the highway. The shop did not think it necessary to disconnect the negative connection for 10-15 minutes to reset the PCM but I think I will do that today. The smells and noises are gone.
Dennis E in Everett, WA

It seems I have an exhaust leak somewhere, I figure at the exhaust manifolds or somewhere before the cats. I hear the ticking noise at idle and can smell exhaust fumes under acceleration.

My question is can an exhaust leak cause any problems or effect engine performance?

Please no sarcasm from Aldive or others, just honest help.

Thanks

 

[Lazzman]

ALDIVE- CAN YOU READ? It says no sarcasm "high dyno numbers" ??


Dennis how did your exhaust leak lower engine performance? Also how can you tell CO is leaking from using a hand held scanner?

Thanks for replying to this thread.

 

[aldive]

ALDIVE- CAN YOU READ? It says no sarcasm "high dyno numbers" ??

I have idea what you are saying, sorry.

Also how can you tell CO is leaking from using a hand held scanner?

To answer the first question, I can read . I even read the following

My handheld Fluke CO meter showed 350 ppm of CO leaking from what I thot was just the passenger side original manifold.

 

[Lazzman]

??- Al

 

[DennisE]

Lazzman,
The peformance issue would only be anecdotal evidence and not measurements.

I got more miles out of my first tank since the repair but I haven't measure the actual MPG. And the acceleration seems more powerful but again no numbers.

The CO meter works by proximity--the closer one is to the a source of CO, the higher goes the part per million count on the display. It also has a beeper like a Geiger counter. So as I moved the meter closer, the readings got higher and higher. To make sure it was working the way I thot it should, I took the meter to the tailpipe first. You used the word scanner, and I thought you might have been thinking of the OBDII reader? If so, no.

Here's a link to the CO monitor ~
http://us.fluke.com/usen/products/F...FlukeUnitedStates&Category=GAST(FlukeProducts)

Dennis

 

[Lazzman]

Thanks Dennis that is great information.

I am not concerned with actual numbers I will take your word on that, I was wondering how an exhaust leak could rob power? I need to be educated on this a little because I don't know.

 

[Jakee]

Thanks Dennis that is great information.

I am not concerned with actual numbers I will take your word on that, I was wondering how an exhaust leak could rob power? I need to be educated on this a little because I don't know.

How does an exhaust leak rob power....?

(Search on the net)
Have your vehicle�s exhaust system inspected periodically to keep your car safe. Exhaust gas, especially carbon monoxide, can be deadly if it enters the interior of the car. The symptoms of an exhaust leak may include a louder than normal exhaust sound, the sound of exhaust coming from unusual places on your car, a �ticking� noise when accelerating, and the smell of exhaust. However, don�t rely on your sense of smell as a conclusive means of determining if there�s an exhaust leak. Carbon monoxide has no odor. If you suspect any problem with the exhaust system, have it inspected immediately by a professional technician. Another symptom of a potential exhaust leak is a failed emissions test. A leak not only lets exhaust gas out, it also allows oxygen to enter the exhaust stream, which can be detected during an emissions test. You will usually be required to make repairs before retesting, so have the leak checked by a professional technician.


See the "bolded" sentence above. If there is "incoming" air before your front 02 sensors, you'll get bad readings, which more than likely will result in dumping more fuel than what is really needed.

 

[Lazzman]

Thanks Jakee :biggthump That is one of the best replies I have gotten since I have been on the big board.

I do notice an exhaust smell in my car mostly when I run the engine hard through the gears, just this morning I was coming onto the highway and hopped on it for a few gear changes, three seconds after I let off the gas I smelled the exhaust gases??

My engine also makes a slight ticking noise which is most noticable when I am in a confined area, such as a brick walled building.

For some reason the strong exhaust gas smell is more prominent when it is warm and humid outside, usually above 70 degrees.

Surprisingly My truck just passed emissions inspection with flying colors.

What be the most likely culprit for an exhaust leak in the engine, the exhaust manifolds?

 

[DennisE]

What be the most likely culprit for an exhaust leak in the engine, the exhaust manifolds?

---
Update -- I thought the bulk of my leak in my 97 5.0 AWD XLT was the manifold on the passenger side, but I examined what the shop gave me back after fixing it. The EGR tube that attaches to the top side of manifold was fractured in two places--very visible as it was about two inches high and about 1/2 inch wide. The tech said the leak in the manifold was actually a pinhole leak. I have no way to verify what he told us next. He said the leak meant colder air was getting into manifold mixing with the hot gases. He said the danger here is that the cooler air could have resulted in the engine block fracturing, and he said we were lucky it didn't as he has seen cases where it had.

 

[budwich]

He said the leak meant colder air was getting into manifold mixing with the hot gases. He said the danger here is that the cooler air could have resulted in the engine block fracturing, and he said we were lucky it didn't as he has seen cases where it had.[/QUOTE]

That's sounds pretty funny........ hate to see what happens in the middle of winter up here in canada when all that "cool air" surrounds the block. It might cause a "backfire issue" IF you were running very rich.

Anyways, your egr tube was probably more of an "engine biter" than the "pin" hole in the exhaust manifold.

 

[JoePublicVA]

When I heard about exhaust leaks in non-modified ford models I thought of the solution I used to fix my leaks. My leaks were at the connector flanges. Heat and vibration is the enemy of an exhaust system. I had reoccurring leaks and inspection failures. Nothing in the aftermarket retail worked to stop reoccurring leaks. I used a C Flange Bracket. No cutting, no welding. Simply install with longer bolts over existing flange or replace damaged flange with this C Flange Bracket and no leak. I passed my inspection using this product. See for yourself on my video links.