FJ62 Exhaust Smell and complaining wife one has to go (1 Viewer)

[87CRUSR]

My wife recently complained about the same issue and I just say ”what smell” and I get a sarcastic look. I do think that my emission is more smelly than it was a few years ago so it will need to get checked at the next service.

 

[MoaByte]

My friend at the drive thru coffee shop said all the Cruisers have that smell. I'm in denial so just ignored him

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, Get a smoke machine ,hook it up and find the leak or probably leaks. Mike

 

[BlackCat]

You answered your own question.

Have you ever been on a trail behind a rig without CATs?

Seriously. Put a cat(s) back on it.

 

[cps432]

I agree with Seth. You shouldn't be getting exhaust smells into the cabin. When ever I drive with my rear hatch open (ie. carrying large cargo) the exhaust really gets sucked into the cabin. It is so bad that I can't drive unless all the windows are open. So also check your weather stripping around the rear hatch.

I believe the factoey owners manual advises against riding with the rear hatch and even states in the book that if it MUST be done to open the other windows too. Maybe I’m making that up... I need to dig up my book now...

 

[cps432]

Morning! Hoping for a little direction to help clear up a smelly exhaust issue I am facing. My 88 FJ62 has some stanking exhaust. To me, its typical "old truck" exhaust smell but my wife is super sensitive to it and always tells me that I stink and the dog stinks after we drive it. The other day she tried to tell me no driving the Cruiser with the dog... I LOL'd... There is very little exhaust smell in the cabin if any at all. I always have the dogs window down and he wont ride in any vehicle without his head sticking out. The exhaust is all new, no holes and manifolds are good. I removed the CATS during the new exhaust install but that honestly didnt change anything and I didnt expect it to. Maybe it is the cause for all I know, but it always smelled strong. The smell is not that of rotten eggs or anything pointing to a engine troubles or burning oil. It just reeks and its either the wife or the Smelly exhaust, and my Cruiser doesnt do my laundry, so the wife needs to stay.
I have read that replacing the Fuel Pressure Reg may remedy this issue. I'm thinking a good clean of the throttle body, maybe some seafoam treatment in the gas.
Who else has a stinky Cruiser?
Thanks for any input
View attachment 2560184

I had a similar ultimatum with my ex. It was an easy decision because I did all the laundry. Every. Single. Time.
Now me and my dog smell like the truck and nobody cares.

 

[White Stripe]

Installing cats will clean up the exhaust smell. Pretty easy to do.

 

[Seth S]

Check your rear vents. Maybe they need new gaskets or you need to experiment with a reed valve

 

[MrMacdugal]

well its a 30 year old fork truck engine without an emission controls anymore. So only way to fix that is to do an LS3 swap with the california emissions package

Thats what I always tell her. Its an old vehicle... Just like when we drive behind the old muscle cars going 30mph on Sunday with Helen in the passengers seat, its smelly.

 

[MrMacdugal]

Some people have a poor sense of smell (like you might but don't know anything different) and some people have an extremely sensitive sense of smell (like perhaps your wife) and the slightest odors are overwhelming and intolerable - to the point of being an allergy (I fall into that camp).
When the catalytic converters are removed, the exhaust will ALWAYS smell like hell. Really bad. The fact that you can't really tell the difference just goes to show that your sense of smell isn't very good.
If you want to keep the cruiser and keep your wife happy, replace the cats and pray.
Once the interior of the cruiser gets contaminated with odors, it can take years for them to dissipate out of the fabrics and headliner. I know this from experience.
And if the interior reeks (which you may not smell) it will get on you as you're driving and sitting on the seat - and get in the dog as he's hanging out in the back - and when you guys come home after a drive - both the dog and you will smell like the stinky cruiser.
Odor hyper-sensitivity sucks big time. I've got that problem. Maybe your wife does too.

My wife has odor sensitivity like no ones business! We dont use any scented anything on our clothes or in the house. I can definitely say that many odors do not bother me much like they do her. Fancy scents and the like are quite bothersome to me but foul smells like weed(wink wink) and exhaust and fiberglass resin do not bother me.
I'll toss some decent CATS back in there in the spring and see how that goes for me. And you are probably right that its all in the interior too...
@Output Shaft I read your post from some time ago a while back and I always say it to myself.... it was something like "with bad kitty make big stinky, Good kitty no more stinky"... or something like that. haha. Classic

 

[MrMacdugal]

I believe the factoey owners manual advises against riding with the rear hatch and even states in the book that if it MUST be done to open the other windows too. Maybe I’m making that up... I need to dig up my book now...

Yeah riding with the rear hatch open and no other windows open would be a big problem. My dog only rides on the passenger seat with the window down. The wife hasnt even been in this one... and even better the passenger front door decided to permanently lock itself shut to absolutely no avail of getting it open. So the dog has to use my door.

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

Same! After stinking of exhaust nothing abnormal but like you said old truck smell. Started looking at the cabin and discovered the outflow vents rear vertical pillar both flapper valves were brittle and broken off, being that both sides are opening to flow in and out I was getting exhaust coming in the driver side and fuel smell from the passenger side. Additionally inspected the firewall, found several plugs that were rotten and replaced. Smells are slowly going away. Hope that helps, I have attached a photo where I ordered universal neoprene eighth inch sheets and cut to size and screw the bracket on to hold it in place. Installed and have a good seal now. The one plug on the firewall was 2 inch diameter and had rotted out. Went to Cruiser Corps and had new one delivered in 2 days. The reason the plug is cut is harness carrying through was installed before the wires up both plugs each end. They sell split plugs to slide on

 

[markmark]

Ive just done the same but could not get 3mm rubber sheet to fit in the plastic frame so ive used 1mm rubber with an extra piece glued on the bottom to add weight to it. Now when I shut a door I can hear the flappers working. I am still getting some fumes in the cabin when my window is open though. The next job will be to extend the exhaust tail pipe 20mm past the rear bumper and facing downward.

 

[MrMacdugal]

Good Call. My vent flappers are most certainly rotted or probably gone altogether if I remember correctly. I'll give it a go on replacing them and see how that goes. Thanks. I think someone else mentioned this too, but seeing you go for it is encouraging. But we have a fresh foot of snow and the cruiser lives outside currently.

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

I went onto Amazon and these universal thin rubber sheets were perfect, trimmed and secured with the screwed in tab in the pic above. They are a little stiff so I used a heat gun and hung them horizonal and they soften up and formed in place in closed position. Let them cool so hold their form once in a vertical position.

 

[TexasLandCruiser]

I went onto Amazon and these universal thin rubber sheets were perfect, trimmed and secured with the screwed in tab in the pic above. They are a little stiff so I used a heat gun and hung them horizonal and they soften up and formed in place in closed position. Let them cool so hold their form once in a vertical position.

Amazon product ASIN B018H9CCPG