V8 Stinks (1 Viewer)

[Snead Hearn]

I ask this question in the 40 Forum since I know some of you have an SBC in your rig. Here is my problem. The exhaust stinks.

To clarify, my wife won't ride with me with the top off (the 40's top, not hers!), and she isn't too keen to let the kids or even the dogs ride with me either. We aren't worried about CO, but our clothes and hair REEK of some sort of fuel or other exhaust smell.

Background: I have 1980 FJ40 with a 383 with a mild cam, 600CFM Edelbrock (installed by PO 4 years ago, right before I bought it). The exhaust runs out through headers into big old ugly mufflers (no cats)crisscrossed in the back, then out the sides with 2 exhaust pipes, one on either side at about 45 degree angles to the back of the rig. The pipes stick out about 2" from the back at that angle. When the top is off, and I am moving less than 30 mph (most of the time!) the exhaust smell comes into the passenger area. With the top on, the smell is bad, but it doesn't come inside. I even drove this winter with a CO detector to see if I got a reading - I didn't. The smell is still there, so if I walk behind the truck with the engine running, my clothes will smell for hours.

I have tried the following:

I changed metering rods in the carb. I plan to make another attempt at this to see if I can lean it out any more. It runs well, so I don't want to lean too much. PO was closer to sea level, I am at 4,000 ft.

I extended the exhaust with cheesy 6" screw-on chrome dress up tubes. Looked ridiculous and didn't help. The exhaust system itself appears to be okay, other than huge ugly mufflers and strange routing.


I am concerned that I am killing myself and family with fumes.

Suggestions?

I've considered a new exhaust with cats, but I have no O2 sensor, and don't really want to go that way if it can be avoided.

Is the carb just too big and rich?

Am I having a burning oil problem? The oil level in the engine seems to be okay.

Is this how a non-emission 383 is supposed to smell? I compare it to my 1963 T-Bird (also a convertible) with a 390 and 4bbl carb and that car smells like exhaust should. My FJ40 is much stronger smelling.

Frustrated! Lift is almost done and I can't take my family for a ride! Any ideas?

 

[Fast Eddy]

Good temporary solution?

I kill myself. ;p

I think you're smelling weird half-burned emissions due to the heat of your headers. Manifolds, air injection and/or cats will solve the problem and your rig will be cooler inside and quieter outside. I realize this may not be the answer for which you're looking.

 

[Snead Hearn]

I'll try anything!

Thanks for the ideas. I'll try anything (maybe not that mask, although she looks like a real babe)

 

[greenhorn311]

Mine stinks to lol i've got a stock 2f ol' lady wont go with me anywhere wont change a thing!!!the 40 is truely my other woman they should not hang out .it's for the best i think

 

[greenhorn311]

greenhorn311<------- Not so smart .........air injection????

 

[1973Guppie]

buy a prius.....

I think he meant fuel injection system for the SBC.

you may also look into if the front tank is vented correctly. If the stock tank is not vented it will stink to all hell as you go up and down in altitude as the air changes in the tank. After my rebuild, my stock tank wasn't vented correctly, on a trip to the desert it got so bad that I had to stop in a town and pull all the gas out of the front tank completely and leave the front cap off.

Noah

 

[D'Animal]

Is the smell exhaust fumes of fuel fumes?

 

[baxter650]

600 CFM is on the small side for what is normally put on most 383s

 

[65fj40]

I have a 350 in ours and we dont smell anything, our pipes exit infront of the rear tires, the only time I smell it is when im in the garage..sounds awsome..lol

 

[Brian in Oregon]

Sure it isn't an oil leak or grease hitting the hot exhaust system or an area heated by it?

 

[dgangle]

the solution to polution is dilution

have someone fix the carb. i'd bet 99% of the problem is there and instal a cat on each side. it ain't going to smell like perfume no matter what you do.

 

[78Crusher]

Rams horn manifolds
y - pipe
single exhaust

Belive it or not when I had headers and duels on mine I had the same thing.

 

[nspctr1]

buy a prius.....

I think he meant fuel injection system for the SBC.

you may also look into if the front tank is vented correctly. If the stock tank is not vented it will stink to all hell as you go up and down in altitude as the air changes in the tank. After my rebuild, my stock tank wasn't vented correctly, on a trip to the desert it got so bad that I had to stop in a town and pull all the gas out of the front tank completely and leave the front cap off.

Noah

.+2

 

['74 UA FJ]

If you are smelling unburned fuel, the carb is the problem. You are dumping too much fuel in the engine than can be burned. You don't need to ditch the headers or add air injection or any of that junk. Lean out the carb and you will be fine.

 

[FJBen]

EFI! Mine stinks....(more so from bad valve seals) but the carb just makes it stinky....I'm going TBI this weekend, and changing the valve seals. I'll let ya know how that turns out.

The biggest help has been re-routing the exhaust to exit behind the rear drivers tire and down...but if the wind changes you can still smell it :whoops:

Hoping TBI and new seals will cure that...IH8thestink

 

[theo]

Snead, I've had the same problem as you for 2 years now.

Started with an Edelbrock 1406 on a tired 350 with dual exhaust exiting in front of the tires. Stank to high heaven. Tuning the carb helped some. You can change the jets and metering rods and springs and it will get better. But I never got rid of it completely.

Then I rebuilt a TBI and went to single exhaust behind the driver's tire. It ran rich and still stank. Then I realized I had cop car injectors, so I bought a chip from Brian at tbichips.com. It's better now and by his own admission, that chip is a little rich intentionally. I think if I have him lean it out a little I'll be about home.

So I agree with some of the others - the first and easiest step is to buy the small parts kit for your Edelbrock and search for a combination that leans it out without causing hesitation or bogs or pinging.

 

[Sporin]

I have the exact same problem with the 350 in my piggie. PO installed hopped up 350 with an Edlebrock carb. Straight dual pipes with mufflers, no cats, manifolds not headers.

I suspect I'm running a bit rich but have also considered adding cats to clean it up a bit, also planning to go to a single pipe back instead of the duals for a number of reasons. I'll let you know if it makes a difference.

 

[fastjim11]

A properly set up engine/carb should not stink! Cats will only mask the odor/problem. Check your plugs for proper color they will tell the story about rich or lean. A engine can be setup to burn fuel properly without cats or EFI and most likely cheaper.
Are you sure its not burnt coolant your smelling? Check your compression.
Jim

 

[FJBen]

Then I rebuilt a TBI and went to single exhaust behind the driver's tire. It ran rich and still stank. Then I realized I had cop car injectors, so I bought a chip from Brian at tbichips.com. It's better now and by his own admission, that chip is a little rich intentionally. I think if I have him lean it out a little I'll be about home.

Did you have the full cop car setup? ie ECM/tbi unit etc? Or just cop car injectors?

 

[theo]

Did you have the full cop car setup? ie ECM/tbi unit etc? Or just cop car injectors?

Complete engine with ECM came from a '93 Caprice that was a taxi in Alaska in it's former life. ECM was 16136965. Not sure of the difference between standard and cop tbi units. I'm thinking someone just popped the bigger injectors in without doing anything else, but I'm not sure. I put a stockish cam, roller lifters, and pistons in it. Stock intake and exhaust manifolds. Wish I would have souped it up some at the time!