DerFahrer Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I have been tracing down an exhaust leak for the past couple days on my 88 XT GL, I thought it was at the flange, so I put a new gasket in it. The flange itself was pretty rusted, so (this is very unusual for me ) I JB Welded the flange in hopes of sealing it up. I heard no improvement. About 15 minutes ago, I was driving around and all of a sudden the car no longer like a VW Bug but a WRX with exhaust! It was friggen loud! But I started to smell something I didn't like the smell of, and when I got home, I found a nut off the passenger side manifold missing. Thank goodness for the can full of misc. nuts and bolts my grandfather found! But I'm still concerned about that smell and what damage could have already taken place. Is it possible I might have burned my exhaust valves on that side? How tough are these engines when it comes to that? Maybe I should do a comp test to see if everything's alright... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 While dropping the nut would cause an exhaust leak, It shouldn't have caused any valve problems.. the smell may have been hot exhaust coming striaght out and cooking the road grime that collects under/on engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 that smell? did it smell like a gasket burning? if you had a bolt broken off, that would totally do away with the exhaust cooling and all the heat would be right at the flangle and gasket.. I think the gasket burned up Also JB weld isnt made for exhausts.. and it makes a nasty smell when it burns.. I put some on my exhaust like 3/4 way back on the car and it burned up there so I can imagine what the stuff up front that you put looks like. There is calcium carbonate in jb weld (same stuff as in bone) so it kinda gets the human flesh/hair burning smell to it when it gets too hot. comp test wouldnt hurt.. I'd just get a new gasket for the flange and put the bolts back on and drive it and see how it feels. doing that isnt going to do any more damage than you would have already done to it, if something did go wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 Trogdor was telling me how he drove his 88 XT DL 500 miles with the header disconnected without any problems, so I will sleep a little better tonight. I know that EA82's are tough engines, but I still freak when stuff like that happens... It is MUCH quieter now, and I didn't realize how much torque I lost with that big leak. Feels a lot better to drive everyday again :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TROGDOR! Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Originally posted by subyluvr2212 Trogdor was telling me how he drove his 88 XT DL 500 miles with the header disconnected without any problems, so I will sleep a little better tonight. I know that EA82's are tough engines, but I still freak when stuff like that happens... It is MUCH quieter now, and I didn't realize how much torque I lost with that big leak. Feels a lot better to drive everyday again :cool: Heh... wasn't intentional anyway. Bought the car like that and had to drive it home, then my wagon broke down and I drove it around for a week. Then after fixing it it came apart again 100 miles from home. Fixed it again, and 3 days later it came apart again. Got a new Y-pipe, problem solved. I wouldn't intentionally put a car through that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 i have driven on OPEN PORTS, i mean, no ypipe at all. drove it enough to determine it doesnt hurt anything. went baja'n thru mud, water and outran the sheriff one night in the field with open ports if you lost a stud or a nut, you may have blown out the gasket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted January 21, 2004 Author Share Posted January 21, 2004 Originally posted by torxxx There is calcium carbonate in jb weld (same stuff as in bone) so it kinda gets the human flesh/hair burning smell to it when it gets too hot After driving it a few days, I realized it did smell like flesh burning... I checked it, it's not burning off, but it sure smells like it... Great, my wedge smells like burning flesh now :brolleye: I did order new gaskets though, and I'm gonna put some Loctite on the things when I replace them. Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 when you put it all back together, dont put lock tite on the outside end of those studs. The only place you need want lock tite is on the part of the stud that screws into the block. if you are really worried about the nut backing itself off, double nut it. make sure you use a tap to clean up the threads in the block before you put them back in.. and for the lock tite on the block, use the red stuff that needs special tools to break lose.. you dont want that stud coming out again because every time you do the steel stud into aluminum, the threads get fuct Oh yea and I guess I said it wrong about the jb weld burning off.. it wont burn up completely. It just gets that burning flesh smell and it gets really brittle.. go hit the jb weld wth a hammer.. I bet it shatters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted February 9, 2004 Author Share Posted February 9, 2004 Arrrggg! Okay, torxxx, I'm going to do exactly what you said to a tee. I put the weak stuff on the studs this time, and just today it started making noise again. It's not actual Loctite, just some off-brand... Dunno if the stud or the nut is coming loose. I might just get 4 new studs (can't be that expensive) and clean out the threads in the heads. I also think I'm just gonna take the midpipe off and have a muffler shop weld a new flange on it. The Legacy should be on the road Wednesday so I can let the XT pout in the garage for being a bad girl...:-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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