Backdated Exhaust Leaking?

[alphie]

The injector plug for cylinder #3 fell out and after trying for hours to put a new one in (the oil line was in the way), I finally dropped the exhaust. I have a back-dated exhaust on my '79 SC.

I noticed that the 3 headers that drop into the heat exchanger are loosy-goosy where the heat exchanger butts against the headers. Is this normal?

Also, my heater hoses going to both exhausts have been disconnected (no heater blower either) yet when I turn on the manual defrost for the loose side I get hot (smelly and humid) air entering the cabin. Would this be an exhuast leak into the heat exchangers?

-Rob


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'79 SC

[trak ratt]

It’s not normal for the pipes to move independent of each other. As the heat exchanger ages it is also not uncommon for the outer “box” to come lose and move around. That is usually accompanied by rattles. If there was an exhaust leak you would likely hear it long before you smelled it. But if the heater hoses at the back of the exchangers are missing or torn you would likely get exhaust gas from the tail pipe in the cabin. Or if you have an oil leak that drips down on or in the heat exchanger you are getting that smell as it cooks away. At a minimum you should block the ends of the heat exchangers. If you no longer have the auxiliary heater motor, to the left rear of the engine you can still have heat just by rerouting the hoses (called “back dating”). It usually takes a couple of different duct pieces at the rear of the engine but works quiet well.