flatsixnut

I am hoping the sound I am hearing is an exhaust leak. The sound I am hearing under is only heard during hard acelleration. Its a ticking noise. It sounds the same as other exhaust leaks I have had on other cars, such as when my headers were leaking on my truck after the bolts became loose.

I am almost positive that it is a leak because it just all of a sudden became apparent after putting my muffler back on...but what if something else is happening?...My reason to question a leak is this...I was running a Bursch cat-bypass with a muffler bypass, so the car was super loud. What if something else happened that I could not hear because of the loud exhaust?

Once I removed the muffler bypass, and put the Bursch muffler back on is when I noticed the "ticking" sound under hard acelleration. Its loud enough where I do not want to drive it like it is.

There is no evidence of noise when at idol or easy excelleration...only when I push it. This gives me hope that its not something else like tensioners.

Any ideas? I am fixing to go and remove the muffler again and take a closer look at it and my fittings. The other day while under the car I could not feel any leaks...but the car was just at idol.

flatsixnut

I just got back from about a 30 min drive...prior to leaving i had my wife feather the throttle while I was under the car. I swear the noise seems to be coming from the inside of the muffler itself and right at the cat bypass/muffler connection. I will also add that it appears to have oil residue along the seam on the muffler itself...like its coming out of the seam of the muffler. The Bursch muffler is 9 years old.

Someone over on Pelican mentioned that a broken head stud could make a hole in the muffler sound. If that was the case...wouldnt I be able to hear a noise next to the valve covers? The engine is quiet except for the exhaust.

Think I am going to search for a used or new pre-muffler, and muffler bypass.

flatsixnut

hmmm

D.C.

To test for an exhaust leak, temporarily plug the exhaust pipe with a rag, and listen for that hissing noise of exhaust gas escaping from somewhere. Be careful, the exhaust pipe is hot, so use a big thick rag, and dont burn your hand.

Good luck.

ron mcatee

I think you may have a gasket that hasn't seated correctly. If your exhaust system is completely sealed, when you plug the tailpipe with a rag or rags, it should die. If it doesn't, you have a leak somewhere.

theiceman

it is true about the head studs, you would hear or see the leak where the head meets the cylinder. It is easy to check and tonnes of peace of mind to whip the valve covers off at your next oil change and check. Worth the price of a couple of valve covers.
The prblem with Florida is you don't have any cold mornings where you can see white condensation coming out of the leak in the exhaust ststem if you do the rag stuffing trick.

I guess you could always over fill your oil .. then check

TT Oversteer

[QUOTE=flatsixnut;6066880]I am almost positive that it is a leak because it just all of a sudden became apparent after putting my muffler back on...but what if something else is happening?QUOTE]

You changed the exhaust. Now you have an exhaust leak.

I think we all get a little paranoid when our babies are not well!

Did you use new gaskets or just reuse the old ones? If you don't have new gaskets you could try a little high-temp silicone on the gaskets and try it again.