Exhaust Guru's --please help
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,453
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From: crystalriver Florida
Exhaust Guru's --please help
My 85 is just about finished from many different projects I've had done to it, had the engine rebuilt to 383 and before that it was leaking oil through the passenger side pipe, well my pipes are out and here at home, the mechanics told me the "passenger side" muffler is caked with oil big time, because people ask me why my cars blows smoke. Seems to be the passenger side mostly. The car is burning a tad bit rich--but I'm working on that part with a tuner. I took the exhaust to a local trusty muffler shop and he and his dad agree that the oil should have burned away. Its been about a year now since rebuild--I've probably put about 2000 miles on it, no long distance driving--but enough that gets the engine hot and the exhaust pretty hot. They told me the oil should have burned away-----BUT the pipe all the way to the header is Dry as a whistle, the muffler and tips are wet inside/oil resedue. This is weird---any suggestions?? I'm getting ready to go outside and clean the pipe/muffler out. I have some acid soap I can use (me my dad use it to clean his semi truck--strong stuff. Is this smart to do. I can hose the pipe out and pour this concentrated stuff in and hose it through and let it sit awhile--...OR should I get a STRONG degreaser--but whats the best stuff to use?
Last edited by chillcat; May 3, 2006 at 05:20 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,910
Likes: 962
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Unlikely to be the same cause, but I had a similar oily muffler problem years ago with my first Corvette. I got bummed out when a puff of blue smoke would come out after starting it. It was only after discussing the lack of money to rebuild the engine did a couple buddies break down laughing. I definitely suspected something very quickly. Turns out they were squirting oil into the exhaust pipe when I wasn't around. It was mildly funny in high school. However, I don't know that I would laugh very much at that kind of prank these days, though.
Regardless, let us know what you find out about your problem there.
Regardless, let us know what you find out about your problem there.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,453
Likes: 0
From: crystalriver Florida
engine is freshly rebuilt --383 about less than a year ago, only about 2000 miles on it, Before rebuild the engine had oil leaks and I believe thats how the muffler got fouled with it, but I guess its just the passenger side, but yeah, people who drove behind me said that its oil smoke coming out the passenger side. But the shop explained to me that the header is clean inside--no signs of oil, leak down test was performed also a couple months ago and came out clean, so it Must be this muffler, If theres no way to clean it, I'll just have someone put me on some new mufflers/tips. But thats expensive. Mufflers I have now are flowmasters and sound NICE!! Sure hate to pay an extra $300 for an project not needed if A muffler cleaning is all I need. Whats the BEST chemical I could possibly use to strip the inside of this muffler/pipe. Apparently degreaser is not working as well as I thought, I keep spraying it inside the tips and can take my finger and wipe it around and theres a thick layer of oil residue. But cleaning the muffler is tricky and thats why I need a POWERFUL cleaner to soak in there. Is it worth my time cleaning this or should I have new mufflers put on? Or maybe I can post a thread looking for flowmasters, 2.5" in and 2.5" out
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,453
Likes: 0
From: crystalriver Florida
what I was thinking was pouring gasoline down the pipe/muffler and lighting it up, but that would probably be a bomb waiting to happen. And this oil residue getting all over my bumper is a Newsance to my paint. not sure what you mean by torch-unless thats just a little humor---any opinions
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