My Car Stinks

[Joe Flanagan]

In terms of exhaust, boy does it ever. There's no smoke really coming out. It looks clean, etc., but the exhaust really smells . . . how can I say it? Exhaust-y. Now part of the problem is that the tail pipe exits into my garage and the ventilation is probably not the greatest. I have the garage doors wide open and a rear window in the building open as well. Even so, I know the exhaust hangs in there for a good while. But my clothes come away stinking of exhuast even if I'm out front toying with the engine and not even IN the garage. It just smells more potent than the exhaust that comes out of modern engines. Is this just my imagination? Does it have something to do with the old engine or am I just blowing smoke?

[Frank Elder]

Positive crankcase ventilation Joe, no down draft tube smelling up your car.

[Niel Hoback]

I have noticed the same thing! It seems to smell more oily than gasoliney. Yes, it seems stronger than regular exhaust gas, I can smell it on my clothes when I come in the house after playing in the garage.

[Robert Horne]

In terms of exhaust, boy does it ever. There's no smoke really coming out. It looks clean, etc., but the exhaust really smells . . . how can I say it? Exhaust-y. Now part of the problem is that the tail pipe exits into my garage and the ventilation is probably not the greatest. I have the garage doors wide open and a rear window in the building open as well. Even so, I know the exhaust hangs in there for a good while. But my clothes come away stinking of exhuast even if I'm out front toying with the engine and not even IN the garage. It just smells more potent than the exhaust that comes out of modern engines. Is this just my imagination? Does it have something to do with the old engine or am I just blowing smoke?

Exhaust-y..............I have been in China almost 3 weeks, in one of the big cities, Chongqing. The exhaust smell is very bad. It looks like the smokey mountains here, if not worse. My throat stays irritated all the time. The odor is in the air, water, food, cloths, everything.

[JIPJOBXX]

Hay how is your life insurance??? I would get some hose or something and run that exhaust out of the building your only asking to see your maker if you don't. Nothing like carbon dioxide poisoning in the morning to put you under!

[1950 Special Deluxe]

I just caught Hell for this as well.

My response, I got it running!!!!!!

[Niel Hoback]

I have a functioning PCV system on the car and it helps a lot. I have the 16' door open when its running and I still get the heavy odor. I must admit, though, that I kind of like that old smell. I could do with a little less of it, and my wife could do without it altogether.

[randroid]

Joe,

I once cracked a head on a 280Z Datsun so I did the logical thing; Lynn and I went on a 3000 mile road trip really fast. When antifreeze leaked into the cylinders (it was an intermittent problem) it put out a stink that would knock a buzzard off George Carlin's $#1t wagon. Maybe it would be prudent to run a compression test on your engine?

-Randy

[JIPJOBXX]

Now you want to smell something bad is when your on a submarine and they vent inboard to get rid of excesses turd holding tanks. Now that is bad but they have scrubbers that will clear the air up but not right away!

Oh I forgot we are on Mopars not subs!!!!

But back to the point is that I love that old musty smell that is produced in my car from old age. It reminds me of when I was a young kid and going out with my friends parents in there 48 Plymouth.

[55 Fargo]

Same smell here north of the border, drives the family crazy when my clothes smell up the house.

Just the perfume these old girls wear, years back this was a common smell around cars and trucks........Fred

[greg g]

Well there is not a superheated platinum impregated ceramic cored catalytic converter butning off any unfired fuel. If you are just runing it in the garage and not long enough to get the whole exhaust system hot, and if it has a tendency to run a bit rich, you are gona get a rwa fuel smell especially if you are pumping it int a closed on three sides garage.

Where do yo have your timing set??? todays gas likes a bit more advance than the old stuff designed for these engines.

I back my car in for its wier nap, my wife always complains when I frist start it up even though I pull out of the garage as quick as possible. I think we have gotten used to the cleaned up and scrubbed exhaust of new cars and have forgotten what old syle internal combustion smells like.

Good thing you aren't into old diesel Mack Trucks or something.

[JIPJOBXX]

Yep my old motor home has a preheater on the 3208 engine and if I do not turn that on and let the engine block heat up I will have the fire department over in a nano second. Smoke, smoke and more smoke!

[RobertKB]

My wife always knows when I have had my car or cars running in the garage. Entry door open and 16' wide garage door wide open. These old girls just have a smelly exhaust. A smell I personally like! It's old time like the cars.

Edited March 18, 2010 by RobertKB

[Joe Flanagan]

Well, this is an aspect of these old cars that I never knew about. I've not checked my timing yet, nor have I adjusted the carb, so maybe it's running rich. We'll see what happens once I actually get the thing out and moving. I have to install a driveshaft and transmission first, though.

Randroid: I thought I was the only person who remembered Carlin's immortal line about something smelliing so bad it could knock a buzzard off a sh-- wagon.

[aero3113]

Mine Smells also, even with a PCV Valve.

[desoto1939]

As stated above these old cars did not have any anti polution devices and also had a down draft engine block tuber at the rear for venting the block fumes.

This is very typical of these old cars and this is the smell that the old timers remember. I sort of like the smell also but try to get the car out of the garage as quick as possible after getting it started.

rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Joe Flanagan]

I ran it today outside the garage and the smell wasn't nearly as strong.

[Flatie46]

Mine had a strong smell with old engine but I thought alot of it was the burnning oil, gas washing by the worn out rings and the valves bouncing around in the guides. My firewall had a bunch of holes in it which made it worse. It's gotta be better with the new engine!

[JIPJOBXX]

Yep you could step up and be like me with a 1800 dollar flat head six! I had mine rebuilt probably 15 or so years ago and I really wasn't thinking to much when I told the machine shop just to make it like new! But its paid for and so my engine does run just like a new old 42.

I really was shocked when I got the bill and never did let the wife know how much I put into that old engine. I remember the following year going down to Saint Vinnie's and low and behold there was a new or rebuilt six for 500 dollars complete. Oh well life a bitch and than you die!!!

Edited March 19, 2010 by JIPJOBXX

[Flatie46]

I stepped up for free. The company I work for used to use flathead 6's in there forklifts. They were getting rid of all the old ones and going to a rental fleet. They didn't need all the extra parts or that remanufactured Jasper engine so they gave it all to me. I even got a propane setup and tanks to run it with if I decide to. I think I can even get a tax credit for switchen to propane.

[randallc]

Another thing to check for is vacuum leaks. Lean combustion stinks way worse than rich, not just gassy smell but really nasty!

[Captain Neon]

When I lived in a duplex, I parked my P-15 at the end of the driveway for a minute (maybe two) while I ran inside to grab a small 6-pack cooler. When I got home, I had a stern note taped to my front door from the landlady warning me not to leave my "smelly old car" idling in the driveway for the health of the small children living in the other half of the duplex.

I have never thought of P-15 as having a strong odor. I realise that it isn't as clean as the exhaust in my Neon, but I grew up around old cars. IMHO, a strong exhaust was like my Dad's '66 Galaxie just before he finally stopped driving it. Us kids rode in that every day with leaded gasolene. Except for an occassional twitch, I don't think the leaded gas did me any harm.