When I purchased this 94, I didn't test drive it much, but it sounded like it had a pretty good exhaust leak up by the engine. I figured the pipe was probably rotted out and would need to be changed up there, even though the tail pipe is almost brand new. After getting it home (the dealership trailered it to my house, they didn't think it would make the 45 minute drive.
First thing I did is get down under it and take a good look at the exhaust pipe to figure out where it was rotted. To my surprise, the whole thing is pretty much new, all the way up to the engine. So I figured the manifold was probably shot. I thought "Aha! this is a good opportunity for me to put headers on it!" So, I start looking under the intake manifold and discover it already has brand new headers on it (well, header, singular because it's a straight six.) So I thought maybe the gasket wasn't installed right or something, but I didn't tear into it right then. A couple days later I drove it to work and was surprised that, when the engine heated up, the sound of the exhaust leak went away.
Still, when I first start it up, it sounds like there is a leak right up near the engine, until it warms up, then it's just the ruble of the header. I never smell exhaust while it's warming up, it just sounds like it's leaking. Any ideas what is going on? It runs great, smooth, doesn't rev up more than normal, it's just loud until it warms up.
This is only the second vehicle I've ever had that had a header (headers,) and the first was way too loud to hear any exhaust leaks anyway (and I could look down through my floor boards and see the coffee can that was squashed onto the broken section of pipe under my feet while I was driving it. Ahh, the joys of a bondo-mobile, way back in high school... Flame orange 74 nova with street slicks on the back, black fur interior and a 7 inch snorkel hood scoop on it. Looked AWESOME from a distance...) Anyway, any ideas of why it sounds like this? Is it something I will need to look into and fix, or is it normal?
First thing I did is get down under it and take a good look at the exhaust pipe to figure out where it was rotted. To my surprise, the whole thing is pretty much new, all the way up to the engine. So I figured the manifold was probably shot. I thought "Aha! this is a good opportunity for me to put headers on it!" So, I start looking under the intake manifold and discover it already has brand new headers on it (well, header, singular because it's a straight six.) So I thought maybe the gasket wasn't installed right or something, but I didn't tear into it right then. A couple days later I drove it to work and was surprised that, when the engine heated up, the sound of the exhaust leak went away.
Still, when I first start it up, it sounds like there is a leak right up near the engine, until it warms up, then it's just the ruble of the header. I never smell exhaust while it's warming up, it just sounds like it's leaking. Any ideas what is going on? It runs great, smooth, doesn't rev up more than normal, it's just loud until it warms up.
This is only the second vehicle I've ever had that had a header (headers,) and the first was way too loud to hear any exhaust leaks anyway (and I could look down through my floor boards and see the coffee can that was squashed onto the broken section of pipe under my feet while I was driving it. Ahh, the joys of a bondo-mobile, way back in high school... Flame orange 74 nova with street slicks on the back, black fur interior and a 7 inch snorkel hood scoop on it. Looked AWESOME from a distance...) Anyway, any ideas of why it sounds like this? Is it something I will need to look into and fix, or is it normal?