Exhaust leak - CAN I DISABLE THE EGR???

[aopisa]

I hope everyone had a great 4th weekend.

My exhaust has recently gotten louder. When I plug the tail pipe with a towel I can hear it on the driver's side of the engine. A cursory examination with a rubber hose "stethoscope" tells me that it is emanating from the area of the heater box (almost seems like dead center). I cannot exactly pinpoint it nor do I have practical experience with this system.

What should I be looking for to narrow down the possible source(s)?

Thanks.

[hambone]

The area will be sooty. Also, when the engine is revved, you can feel the leak like a hairdryer.
Inside the heat exchanger? I dunno...

[airkooledchris]

it sounds like it would just be the gasket where the heater box connects to the bottom of the head....

[Gypsie]

Try this: slide under there with a screwdriver and 13mm socket on extension and check your heat exchanger stud nuts are torqued to spec. You can look at teh area while your there. see if you see the black sooty stuff.

Look over the exhaust system. sometimes the holes will be very small but make a big noise. look for the soot.

Do you have a cat?

Cats are fuzzy....

[aopisa]

I will get back under and do a more thorough inspection. I did not see any soot, but will look for it as well as checking the gaskets and the heater boxes.

I do not now have a cat, but agree they are fuzzy. Except this one:



Thank you.

[bajaman72]

Man. That's a fugly cat.

[Sylvester]

I had a heat exchanger that rusted away inside, and was blowing through it. Took it awhile to get outside the HE.

[aopisa]

I found the source of the exhaust leak. It is a break in the line leading to the EGR system I believe. That is why it sounded like it was emanting from the center of the heat exchanger. I am in the process of moving and do not have my Bentley.

The bus has been an invaluable partner in moving, but because of the move I cannot attend to the leak just yet.

Can I continue to drive it or should I stop?

What is the correct way to remedy this?

Is there a temporary fix so I can continue to use it to complete my move? It appears to have been repaired by the PO in an area just below the current break.

Thanks.

[Randy in Maine]

I might have one of those tubes at home.....someplace. Is that the one that goes to the air plenum?

[poptop tom]

Would exhaust wrap tape work temporarily? Might be worth a shot!

[aopisa]

I might have one of those tubes at home.....someplace. Is that the one that goes to the air plenum?

This tube is connected to the elbow coming off the driver's side heat exchanger and leads into the EGR filter I believe.

[Randy in Maine]

Well I don't have that one.

[aopisa]

Well I don't have that one.

It appears to be all one unit. Thanks anyway. Can I patch it with something hi-temp resistant like Curil until I can locate this part?

[bajaman72]

Maybe JB weld or the exhaust wrap that was recommended. Ive used the exhaust wrap before, pretty easy stuff to deal with.

[aopisa]

Maybe JB weld or the exhaust wrap that was recommended. Ive used the exhaust wrap before, pretty easy stuff to deal with.

Thanks, I am going to give the wrap a try, just to get me through temporarily.

It appears that the part that is rusted is all one piece from just after the heat exchanger right through the EGR filter. Does anyone know if this is true? The bus also appears to have a catalytic converter right after this exhaust part.