• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Exhaust fumes in car

62440

Well-Known Member
Local time
2:06 PM
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
216
Reaction score
181
Location
Chilliwack BC
So my car, a 62 Savoy is finished other than a few minor things, trunk latch needs adjustment, fuel guage and speedo not working right, but everything is good, except I'm getting a Lot of Exhaust Fumes inside. If all the windows are closed it's ok. But the only "AC" l have is open windows. I went about 20 miles down the freeway today to get my car weighed for insurance purposes at about 3400 rpm and the fumes were pretty bad. My tailpipes exit the back by a good margin. Any thoughts ?

Signed "Gassed"
received-2854538038118917.jpg
calabash breakfast
 
Driving with windows closed it's ok.
Driving with windows open not ok.
If you are sitting still with windows open, is it ok?
Did you ever see when you are driving, a girl sitting in the passenger seat with long hair, her hair sometimes will blow forward as you drive.
There is dead air space at the outside rear of the car when moving that traps the exhaust, then it is sucked into the cabin by the vacuum created with the windows opened. Drive down a dusty road once and then look at your tail panel/taillights, coated with thick dust that was trapped in that vacuum pocket. There is probably a better more detailed explanation coming from someone else soon here.

When we were kids, my dad chewed tobacco and would spit out the drivers window while driving with us kids sitting in the back seat and the passenger side kid some how would get spit on the right side of their face or arm.:eek:

EDIT: Come to think of it, I'd bet not too many if anyone here would drive up or down dusty roads. Back then, when being chased, sometimes the dust being kicked up was so thick I could not see the car behind me out the back window.
 
Last edited:
Windows closed it's ok. Windows open not ok.
Did you ever see when you drive, a girl sitting in the passenger seat with long hair, her hair will blow forward as you drive.
There is dead space at the rear of the car that traps the exhaust, then it is sucked into the cabin.
This is it. You already said the trunk needs adjusting. Seal that thing up.
 
Just a thought, when is the last time you were in/close to a car w/o a catalytic converter? OR driving a car w/o overdrive. It's a whole different world with the old stuff.
 
Trunk adjustment or a better quality trunk weather strip. My car had a chinesium trunk weather strip, and on deceleration from 60mph I had exhaust in the cabin regardless of Windows or vents. Local exhaust shop said no leaks. I bought a Steele weatherstrip for the trunk that seals so well I had to sit on the trunk to close it. No exhaust in the cabin now.
 
I don't know about the trunk seal, maybe your right, but there is a sealed firewall between the cabin and the trunk so l can't see that being the problem.
 
I don't know about the trunk seal, maybe your right, but there is a sealed firewall between the cabin and the trunk so l can't see that being the problem.
The seal is a loose foam seatback.
 
I don't know about the trunk seal, maybe your right, but there is a sealed firewall between the cabin and the trunk so l can't see that being the problem.

Fumes could get past the outer edges of the trunk divider and around the shelf cover. Trunk lid not closed completely, not making a seal, will let fumes in for sure.

Ever haul something in a trunk with the lid open? Even on a newer car you'll get gassed out.
 
I don't know about the trunk seal, maybe your right, but there is a sealed firewall between the cabin and the trunk so l can't see that being the problem.
Get someone you really trust and make sure they have a key that opens the trunk. Crawl in the trunk on a sunny day and have that person close it. When your eyes adjust to the darkness, look for light coming in around the trunk seal and other places.
 
I have the same issue and I already replaced the trunk seal but almost no change. Could a leaking rear window channel be the cause?
 
I have the same issue and I already replaced the trunk seal but almost no change. Could a leaking rear window channel be the cause?
Does your trunk seal really well? A chinesium trunk seal won't work.
 
Maybe you've checked this being an obvious thing...but make sure your exhaust system is sealed...X manifolds torqued, all connections no leaks, tight...I had a fume issue on one car and one of the manifolds needed re-torquing..
 
I have the same issue and I already replaced the trunk seal but almost no change. Could a leaking rear window channel be the cause?
Take a strip of paper and close it in the trunk over the seal, you shouldn’t be able to pull it out. Do that over and over again the whole way around. I’ve used 1/16” thick 1/2” wide adhesive backed foam and stuck it on top of the gasket to tighten up the loose areas. Can barely see it but it stops the leaks.
 
My 67 has full exhaust, good trunk seal will hold a dollar bill all around it.
When I was running a 750 edelbrock it was tuned a little rich.
Exhaust fumes were a normal part of the drive with the windows open, One thing that seemed to help was to open the floor vents and side wings to create some positive pressure in the cabin.
Fast forward to taking the edelbrock off the car and switching back to a well tuned thermoquad.
Guess what exhaust fumes are gone when just riding around on those little primary circuit.
Mash the gas and run her I can get fumes again.
Like oldbee and bsb67 posted it's in the tune and just the nature of these cars.
 
Don't think anythings coming through the trunk firewall. Solid piece of sheet metal and chalked, rubberized sound deadener and carpet with all body plugs in. I took it into my body/paint guy to look at the trunk latch and he has me booked for the 17th. He thought that if nothing comes in with the windows closed, and fumes come in when the windows are open, there is a negative pressure building up in the cabin. Plus l don't have a heater or floor vents to give a positive pressure inside. I think it's something like what "Dual Fours" was saying about his Dad and the "Chewing Tobacco "
 
Try turn downs on your tail pipes,changes flow.
Might help?
 
When the windows are down as you drive the bernoulli principle decreases the pressure in the cabin. Generally vent windows alone are worse. The mild vacuum will suck in air wherever it can. If the air it sucks in has fumes you’ll smell fumes. If the exhaust doesn’t leak the fumes that swirl around the back of the car are the only stinky ones that can get sucked in. If you smell them they are getting sucked in, somewhere. The more they stink the smaller of a leak you’ll notice.

I chased a similar problem, made it much better and ultimately isolated it to a leak that was tiny, like a 1/2” wide piece of paper would barely fit.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top