Mystery exhaust hairball?

[fmahannah]

I have been having problems with my max wedge exhaust smoking after it heats up. Both tailpipes. Today after a test drive it started smoking and after I put it in the garage my wife came in carrying what you see in this photo. She found it outside the garage in the driveway. It is soaked with water and carbon and smells exactly what my exhaust smoke had been smelling like. It almost looks like a sheet of fiberglass used for repairs, or shop towel made of strange fibers had been wadded up and stuffed up the pipe. It is not animal hair, all fibers are the same.

Any ideas what it might be an if it could have some out of the exhaust system if someone had not stuffed it up there on purpose? I will drop both pipes soon and make sure they are both clear, then take another test drive

Thanks

 

[LowBikeMike]

Packing material in the muffler, it should stay there and not come out. Seen this a lot on Ford trucks mufflers.

 

[CarolinaCharger]

Agreed, I think it is fiberglass from a glass pack muffler.

 

[fmahannah]

3 inch TTI max wedge exhaust system, which user dynomax super turbo 17793 mufflers

 

[CarolinaCharger]

That muffler uses a fiberglass matting.

 

[AR67GTX]

Looks like the fried pussy cat that bit into the Christmas tree light cord on Christmas Vacation. But muffler packing is more probable.

 

[fmahannah]

Actually my first thought was small animal ... if this packing was in the tailpipe and full of water and carbon could it cause smoke or does it not get hot enough at or past the mufflers?

Thanks

 

[Paul_B]

I could see this being fiberglass from muffler packing as previously mentioned.

I also wouldn’t put something like this past a rodent. They can move large amounts of material around and get into all kinds of locations. I’ve seen cars puke out mouse nest contents from the exhaust on the first start up after being in winter storage.

 

[RoasterStrudel]

I have a Dynomax Ultra Flo that's missing about 3/4 of the packing from a daily driver.
However, for that much material to come out at once might say one of the chambers or perforated tubes may have split? Any hard backfires lately? Just thinking out loud.

The inside of the center chamber I believe is wrapped with the matting from the factory:

 

[Voetom]

The Super Turbo matting is only about 1/2" thick and wraps aorund the three center tubes. The piece looks a lot bigger BUT without any size reference, it is hard to tell.

 

[khryslerkid]

Looks like the fried pussy cat that bit into the Christmas tree light cord on Christmas Vacation. But muffler packing is more probable.

 

[fmahannah]

The Super Turbo matting is only about 1/2" thick and wraps aorund the three center tubes. The piece looks a lot bigger BUT without any size reference, it is hard to tell.

This piece was maybe 6 inches left to right in the photo. Seemed like a thin sheet of fiberglass fibers that had been rolled up and stuffed in the tailpipe somewhere. Black is carbon and it was soaking wet. I am pulling the exhaust apart tomorrow to see if it actually came from the mufflers or not. They look perfect outside but might have rusted inside. Car has only gone about 2500 miles since 2005. Car smokes out the exhaust once warmed and going down the road and every possible cause in the engine has been eliminated. This wad of stuff smelled exactly like what my exhaust does when it starts smoking (burnt carbon and hot water)

 

[AR67GTX]

Bummer - my TTI system with Dynomax mufflers was put on in around 2002 or 3. they are probably about ready to let go too.

 

[Voetom]

FMa, the only way it came out is if you have the case outer skin/wrap/cover separating from the inner. They can't blow the glass out if the muffler is truly intact and as built inside. They usually warranty issues like that so I'd contact the Dynomax folks. They are great people.

 

[fmahannah]

I will take a look but I know the mufflers are as-purchased from TTI. Thanks. I am still thinking someone did this on purpose because the smoke did not start until I got home from an unnamed speed shop. We will see

 

[DeltaV]

Do a flame test on a small piece of the hairball. See if it burns or if it just shrinks into a small, hard "ball".

 

[furyus]

Any chance your car backfired through the exhaust, allowing the fiberglass a path to get out?

 

[fmahannah]

Any chance your car backfired through the exhaust, allowing the fiberglass a path to get out?

Could be, had serious carb and timing issues when I first got it

 

[Voetom]

A good backfire could open up the skins/shells and let the fiberglass escape into the end cavities and then out the pipe. Take photos of the mufflers' front and rear view or at least one from the side if you can.

 

[fmahannah]

Do a flame test on a small piece of the hairball. See if it burns or if it just shrinks into a small, hard "ball".

Tested a small piece and it burns