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.
The 'star is starting to get louder like there is an exhaust leak somewhere. I put it up on ramps last week and crawled under and the exhaust as far as I could see was intact. Any guesses?
The flex pipe often breaks and may not be immediately apparent due to the braided portion covering the bellows. Ford puts way to much stress on that flex joint. Broken manifolds are also common and could make the vehicle louder.
You'll probably need to check it while the engine is running. Listen for the sound or feel for exhaust pressure. Or take it to a shop and let them find it.
Be sure to block it up and set the e-brake.
A leak in the pipes will make a sharp "putting" sound. The closer it is to the engine, the sharper the sound, where it will be more like a "pop". If the noise generally sounds like before, but louder, it's probably the muffler rusting from inside out as Pablo said.
Here in California, if you have a leak in the pipes, you will not be able to pass the smog check, so you need to have it fixed.
the other way to find a leak is to look at truk from underneath when engine is running (rom pit for example) and ask someone to close exaust pipe when engine still runing and leak will appeare, you will hear and see where is it.
an exhaust leak is also a health and safety danger.
carbon monoxide kills and causes accidents from passing out.
i almost killed myself 45 years ago working on an old Hercules 6 cyl gen. set. in building. straight pipe exhaust underground had rusted out at elbow bend. exhaust came up thru dirt but didn't notice the exhaust smell.
passed out. luckily someone pulled me out into fresh air.
breathed in enough CO and lead fumes to preserve an Egyptian mummy.
2 Years ago, I did the unscientific, but successful method of putting talcum powder on the (Cold!) exhaust and then asking the Mrs. to start it up.
It showed me I had little leaks everywhere, almost at every join but this didn't surprise me as it was the original exhaust from '92, and I've done 300,000kms...so everything from the cat to the end was replaced.
2 Years ago, I did the unscientific, but successful method of putting talcum powder on the (Cold!) exhaust and then asking the Mrs. to start it up.
It showed me I had little leaks everywhere, almost at every join but this didn't surprise me as it was the original exhaust from '92, and I've done 300,000kms...so everything from the cat to the end was replaced.
Did you do your test afterwards? I'm just curious if new joins are any tighter. I would have thought the older ones would have a better seal as rust and crud build up. Are they welded or clamped?
Ones I had exaust leak from turbine of 20 ton Volvo truck with cabine over engine (F10). After 2 hours ride I felt bad and stoped. Fixed a hour later (loosen clamp).
Nazy had "fur juden" trucks with exaust pipe inside cargo body. After 10 miles ride all people inside were dead. The cheappest way to kill captured jews. Grandy's friend saw these trucks in Germany in 1944-45. I saw in museum... Yeah! CO kills, slowly, but kills. No pain. No scream. No surfering. Nazy considered this way to be human one.
My grandy fought in pasific area... He saw Kommikadze pilots.... Fortunatly they flew planes not well enought to kill to many soldiers.
On the exhaust systems where I found leaks ahead of the muffler, they usually had black deposits around the leaks, whether it was at a flange or a crack in a pipe. It's much harder to see leaks after the muffler, since there isn't much pressure from the gas or back pressure from the pipes to force out of leaks.
but you got a leak ahead of muffler. What cat I advice... if you see black carbone deposis around a flange, your muffler will bit the dust soon. Belive me. All my friends driving aeros tried to weld around flange, but internal parts of muffler were corrozed, was no leak, but more loud then usually noise.