Hey all, new 308 owner here My 1978 euro carb 308 exhaust smells pretty awful. Is this just how these cars smelled before there was tighter regulations? Or should i be concerned there is something else going on? Any thoughts? Thank you!! Ian
Could be a leaky or faulty or catalytic converter . If you just bought the car and this smell is just as new, maybe the previous owner replaced the cat with a test pipe. G
For a carb 308 without cats, it pretty normal. You may want to check the jetting details to determine how rich the setup is. Otherwise, welcome to 308 ownership!
Thanks for you replies! Seams more like burnt oil smell than rich gas smell. But i could be wrong. Considering putting a cat on it as from i read it doesn't affect performance more than 1hp or so.
It would probably be best to get a knowledgeable mechanic to take a look before going to extreme solutions like adding cats. Slapping catalytic converters on a car -- especially a car that wasn't intended to have them -- without a lot of room adds a ton of heat to the engine bay and will decrease reliability or cause problems in other ways. It's not even about the power loss which yes, should be minimal with modern high flow cats. No mechanic worth their salt will put cats on your car for you, maybe you can find a cut rate exhaust shop looking to make a buck that will do it. It's just not a very good idea.
If it's leaning more towards burnt oil, it might indicate a potential issue. It's worth checking for any oil leaks in the engine compartment or examining if there's excessive oil consumption. Also, take a look at the exhaust system for any signs of oil residue. A compression test could provide insights into the engine's health. Your idea of adding a catalytic converter is a sensible one. It can help with emissions without compromising performance significantly. Just ensure it's properly installed and compatible with your setup.
