any ideas? i just replaced the old exhaust, which was full of holes, and i thought it might be that, but apparently not.... thanks! phil
Are you sure it's exhaust and not simply unburned hydrocarbons? My car always had a faint gas smell to the cockpit. If you still have an exhaust smell, check the headers, did you replace them as well? They could easily be the source of the stink, especially with the rear bank nestled up close to the firewall. In the mean time, keep the windows rolled down. Dave
My experience is that all these old cars have more exhaust smell than modern ones-- they simply put out more unburned hydrocarbons. I think we have gotten so used to cars that have no exhaust smell whatsoever that if we smell anything it seems abnormal. When I got my Dino with the Stratos induction system the exhaust was so bad it would burn your eyes if you stood behind the car, so I had it put on a chassis dyno. Turns out it was running too lean and a LOT of unburned HC were coming out. But even with the mixture spot on it still smells some. I don't really notice the smell when driving the Dino now but I do notice that my clothes smell a bit after I drive and I let them air out a bit before putting them in the closet.
While I'm sure you know what gasoline smells like, until I restored my Dino and replaced all of the venting and fuel supply hoses, I too thought the "exhaust" smell in my car was a bit strong. Just a theory. Cheers...Keith
No, it is not expensive. Because the tanks are so close to engine there is not much distance to be covered, and universal type hose can be used. When I did my new fuel pump and fuel filter I had to drain the fuel tanks, which was a bit of a hassle, however
The parts required to replace the fuel hoses aren't too expensive and it is work which you can do yourself, particularly if you have access to a lift. It will also make your car safer. If you want to use all of the original style hoses, they are available from the well known Dino parts suppliers. After the new hoses are installed and you've filled the car up with gas, be sure to check the hoses by hand for leaks before you drive the car and keep a fire extinguisher handy. After driving the car with the new hoses in place, make sure the clamps are still tight. I'm not trying to scare you off from doing this yourself - just think that when you are working with a car's fuel system, you can never be too careful. Cheers...Keith
It may sond funny, but I get the same problem by opening a hidden path from under the hood into the interieur. During the retoration I found foam blocks above the fuel tanks in the the "C" body panel which connects the roof with the back. The purpose from factory may have been noise reduction, but they also collect and keep humidity. If the foam blocks are removed and you drive with open windows the passing air created a small underpressure in the interieur and you can smell emissions from under the hood or even the outside. And there is a lot at the back of a Dino as we all can smell on the things in the trunk or can see on the often dirty back. Regards Nicolai
