Ok, so to start off, yes im a noobie and you can flame me after this post, but i really need some help right now :flipoff2: Ok to start off i have a 72 fj-40 with a 383 stroker in it. Today i was out driving and it started to rain. The PO had put some 1" block under the hood hinges to aid in cooling (before he put in a new rad) and neglected to take them out. So it started raining, and all of a sudden this horrible noise started. It increase with engine speed. The oil pressure is right at 50psi, and engine temp is about 190, which is where they both normally run at. I turned her off once, got a tow out into my school parking lot, and then tried to start her after she dried out a little bit. The noise was still there. It sounds like a really really loud exhaust, and its hard to feel it in the floor, so im not sure if it is a engine knock. She has started twice since it started it happened, but i've only had her running a top of 15 seconds maybe? I just towed her home, so any help asap would be much apreciated.

(i was thinking either exhaust gasket, headers, or maybe some exhaust pipe (dual block headers, with pipes ubending outside the frame rail)

From the description it is pretty hard to tell what it could be. It could be that you just blew up your muffler or part of the exhasut somewhere. Is there a smell to it? Have you checked all over the underside, look normal? I was in my friends car once when all of the sudden the muffler blew apart for no apparent reason. Good luck and welcome. Sorry I can't help more.

Everything looks ok from the outside, but its hard to tell?!?!?

More than likely your collector gasket or manifold to header gasket blew out. Common for headers! :skull:

Exhaust leaks often times can be mistaken for valve knocks but valve knocks usually start quietly and gradually build up. I would say check all the gaskets. Look at the header gaskets and check if you see any blackening around them. I've had header problems before but they were never so bad that I felt it necessary to tow the truck home. I would say its also most likely either the muffler or the connection between headers and exhaust. I'm not sure if yours has a flange or if its metal to metal but check that. If you can, get a car stethoscope so you can hear exactly where its coming from. You can trace it. I once had a noise that I thought was an exhaust leak but it ended up that one of the keepers was bad on a valve rendering the valve useless. I was able to tell which valve it was through the valve cover even so I think that may help you figure it out. Also, is your pressure at 50 psi at idle or at freeway speeds? It should be closer to 30 at idle unless strokers run differently than non modifed 350's. Anyways, welcome newbie :flipoff2:

Call those guys on Car Talk and describe the noise you heard to them!

:flipoff2:

Welcome Noob....hope you get that Cruiser fixed :D

They had a section at cartalk.com about how to interpret noises.

Without a car stethoscope, you can put a long screwdriver against your ear and probe the block with the other end. It's goofy sounding but it works to track down a mechanical noise.

New insite......i was pulling the plug wires to pull the header off, and one of them was exploded. I mean the whole end of the wire was gone, and the spark plug was scorched on the outside.....what the hell does this mean? is my rotor/dist. and everything fu#$ed, along with that cylinder?!?

if the wire is broken, it was probably arcing to ground (the outside of the plug) causing the scorching. your coil could be toast. i'd get a new set of wires, some new plugs and see what happens. check the specs for the coil first and ohm it out to make sure it's not all fawked up inside.

willy

Originally posted by mavric
New insite......i was pulling the plug wires to pull the header off, and one of them was exploded.

I call BULLSH!T !!

"one of them was exploded" - Who actually talks like this?



Originally posted by Ballard
Without a car stethoscope, you can put a long screwdriver against your ear and probe the block with the other end. It's goofy sounding but it works to track down a mechanical noise.

If you've never done this before, he means put the HANDLE to your ear, not the pointy end... :flipoff2:


-tom

Hey it was late and i just finished 5 hours of homework, cut me some slack:flipoff2: and are you sure your not supposed to stick the pointed end in your ear???? you might be able to hear it better that way, well, if you still can hear at all;)

Well it's raining whores and axe handles here right now, so I got to thinkin' 'bout yer troubles.

You said it started raining and pow you hear "horrible noise".

I've always wondered if this would happen when you drench a motor, especially if you do a lot of H20 crossings:

Could it be that the header gasket or collector gasket was right on the verge of blowing thru, and the rain water hitting it "shocked" the gasket and blew it apart?

Either that or water hits the metal, it contracts quicky and sloughs off the tiny bit of carbon that was binding the gasket to the flanges?

One of your exhaust pipes was rusted and ready to blow thru, and the cold rain water helped it along?

Thoughts anyone?

-tom


ps- and yes, stick the pointy end of the screwdriver in your ear, really far. Send pics so we can see if you're doing it right.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by LandCroozer
[B]Well it's raining whores and axe handles here right now, so I got to thinkin' 'bout yer troubles.


Thoughts anyone?

-tom
I just thought we had strange quaint sayings only in Texas............
Butch:flipoff2: :flipoff2:

I need 2 whores and 4 ax handles. We can most likely get a group deal going here.

Anyone?!? :confused: i thought i heard you guys new everything over here :flipoff2: guess not ;)

We do know everything, we also expect people to have enough info to give us, so we can at least guess at what the problem is. Get you a stethescope and find the damn noise.
Butch

I tried your trick, but the damn screwdriver got stuck in my ear! Did you guys trick me or something :confused: :flipoff2:
i'll find the damn noise once i get everything back together (did the exhaust gasket, collector gasket, and full tune up cause its that time of year anyway) tomorrow. I'll get back to ya, thanx again for all the info, you really do know everything!

OK newb, here is some good advise, loose the fenderwell headers, too much weight to ever keep gaskets and bolts tight, unless you rig some elaborate hangars to take some of the weight off the head bolts. Get some ram horns or block huggers and re do your exhaust, my guess is you have a massive exhaust leak, probably one port, hence the loud static popping and the speeding with the engine revolutions.
Post pictures of this beast or send them to me, we take much more interest when we can see and possibly poke fun at your machine.........or in really rare instances admire it:flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Butch

Im uploading some pictures tomorrow so i'll post them up here, but i do have block huggers, i thought i said that, maybe i just thought it and didnt type it.....anyways thanx for the help wise one, i'll get those pictures to ya ;)

(dual block headers, with pipes ubending outside the frame rail)

OK....
I read this as the over the frame fenderwell style.
send the pix to butchbaker@cableone.net if you want and I'll post em up.

Butch

Your verbal descriptions really don't provide much information. Give me your address and phone number and I will come look at it this weekend.

Originally posted by mavric
Hey it was late and i just finished 5 hours of homework, cut me some slack:flipoff2: and are you sure your not supposed to stick the pointed end in your ear???? you might be able to hear it better that way, well, if you still can hear at all;)


hehehe..homework...hehehe.:flipoff2: :D i remember those days...besides, who *really* does 5 hours of homework? probably 20 minutes, then some:beer: then some more, then some :zzz: and then a little more then som:smokin: and wow, it's been 5 hours!!:D :D

actually its the 2nd to last week and final are next week so i need to make up a ton of work that i didnt do cause of :beer: :smokin:

new revolation...it looks like the harmonic damper is wobbling a lot? What does this mean? I replaced all the gaskets and its still doin it (new wires, plugs, oil, oil fliter, exhaust gaskets both sides, collector gaskets)