Shake out advice

[csw]

Have enjoyed driving our "new" backdraft the last three weeks and answering the usual questions along with spreading the word on our cars. Have put about half the number of miles the previous owner put on it in 4 years and the kids and wife have enjoyed it just as much as me. Got 2 questions that surely someone has run across:
1. The drivers exhaust is coming out "wet" while the passenger side is dry. We have a 392 crate with 1100 miles. Getting smoke out of the same pipe even after it is warmed up and plan on dropping it off Monday. Mechanic wants to adjust carb (670 street avenger) first before doing a leak down test.
2. Brake light on passenger side comes on when turning on lights.

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge as I'm sure someone has experienced these shake out pains.
Chris

[jhv48]

By "wet" do you mean oil wet or water wet? If you can't tell, feel it with your hand and see if how it feels.

A second check is to smell it. Is it sweet or does it smell like burning oil.

If not sure, pull the plugs from both banks and compare them. Report back on what they look like.

[genolan]

I had the same problem, First with the car cold run your finger on the inside of the wet exhaust and see if it's slippery. If it is it's leaking coolant. Mine ended up being the intake manifold gasket. As for the brake light check the fluid level.

[Ron61]

If you are getting smoke out of that pipe what color is it? If you have an oil leak it should be a bluish color. Water could cause it to be whitish. And as JHV48 said, feel the inside of the pipe and see what it smells like. I doubt if the carb is any problem as it would normally affect both sides and the pipes would be very black and wet. Good luck and I hope it isn't anything serious.

Ron

[csw]

Thanks guys...color seems to be whitish-grey. My first thought was also intake manifold, but it seems to be running rich so they wanted to adjust carb first and see if that helped. If not, then do a leak down test. Before it shipped out from Florida, I had Backdraft replace the intake and water pump with polished versions, so I'm wondering if something didn't seat right. They were supposed to change the oil, which I didn't check when it came in, but the other day I had to add a little over a quart after only having it 3 weeks and I'm assuming, which I know is dangerous, it was full if the oil was changed.
Thanks for the heads up on the brake fluid level. I'll check that as well. This is one of the many reasons we decided on a BDR as the community feel and support from others willing to share knowledge and help out is awesome.
Just part of the cost of driving these things!

[genolan]

Remember to keep us all posted on the final out come. I see so many threads of trouble shooting that seem to never get to the root cause.

[jhv48]

Have your mechanic re-torque the intake manifold bolts.

My bet is it's the intake gasket leaking oil/water on the one side. The carb wouldn't be out of adjustment just from removing and replacing it. Ask the previous owner if the problem was evident when he last drove it.

[6t8stang]

Is the brake light illuminating on the dash or exterior rear?

[csw]

6t8stang, it was just the rear light. I pulled both and swapped them from side to side to make sure it wasn't the plug, and it looks it was the bulb. Put it back in, and both are now working correctly.
As for the exhaust problem, Going take Cashburn's advice and re-torque intake manifold bolts although the consensus with most everybody I talk to is re-torque and do a leak down test.
I'll keep you posted on what we find out.

[csw]

Just left the shop and still no definitive answer. The torque on the intake was correct so that wasn't the issue. His suggestion was to put a few hundred more miles in it and watch oil level and exhaust. With the low miles, previously owner only put 875 miles in 4 years, he's wondering if everything has had time to properly seat. Don't know if I'm excited it was nothing major or nervous since we still don't have an answer. I'll keep you posted after we put some miles on the car.

[tamanaco]

A coolant leak can be found with a pressure test of the coolant system. if it hold pressure...your OK one the coolant side.

Fuel issue should show up on both sides...if you have a typical intake manifold.

from the oil side...could do a smoke test of the crankcase and see if any leakage into the intake/carb area.

what intake is on your car? is it a polished Aluminium Air Gap with no name cast on it? Next, is it a FMS 392 crate?...I think, back then, they came without intake and distributors...so, the assembler installed this stuff. I'm not a big fan of the Chinneezze knockoffs of the AirGap back then, some had some pretty bad QC if you know what I mean.

BTW...white smoke = coolant, blue smoke = oil, black smoke = fuel

[csw]

it has the FMS 392 with polished edelbrock, but I had the intake installed by custom cars before they shipped it out. I know they mentioned having to put an air gap on with the polished intake. Think the next plan is to do a leak down test since there is no visible signs of leaks. Oh the joys of toys!

[jhv48]

Just my opinion, but if it's blowing smoke/steam out of one sidepipe then I wouldn't drive it and hope it goes away.

Something isn't right, and I'm still betting on the intake manifold gasket leaking coolant or oil into one or more cylinders. And remember this, coolant does not compress. So, if the leak gets bad enough, you can experience hydro lock. And that never ends good.

[tamanaco]

u will get figured out!

let me know if u want to bounce something off me....

[cbreez]

Originally Posted by csw

Think the next plan is to do a leak down test since there is no visible signs of leaks.

A leak down test will check valves and rings...not intakes and head gaskets.
Don't waste your time and the expense for a gauge.

[csw]

Well, looks like you guys were correct. Dropped it off this morning with a shop that specializes in high performance motors and has worked on a couple other Cobras in town. They did a leak down, checked the plugs, etc and have determined the intake gasket is the problem. I had the new polished intake put on before it left Custom Cars in FL since they had it in the shop servicing it before shipping it to me. I now have a call into them to see if they are going to make it right, but still waiting on a response to an email from 3 weeks ago. As a guy who owns a business, your customers are your best resource as we are the ones telling others about the car, etc and I don't understand how a dealer can ignore you once they have your initial money on the purchase. I would like to thank all you guys for your help and thanks to Jay for always helping us even if he didn't sell is the car.

[Kobura]

I believe that Custom Cars may be an adjunct business of BDR in Boynton Beach, FL. and, if so, you may be disappointed in their customer support. I say this because my own experiences in dealing with BDR in FL have been disappointing. Specifically, I had an issue with the stock speedo and tach. The stock speedometer had to be replaced with a AutoMeter unit because it could not be made to work correctly. I asked for a matching AutoMeter tach and was ignored for over a month after receiving my car. I believe that Jay had to intervene on my behalf in order to have a tach sent to me I also made requests to FL for information about suspension spring rates and paint codes with no responses. I am glad that I checked on Club Cobra and picked Vintage/Jay as a trustworthy source from which to buy my car.