What's that smell ?

Bob Johnson

Well-known member
I recently milled my manifolds. I installed a new manifold gasket. Now when the engine gets hot there is a burnt rubber smell. The new gasket was a two piece gasket with a white core sandwiched between red outer layers (see picture). Has anyone else used this type gasket ? Did you notice a burnt rubber smell ?

Bob
 

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When they milled your manifolds, did they use any cutting oil? You did have them milled and not sanded flat, right? Probably just some oil that will burn off.
 
Well, if you're using a suggested use exhaust gasket, that "shouldn't" be the culprit. Perhaps when you mounted the muffler again, you didn't notice something under the car that got moved or pulled loose that is now resting on the muffler. I did some work on the cabriolet once and then smelled rubber. I looked and looked and finally figured out that a rubber drain hose for the A/C had fallen down and was now sitting on the muffler and had melted a little on the end. Moved it back to it's proper place and smell was gone.

Maybe that gasket is old and no longer efficient. Not really sure. If the car is working properly and the smell goes away after a little use, then it was probably nothing to worry about.
 
I think it might be important in figuring this out that the smell shows up when the engine get hot. Such as when the engine is under load. But once the car is no longer under load the smell goes away only to return when there is load again.

Bob
 
Did you use some kind of gasket sealer around the manifold to muffler flange? Or maybe something crawled in the muffler when you had the manifold off ?:eek: Sure its coming from the manifold? Its the "copper outsides " with white inside. Used them twice this year and no smell.
 
It is the gasket

I just cut out a small piece of the gasket from an area not covered by the manifold. I held it over a flame and sure enough there was the same burnt rubber smell. So my question is ---- Has anyone else had this experience with the "red colored" manifold gasket?

Bob
 
i only use the copper ones no problems. maybe the red has to burn off
as long as you dont see flames you should be good. thats what i tell people after i put new rotors on and they smoke after a few stops.
 
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