sounds like a tuk tuk

[markthe45king]

Driving home last night Lily B went from her usual "purring" self to developing a put-put / fut-futing noise, which got louder / faster under acceleration. No loss of power, just the noise. I am about to go and look in the daylight now but a cursory check by streetlight last night suggested the exhaust manifold join is as good as it was last time it was mended (a new exhaust is on the list) though the engine seemed to be running slightly out, with the belt seeming to just slow intermittently. The head gasket was new a couple of months back.

Whilst i'm tinkering - the bottom thin connection (the curved bit between the frame and the door) on the drivers side is loose - looks like the gromit inside the door has worked loose (although the connection at the frame side is far looser than any other) - i'm assuming i need to take the internal door panel off and just slot that back in? And finally - the glove compartment external cover (not the chrome) has come off its rubber mounts and is vibrating - any ideas about slipping that back on?

I'm guessing when i go and have a proper look the last two will become clearer, but any clues on the engine are greatly appreciated - we have to do a 100 miles tomorrow so i'd like to get it sorted.

Thanks as ever....

[chrisryder]

An easy test to check the exhaust is to start it up from stone cold (you'll see why in a second), and get somebody to put their hand over the end of the exhaust pipe to block it. Blocking it completely could well stall the engine, in which case, get them to allow a bit of air to escape (away from them to avoid getting a black face!).

While they're covering the end, you can look around the whole exhaust (the manifold joint being the first port of call) to check for hisses and gas leaking.

When the person has to eventually remove their hand from the exhaust, i recommend them opening up the gap away from them (if you get what i mean) so that the built up pressure and soot blows off safely. They will need to wash their hands afterwards!

You say the HG was done recently, was it retorqued at all after fitting? Or has it not been touched? I had a HG go a few months after fitting, as nobody told me i had to retorque it! You say there's no noticeable loss of power, so it may not be the HG afterall, but you can't rule it out completely!

I don't know what a tuk tuk sounds like, but i usually describe a HG gone as sounding like a VW beetle

[markthe45king]

Thank you - did the exhaust test and the car stalled eventually but there was a hissing - putting the hand near the manifold joint suggested no leak at the side away from the engine block, but there is clear leaking from the joint towards the engine block, so as she's been repaired twice it's time to put a nice stainless steel two piece in.

As i don't think i'm going to get the joint any tighter by the clamp alone, is there any good pastes or sealants to reduce the leakage for my homeward journey as a last bodge until the new exhaust is put in?

oh and as i had the plugs out, is it normal for two plugs to be quite blackened and two to be a nice even tan colour?

[chrisryder]

they should all be the same colour. two being different (if in bores next to each other) could suggest HG gone/going between those bores...

I can't remember the name of the stuff, but i've got some exhaust putty (might be 'Holts Fire Putty' or something like that) that is like tooth paste that you spread on the joint, and it sets once it gets hot, with the heat of the exhaust.

[chrisd87]

There is a very small difference in mixture strength between the inner and outer pairs of cylinders on an A-Series, but I've never heard of a clearly visible difference in plug colour before. Would perhaps be wise to carry out a compression check before doing anything else.

The manifold-to-exhaust joint can be a real pain - most of the time some sort of putty/sealer is needed. I've used Hylomar with good results, but there are plenty of others available. Are you still using the 1-piece hinged clamp? If so, a change to the 2-piece variety sold by most Minor spares places is worthwhile - especially the cast variety.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Holts' Gun Gum is the stuff you need - but don't use too much otherwise you can block the exhaust pipe.

[mowogg]

I had a similar issue on the plugs -it turned out to be a leak on the inlet manifold. it took some finding!

[markthe45king]

thanks guys - will nip to hellfrauds for one last bodge and get a shiny new exhaust ordered - on the plugs i'm just thinking that i don't think they were changed after the HG was and the two darker ones are the ones where the HG blew across - could it just be residual from them not being cleaned properly / replaced after the new HG was installed?

[bmcecosse]

Doubt it - unless the engine hasn't done any running since ??