The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Stovebolt engine stink

I've a re-built 235-mid to late 50's. Mechanically sound. No leaks or smoke...I've notived for years that if I start it in the garage by the time I drive it out of the garage, the garage has a strong exhaust smell...lasts for hours..on the other hand..the wife starts her Cherokee in the garage every morning and theres no smell. Don't plan on trying to stop it..just curious why. Age doesn't explain it. How about yours?

Thanks Keith

your smelling the difference in 50 years of technology.

so...yes,age does explain it.

They tend to ruun a little fat on startup, todays gas just doesn't burn very well in the older engines.

The first few minutes that an engine is running are generally the dirtiest. In the choked mode the engine is running over rich, and is not able to burn all of the fuel the carburator is delivering. Also, until the engine warms up the atomization is not complete, causing an over rich condition.

Age is factor, the carburator is forced my design to operate under the mechanical constraints of jets and other conditions all of which are governed by the carburators "tune" as well as the engines condition. Your wife's late model Cherokee has all of the operating ranges of the engine governed by a computer, that can make much more precise adjustments based on sensors.

If by strong "exhaust" smell you mean it smells like old rusty pipes then you need to take it out on the highway and get her up to SPEED and blow the dust out of it. I have seen old exhaust systems have that "exhaust" smell time and again. If you have replaced the exhaust system then you can probably disregard this post......

Thanks Guys..I guess this means you've smelled it also..I had a 67 firebird up to about the early 90's..most of the floorboards were gone and my clothes had the same smell when I gout to work..

Anyway way..it's a burnt gas type thing..pungent and lasts..I only run a few minutes at this point so the plugs do show a sooty burn-

AChip-never know you could be right..I have a set of NOS tube headers from Clifford..if I they'll fit. Original application was a 57 chevy 235..may need surgery, don't know yet ..but hopefully new headers/pipes in the near future..

Thanks...Keith

Most of the stench actually comes out of the road draft tube. A vehicle with PCV smells so much cleaner!

There's something about the "old stink" that I go nuts over. Whenever I'm looking at an old car or truck and I stick my head in the window and get hit with that old musty smell, there's something about it that takes me back to all the old cars and trucks that have been a part of my growing up.
Lonnie said it best, it's just part of the engineering that was available at the time. If you have to explain it to some folks, they'd never understand. It would be like having a war of wits with an unarmerd person.

Tramp's right about the old smell still being in the old vehicles and bringing back memories. I have thought about buying one just to do a daily sniff in it.

Stovebolt scratch 'n sniff?

I have a mahogany hutch from my grandmother..probably made in the 20's or 30's..Still smells like her house inside it..nice..I open it up and take a hit once in a while..so yes I can relate..

Keith

I brought back all the towels and wash rags from the cabin we sold last year to use as rags in the garage and they still smell like tha cabin,and when I get missing the place I do take a wiff to calm me down and when they are all used up I wont know what to do. Jeff

That a boy Jeff..

Getting back to an earlier post by 4onthefloor ..that road tube theory makes sense to me..really does..most cars/trucks sinse then reburn those crankcase fumes..

Keith

I started driving to school in 1958 and I was one of the loudest complainers when engines came out in the early 70's with smog devices because it robbed horse power. But can you if everyones car smelled like the old ones. Like someone said, you are smelling the difference of 50 years of technology.