robertbartsch

I recently installed FLP headers and I used the black header gaskets that came with the kit.

When the car gets up to operating temporature, the car smells like a burning tar pit.

I checked the plug wires and they are OK.

I assume this is the black paper gaskets that are burning but I'm not sure. It has been several weeks now since the install and the smell is still there. I thought eventually, after a few hot/cold cycles, the burning smell would dispear. No such luck. There are NO computer codes that have been thrown so far.

I have not seen any other posts that discuss this issue.

So guys - WHAT IS BURNING HERE?????? THANKS

ExtremeZ28

hmm..check yer y-pipe...i've picked up a couple of plastic bags with my FLP's and its had a nasty burning smell....i dunno just a thought

Superman

undercoating or plastic bag on the exhaust maybe?
Definately not the gaskets.

blkbeaZ28

iTrader: (4)

i agree with superman, undercoating my roomate had the same problem

silverbullet02

iTrader: (2)

do you use the cats or off road pipe? when i put mine on, my cats smelled horrible for a few thousand miles. also, i know a lot of guys, including myself, used the stock steel gaskets vice the paper ones they came with. just my opinion, but i didn't like the way those looked, so i used the stock ones and have had no problems the last 10k miles, and loving it. good luck. <img border="0" alt="[Burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />

robertbartsch

I don't have any undercoating... no visable crud on the exhaust either...

Any other ideas?

Jasc

How is your oil filter? I've never had the problem, but someone else on here posted a while back about his filter getting real hot and burnt on the side(almost through or soft on the side)next to the header.

Steve

robertbartsch

I used the cats and y-pipe that came with the FLP set.

Do you think the new cats are smelling like burning tar? If yes, is this due to a lean-burn condition? If yes, I have not seen any posts discussing a tar smell condition casued by a lean condition casued by LT headers; I'm I missing something? The smell does not appear to be comming from the tail pipes, and the car runs OK, however.

If I need to adjust the fuel/air mixture how is the least expensive way?

2K1SS

My new cats that came with the TTS headers smell real funny also! I have about 700-900 miles on them now and it is going away finaly.

Also check the plastic heater cover on the passanger side and all you 02 & starter wires. The passanger side has some close runs.

I have even seen one car that the starter wires would short out and the starter would not dissenguage.

good luck

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

I think this is probably just shipping oil
(nobody likes to receive headers with rust
on them) being boiled off. If it smells like
tar, it has to be some sort of oil. Rubber,
PVC (insulation), polyethylene (wire bundle
jackets) all have distinctive smells, not
like asphalt.

A little oil drip might be hitting a tube
where before, it hit the dirt below...
ATF or oil leak? Just a drop can smell
for a while as it's being coked.

Chris 2002 SS

It's your cat's bro, I had the same smell on my car and thought it was a wiring harness or something buring. Today I put the off road pipes on the car and went for a drive, the smell was gone!!!! So like was said earlier it will most likey go away or you can switch to the ORP's. The ORP's did change the sound off my exhaust quite a bit also.

Chris

NX†C

its the interior ceramic coating/ finishing oil burning off

robertbartsch

The smell is still there after about 500 miles and about 24 hot/cold cycles, however, it is less noticiable now then when the headers were first installed...