Friday, September 13, 2013
Tips to Fix Leaky Exhaust Flares
In an automobiles exhaust system, there are several types of flares. One is used at the end of an exhaust pipe to join another pipe. The other, an applied flare, is usually used for aesthetic purposes while also producing increased thrust as the accelerator is depressed. A leak at the junction between two pipes, when a flare is involved, can result in differing compression rates.
Safety
Many people consider replacing any part of a vehicles exhaust system to be a relatively easy procedure, consisting mainly of removing one pipe from the bottom of the vehicle and replacing it with a new one. While for the most part this may be true, its also important to consider that the exhaust system on a car removes the heated air from the engines combustion system. This means that its used to remove super-heated air from the engine. Taking this into consideration, the engine and the exhaust should be turned off long enough to have completely cooled before any part of the car is worked on.
Leak Location
The first part of fixing an exhaust leak, especially at a flare, is locating the leak at its point of origin. Almost anyone can tell an exhaust system is leaking, but unless there is an obvious hole in a pipe, the leak often cant be readily spotted. The inexperienced mechanic may end up applying sealant to a point that isnt actually leaking. This is not only wasteful, but it can also actually increase the compression created through the leak, in turn, increasing the noise created by the leak.
Sealant Requirements
Once the leak has been located, the next step is to determine whether or not the leak point requires some form of hardening sealant to be fixed. If the connection between two exhaust pipes isnt secured tightly enough, it should be fitted properly before any type of sealant is applied. If the connection or the junction point between the flared end and the smaller pipe or the flared tip and the muffler outlet is tightly secured and still leaks, then a hardening sealant can be applied at the junction of the flared end and the smaller pipe. Once this process is complete, the sealant should be allowed to completely cure before the vehicle is turned on.
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