[Silly Little Cars] exhaust smell?

[Charley via Silly_little_cars]

You will need to open the motor compartment and look for the rusty exhaust pipes where they exit the engine, then follow them, checking each connection and the pipes themselves for rust holes and the evidence of leaking. You didn't say which engine you have or what year your vanster is so giving much more details is going to be difficult. 

In the late 70's, to very early 90's the engines were a 2 cylinder OMC air cooled engine and the exhaust pipes exit the very front of each cylinder and curve around under the motor to the right side of the engine to a heater box, which was 2 lengths of exhaust pipe with aluminum fins, and surrounded by a sheet metal box. Engine cooling air was fed through this box, along the fins to pick up exhaust heat and then fed into the passenger compartment through large holes in the lower right front of the passenger seat. If your exhaust leak is in this heater assembly it will surely fill the passenger compartment with exhaust fumes. From the back end of this heater box the two exhaust pipes go directly into the muffler which is located directly behind the heater box. A single exhaust pipe exits the rear of the muffler. On my 87 Truckster it turns out to the right side, and ends. A vanster likely has a long exhaust pipe going to the rear bumper area and ending. If you don't find a leak in the heater box area, the leak could be anywhere along the whole exhaust system. A loose connection or a rust hole in one of the pipes will be what you are looking for. Loose connections of the pipes usually show discoloration where the hot exhaust gasses have been exiting the connection. Rust holes will require replacement of the pipe. A muffler shop may be able to fabricate a replacement pipe for you. A problem with the heater box will likely be the end of motor provided heat, since I haven't found anyone making these heater boxes anymore. If it is bad I suggest having the muffler shop make up sections of pipe to replace the heater box. Mufflers are still available, but expensive. Perhaps the muffler shop can find you one if you need it.

I haven't worked on any newer liquid cooled Cushmans so I can't provide much information for them, but diagnosing the problem will be very much the same - look for the rusty pipes where they exit the side of the engine and follow them, looking for rust holes or bad connections showing evidence of exhaust discoloration and then do what you have to do to correct the problem. Follow and inspect the entire exhaust pipe system and the muffler all the way from the motor to the rear bumper. If the smell is strong and/or you get headaches when driving it, significant exhaust is leaking somewhere and it's dangerous to drive your Vanster until the problem is corrected.

Sasha, I don't know where you are located, but if anywhere near Charlotte, NC I might have some used, but good,  exhaust parts if your vanster has the OMC engine.  

Charley
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Sasha via Silly_little_cars 
  To: Silly Little Email List 
  Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 11:54 AM
  Subject: [Silly Little Cars] exhaust smell?


  Greetings Silly little car people!

  I just got a cushman vanster and I love it! but there is a SUPER strong exhaust smell and I was wondering if there was any wisdom out there about how to fix this.

  Thanks!!



-- Sincerely,
Sasha

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