1966 cadilac deville exhaust leak some where

[Frank g]

Hey guys . Im new here as of this reply my 1966 caddy deville convertible reaks of exhaust on passenger side. my best friend mechanic moved to florida so i have to fix my self im handy being a mason contractor and have done a good amount of work on cars with my buddy but finding leak is the hard part. I wonder if i have the same issue as the gentlemen described.in the eldorado on a recent thread. i get a feeling its manifold  but not sure .... smell is strong big time by passenger side  door ughhhh all help appreciated
Thankyou .frank.

[Frank g]

Bump bump lol

[35-709]

It would seem you should certainly be able hear a leak like that to get your search narrowed down.  Even minute cracks in the exhaust manifold or a leak where the manifold bolts to the block usually make a readily noticeable noise, especially when the engine is cold before things start to expand.  Check your heat riser valve in the right exhaust pipe near the manifold too.

[Frank g]

Great. Thanks for the info .not hearing that well so hopefully one of the seams or.gaps on pipes and low rumble towardsmiddle.or.rear but the smell being dominant on passenger side and not really driver side get me .... im a classic car rookie sorta lol

[dn010]

Get on youtube and listen to some videos of exhaust leaks to get yourself familiar with the sound. You can also visually inspect the pipes to see if and where one is leaking, usually you'll see black soot staining the pipe where the leak is.

A little more risky is trying to glide your hand at a distance past the pipe connection areas to see if you can feel a leak, that involves the engine running, obviously not touching hot pipes, keeping your hand away from moving parts and of course not being overcome by exhaust fumes. I recall my '65 being "packed" with such a large engine that it might be more difficult to feel for anything from above but I can tell you my '57 currently has a helluva leak that you can definitely feel (and smell!) where the pipe connects to the manifold, soon to be addressed.

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

I worked backwards on mine. I have a battery leaf blower. I waited until the battery was about dead and then blew air backwards in the system to find the leak.
It is important to be sure the battery is almost dead because I didn't want to blow crap backwards and into an open cylinder.
Jeff R

[wheikkila]

I would start with using a i/2 hose about 3 feet long like a stethoscope. It works very well and you don't have to worry about burning anything.
Thanks Wayne 

[V63]

I found this to work best. ENGINE COLD. manifolds COLD to touch!
I fill a chemical sprayer with soapy water, hose down the suspected area with the solution and have someone immediately start the engine. You should instantly see bubbles or activity where a leak is. If not, shut the engine off,  before it heats up the manifolds ...try another location.
Manifolds should always remain cool to touch to avoid cracking!

I have found exhaust manifold gaskets a complete waste of time and install all mine BARE, WITHOUT any gaskets and, so far...never had a negative issue or leak.

[harvey b]

Do you have a old fashioned muffler repair shop handy,this was the kind of thing they did all the time back in the day.Any good mechanic should be able to spot it quick,sometimes its good to have another set of eyes on it. harveyb

[Frank g]

Hey guys thanks for your help .sorry for LATE reply yea found old school muffler shop in danbury CT. Been in biz 30 years  did wifes acura used stethoscope type tool had me listen to the leaks ...and yes.to the gentlemen who said u can hear a leak ...i think i had mine all along and thought that was the normal sound...lol thanks gents ...