Exhaust leak sound - normal???

[ryeguy]

Hi guys,

I've complained 3 times to 2 dealers about what sounds to me like an exhaust leak. It's on the passenger bank. You can hear it through the wheel well. The dealers say this sound is "normal". It's getting steadily louder, and has over the past, oh, 20k km. The truck now has 65k km on it. It has the engine tick, but only when the engine oil is really fresh. This sound is very different. Has anyone else experienced this sound? Can anyone confirm/deny what the dealers are telling me?

--Rob

[BigLakeDMAX]

I have the same sound - usually heard inside the cab during a light or medium acceleration while at highway speed. At idle, when fully warmed up, you can hear a light tapping sound from the passenger wheel well and through the exhaust (it's way loud on a cold start at the exhaust) - very rythmic in sync with rpm. Tech at dealer says normal, kept it overnight to do a cold start and compared to another Dmax even. Said this engine is so quiet, you can here things you wouldn't on other, noisy diesels. As for the light tapping sound, said it's injectors clicking as they fire? Even took it for a second opinion to another dealer - service manager went for a ride with me and said he didn't here anything out of normal. I've read other posts on this forum describing same thing. I even took my torque wrench and checked all exhaust manifold bolts, and ran my hands over manifold and can feel no leak. Now I just turn the radio up and drive it a little harder so I don't hear it. I'm thinking JK's exhaust and some juice might just do away with it altogether :D

[ 03-18-2003: Message edited by: BigLakeDMAX ]</p>

[a64pilot]

If you think that you have an exh. leak, have a friend partially block the exh. outlet with a rag. Any leak will become immedatly apparent with the greatly increased pressure in the exh. system.

[sonofagun]

Take a look at the exhaust downpipe where it leaves the exhaust manifold. It does not slide in
or out it just fits over the exhaust outlet(like a donut)and is clamped in place by a bolt bracket. If that bracket is loose the the exhaust can shift and there is VERY little clearance before it will leak. You can check it by running your hand up the exhaust after starting the truck. You will feel the leak if it's there.

Good luck,
Bob

[ 03-19-2003: Message edited by: son of a gun ]</p>