So I have been chasing this problem for some time now. Its been bit sense I have posted about it. If I take my car to redline in more than one gear it smells like burning rubber. I have replaced the belt ,with the one for the 17% pulley, new belt tensioner. idler pulley, and ATI crank pulley. I am putting out 14.5 of boost but the car just doesn't feel as strong as it should. I have headers and a cheep exhaust on it. I am wondering could it be a bad BPV letting boost by and that is what I am smelling or maybe a clogged exhaust? A few weeks ago I developed an exhaust leak in the piping but I can cover ether tip and it seems to be the same amount of pressure.
I would look at the header first.... Look at the flex pipe or slip-joint if so equipped... When the motors moves (the stock mount let's it move more than should be allowed if you have a header) the flex pipe (just a spring like piece of metal with a woven metal cover) fails..guess the hot exaust might be blowing on something making the smell... The 14.5 on the boost gauge... Has it changed?
not sure I didn't look at the boost till this started. After I posted I talked to Chad at DT he said maybe a cat going bad. To also check the belt agin and clutch.
Yep, I think "look at flex joint" is good guidance. But, if the flex joint goes, you can usually hear it. Makes the car sound like a tractor.
So do you see one full hole extending on the metal tensioner tab beyond the body out of the spring? Do you have the 060532 or 060529 belt?
I will look as soon as it stops raining. I believe it is a full hole. It was hard to get on. I hate to admit it but it has a cheep exhaust on it, a milltek copy. When you take it to red line it use to spit fiberglass out the back. That has stopped, I think it is all gone. OBX headers and stock cat. There is a muffler shop I use the guys there are good. I may order a cat and good mufflers and have them build a exhaust. I trust them to do a good job. I believe it will be cheeper to do this then order a full exhaust. But I would like it to be as good or better then what I can order. Cash is tight right now. I still have my stock exhaust, from the cat back, I could put back on but I really don't want to do that. Also I want to give Chat at Detroit Tuned a shout out for the time he took on the phone with me. We have some great sponsors here.
Ok I have one hole hole showing. On the SC belt. I climbed under the car and found that my resonator has a crack where its welded to the pipe. So my options for now are take it to the muffler shop and have them re-weld it, although I fear it will brake agin. or put my stock exhaust back on it. I hate to do that and rob power. At least for the next few months I can not order a new exhaust. Still sniffing out the smell.
Rule of thumb without a header, exaust or head work is one psi per % of reduction from stock... So a 15% usually flows 15 psi, a 17% 17 psi...a bit lower in both cases with a header, cam, or head work... So 14.5 psi with a header might not be bad, especially 800-1000 msl...guessing 17 psi -1 for elevation, then a bit for a header..So I'd guess 15 psi would be right, 14.5 is certainly within the range I think... I suspect your cat is ok... Folks usually see very high psi with a melted/blocked cat... Me...I'd weld the up the exaust for the $50 if $$ is tight, and do it once later when $$ is less tight... Heck..folks even do OK with welding cracked cats when they need too if the welder is good. If the belt is more than 1 year old...might be time...at $25 for a belt...pretty cheap.
I am at 340ft MSL but I may not be far off on the boost. When I get back home I will have it welded. The belt is only a few months old. I took my wife for a ride she said it did not smell like rubber to her. as soon as she smelled it I pulled over and opened the hood. I could not smell any oder coming from the belt. Nathan I sure hope its not a Cat. That would be bad. I have checked all 4 of our cats are accounted for.