Lord

Hey all.

I Installed a new high-torque starter in my 1985 2 days ago, and I'm noticing a bad smell whenever I have the car started or generally in the garage. Temperature has dropped from the usual 70 to around 50, and the car was on jacks for about 2.5 days while it dropped.

I'm wondering if this could be melting wires if they are too close to the exhaust manifold or block on the passenger side or even something electrical if the push-on terminal was not seated correctly. Maybe just a new starter smell?

Smells similar to the exhaust, but it's hard to tell. Sniffing around in the engine bay has less smell than outside the front or rear of the car.

Lord

THE 383 admiral

This appears to be a pinched hot wire.
Or developed a breech on the wires jacket.
I would suggest thoroughly inspecting your stater / solenoid wires.
Before you direct short the battery.

Lord

and this would be a malformed wire that has essentially restricted flow? or crossing 2 wires?

I don't think there was any damage sustained to the wires, but I will check. The smell doesn't seem to be coming from the starter/effected wire area, though.

Thank you.

Lord

cv67

You said stronger smell like exhaust behind and outside the car.
Smell like gas or burning oil? Any drips on the ground the next morning?

Its common for the seal between the back of the intake and the block below it (china wall) to seep
It slowly runs down the side of the block and can drip on your exh pipe under the manifold.
Could be the stink after you park it...maybe a droplet or two burned off.
In the morning when you start it that pipe gets super hot and burns the oil off. Could be your mystery smell.
If you stand (with hood up) next to the engine drivers side and look for the pipe below the exh. manifold exit do you see
some black on the pipe anywhere?
The fix is to remove the intake manifold and reseal Let it sit overnight before starting so the sealant is cured

Lord

Nothing on the ground noticed during or after operation/following morning. More fuel-like I'd say. I'm leaning towards normal operation in a different climate than has been usual.

Thank you.

Lord

cv67

Added more to my post above yours. Does your gas cap whoosh when you remove it?
No fuel leaks where the 2 steel lines mount to the (pass side front) intake manifold...nothing around it, the rear?
Gas is something to pinpoint asap Weather shouldnt change anything

Lord

Gas cap released pressure just fine. Quite strong. I'll check the fuel lines again just to be sure, but so far I've come up with nothing.

Much abliged.