Exhaust Plugs?

[Stephen Tashiro]

A Scotty Kilmer Youtube video shows him drilling holes in the exhaust pipe of a car to check the exhaust pressure with gauge. He says you plug the holes with steel plugs when you're finished testing but he doesn't show the details of that. If I want to ask for these plugs at my local auto store, what do I call them? "exhaust plugs"?

(I also notice there are plastic gizmos for sale called "exhaust silencer plugs". They can't be for plugging holes in exhaust pipes. What are they for?)

[Stephen Cherry]

http://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/weld-in-bungs-and-fittings

the fitting that is welded to the pipe is called a bung, and the plugs are called plugs.

half couplings,
http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-pipe-fittings/=lee982

with plugs
http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-pipe-fittings/=leea0o


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/ba/Cornholio.jpg
(http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-pipe-fittings/=leea0o)

[Joe Angrisani]

Thanks Stephen. Been awhile since I thought of Bungholio....

[Biff Johnson]

At shops I've worked we would just drill a small hole and thread in a brass pipe nipple that had been ground down. When done, insert a short SMS screw in the hole. That was an actual authorized GM tech procedure.

Are you trying to determine if the catalytic converter is plugged?

[Stephen Tashiro]

At shops I've worked we would just drill a small hole and thread in a brass pipe nipple that had been ground down. When done, insert a short SMS screw in the hole. That was an actual authorized GM tech procedure.

I like that procedure. I'll try it. I saw some exhaust back pressure tester kits on the web that appear to have sheet metal screws in them. That's probably what Scottly Kilmer was using.



Are you trying to determine if the catalytic converter is plugged?


Yes, in two vehicles, a '90 Corolla and an '87 S-10 pickup. From experience, it is hard to remove the oxygen sensor in the '90 Corolla without destroying something, so I'd prefer to drill instead of using the oxygen sensor hole as a test port.