My '86 22RE exhaust smells like gunpowder(?)

Picky detail error alert: Carbon Monoxide has a higher affinity for Hemoglobin than regular Oxygen molecules at normal atmospheric pressure, and CO when inhaled in significant concentrations will glom onto all the available Oxygen carrying receptors in your blood.

You can be breathing normal air or even high concentration Oxygen and still die, if a critical percentage of the oxygen receptors in your blood already have a Carbon Monoxide molecule attached - and under normal conditions they don't let go without a fight. If you get above that critical level you need rapid medical intervention.

CO2 isn't nearly as dangerous as CO. Too much inhaled Carbon Dioxide can get your bloodstream to go acidic and throw your internal chemistry way out of whack, but it takes a much higher concentration. And it isn't immediately life threatening if you get out to clear air, though the acidosis can be a bunch of trouble.

Too much Carbon Monoxide (or Dioxide) can also get the autonomous respiratory control center in the brainstem all out of whack. You have to monitor respiratory rate and volume while getting the victim to help, and you might have to bag 'em (ventilator or rescue breathing) if it gets really bad.

Absolutely.

Another nit that needs picking: Wrong direction of pressure change

- Decompression is vacuum...

You need a hyperbaric or compression chamber with pure Oxygen available by mask for the patient to breathe. (100% Oxygen in the chamber atmosphere can be very bad - remember the Apollo 1 fire...) You have to force the hemoglobin to let go of the Carbon Monoxide molecules so it can start carrying Oxygen molecules again.

Can I get an Amen, Natalie? I think I remember a _few_ things from two EMT Certs and a bunch of overlapping ARC Standard, Advanced and Mountaineering Advanced First Aid certs...

-->--

Bruce;

My interest was in the equating of CO and CO2 as "bad". Your EMT view is accurate.

CO2 is being denigrated by the echo-wackos. CO2 is vital to life. CO is a toxin and very dangerous. CO2 is what we exhale. Plant life breaths it in. It is not a poison. Whether its dangerous to the planet has only been established in AlGore's filmworld. Real scientists, contrary to popular opinion, don't back the view that CO2 is dangerous to the ozone layer or anything else.

CO2 drawn in through the back window can not hurt you. You'd have to displace a lot of oxygen (and nitrogen) to create an effect. Unlike CO2, CO is dangerous in parts per million. It is an active poison to humans.

As I said, this is picky, but I do get a bit tired of the fear-mongering from the so-called greens.

Of course, nobody asked me, and this point is periphreal to the subject..lol.

Richard Harper Morgan Hill, Ca

Not a one brand man so I don't see that as a culprit. Tail pipe broke off at the back of the muffler. So while I may be catching the odor if it was fuel related I should be smelling it from other cars as well.

Somebody mentioned a failing converter. 186Kmi. Might be time.

The broken tailpipe is allowing the odor to enter the cabin. You should consider getting that taken care of to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

It is possible that the converter is failing but a bad converter will not make the exhaust smell like gunpowder. The exhaust from pre-converter cars did not smell like gunpowder.

After you get the engine good and warmed up, like after a highway run, open the hood on a dark night and make sure the exhaust manifold is not glowing red. If it is, it may be cracked or leaking. Also take a look at the converter and make sure it is not glowing. During the day, inspect the exhaust manifold for leaks and check the condition of the air filter.

I'll check the manifold.