Curiouser and curiouser !

Charlie30, where are you? Year? Miles?

Symptoms are of a blocked exhaust, plugged cat or crushed pipe.

Get hold of an old vacuum/fuel pressure guage and put it on the EGR crossover pipe nipple closest to the exhaust manifold. (30 inches vacuum to 15 psi)

If you have any steady pressure while it's running (higher is worse), the exhaust cannot get out of the pipe. A good system will spike a couple of PSI when the throttle is opened but remain well under 1 psi otherwise.

With pressure in the exhaust the engine will suffocate.
This is usually a cat, but i have seen crushed pipes, and in rare instances the internals of a muffler come loose and block the exit.

It's up to you to find which part of the exhaust is at fault.


"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -George Santayana