Paper towel chunks in my exhaust. How much of an issue is this?

Oh my god that had to either be funnier than hell or y'all where sitting bricks at the bar

 

you'll be fine I'm sure of it

 

Good on ya

 

Yes, it was funny, they were burning and luckily it was a VW Baja bug w/ upswept headers to add to the drama. He had pumped prob. 1/4 Gal. of gasoline by pedal before it finally started and the valves chewed the rags into bite size pieces while they lit.
Same garage that we ground up a VW transmission w/ a grinder for the powdered magnesium before the pliers touched the wheel, threw a spark and lit the pile on fire. Magnesium not only burns through a workbench but concrete too.
Good times. Yes, alcohol played a part.

 

Update: Two years later and 20-30K miles, and no CEL has come back for the 02 sensor.
I guess that even though the part number was a little different and not the exact OEM Denso, it's been working fine!


(little update):
I've got (3) codes that popped up last year though:
P0441, P0442, P0446

With that in mind, I've ordered the under the hood VSV valve.
The codes indicate I've got a vacuum leak error with a small vapor leak and a large vapor leak detected which I've read is often all related in the emissions side of things, with the VSV valve often the culprit. Was a $32 part at RockA, so figured what the heck.
If it's not that, it could next be the check valve at the charcoal canister on top of the gas tank. If not that, it could be the canister itself which is not cheap.

I was under the truck last week and all the metal pipes, connections and hoses from the front airbox all the way to the canister were in surprisingly solid good shape.

 

Update for fun.
3 years later the P0135 code came back for this front back 01 sensor.
It was a used part of unknown mileage so I suspect it just failed at the typical, what, 80,000 miles?
It looked pretty grizzly coming out. Carboned up and a visual mess.

I got the correct part # this time new from Rockauto and just put it in now:
Denso #

$146 234-9001 Upstream Air Fuel Ratio Oxygen Sensor with 10.6” 4-Wire Harness, for Auto Trans Equipped Vehicles

234-9001
Those above 3 400 series codes never came back (I guess the guy was never tightening his gas cap all the way).

(notes on job):
As it wasn't in there long (3 year) with proper copper anti-seize used and new copper nuts, both copper nuts rounded off and refused to move.
The lower nut came out (barely) with a 12mm socket.
The upper one I launched my nukes and grabbed the bolt extractor kit which instantly worked like a charm. I cannot say enough good things about having a set of those in your kit for working on old cars

 

I normally drop the front pipe when those gaskets give me a fit. Terrible place, can’t get a file in there, the studs are in the way and normally an inch longer than necessary. Sucky sucky... and if you have any leak there at all you start having false lean issues ...

 

It was ok this time around as the old one wasn't there too long. I will say that extractor made quick work of it. And you're right, those studs are ridiculously long. why on earth..?