Author Topic: Exhaust manifold gasket leaking. Doh... (Read 9918 times)

anarchyx34 · « **on:** December 02, 2006, 05:47:48 pm »

Today I went on a nice 300 mile long road-trip into the hills of eastern PA. While I was impressed with how well the car coped with climbing long hills at highway speed, while carrying a lot of weight in the trunk. Seems some of those long climbs got the EGT's higher than 200k+ mile exhaust manifold gaksets could handle. Now the car sounds like a POS.

Anyway, what am I in for here? From what I can tell, it dosen't look fun. To make it less fun, last time I looked, the exhaust manifold nuts looked, well, rough, to say the least. Should I start pulling my hair out now?

burn_your_money · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2006, 05:56:18 pm »

well the good news is that the nuts usually don't come off the bolts, but the bolts just come right out of the head. Which is nice because you can replace them too.

I just took apart one and only 1 bolt stayed in, all the others cme out. They are 12mm and I don't know if you can get them off with the turbo still attatched, which is 12mm 12point.

anarchyx34 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2006, 06:02:37 pm »

Well that gives me some hope. Hopefully they do all come out, that way I can just pull the assembly away from the head 1mm, and slide the gasket in and out. That is if I can get to them all.

LeeG · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2006, 10:37:23 pm »

mine started leaking last month and I found most of the bolts were loose. I just tightened them up and its been fine since. I used a variety of 3/8" and 1/4" sockets and extensions and I think even a combination wrench, but I was able to get them all tightened while working from above.

Why they would get loose after 15 years and 400k I dont know. Can't say that I have been any nastier to it than usual.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2006, 07:53:22 am »

I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be tightened to 30ft/lbs

It's not a single gasket either, there are 4 of them

anarchyx34 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2006, 10:34:22 am »

I took a look today, and from what I can tell, the turbocharger and intake manifold have to come off in order to access everything. Big fun.

saurkraut · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2006, 11:26:42 am »

Go from the bottom. You can get them all. I think you have to pull the turbo though.

I always check / retighten every couple months, and somthing is always loose.

I had a TD manifold plained to true up the flanges for my 1.5 project. I'll see if that makes any difference. Still got to find some more pieces to get that going.

monst · « **Reply #7 on:** December 06, 2006, 08:09:54 am »

I dont know if the set up is the same for
turbo and NA but, I figured I would add my
2 cents. On the Na it is 4 gaskets as well.
the gaskets are not symetrical. they have
a top and a bottom.... they can't be spun around.
they have to be flipped over... like lefts and rights..
the dealer has them with metal on one side and
hard gasket on the other.... (that is how i came to know this)
egerman parts has some good pics for the hard
gasket on both sides.... good price too.
Dont use the crapper felpro paper ones....
Also my exhaust mani nuts are copper....
and they are self locking... if you look at
the nut(out side) it is oblong... this locks it....
I wouldn't reuse old nuts... if this is the case
on the turbo.... get some new nuts..... there
are two different size nuts......... na is probably
the smaller one. but yeah, get new nuts if they
are locking type nuts.
And if you can work form under neath it is not
that horrible..... Use six point socket not 12 point...
I got in there with 1/4 drive pretty easily...... from
underneath..... My intake was 6mm hex(allen key
bolts......peace

myke_w · « **Reply #8 on:** December 06, 2006, 09:45:02 am »

I can get the true td gaskets (heavy duty all metal and fiber - non paper) ..Let me know if you need some.. They last far longer than the crappy na ones..

myke_w

anarchyx34 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2006, 10:53:47 am »

OMG. I looked at the nuts from underneath the car. They dont even look like nuts anymore. The look like they've been on the bottom of the ocean for a few years. WTF tool am I going to use? I dont want to get stupid with an air hammer or anything.

addautomotive · « **Reply #10 on:** December 06, 2006, 11:25:11 am »

Mine were pretty rotten too... but they all came off. Trick is to clean them off as well as you can, and make sure whatever socket you use is well seated. On some that were dodgy, I used a 12pt 11mm socket.

LeeG · « **Reply #11 on:** December 06, 2006, 08:28:48 pm »

canadian tires sells these things that are like a socket with a left hand thread inside them (like and inside out ez-out) designed to take off damaged nuts. havent tried them myself.......I like the cutting torch for jobs like this!

anarchyx34 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2006, 07:27:03 am »

I took some pics. Here's the downpipe nuts first.

and...shudder.... the manifold nuts.

WTF do I do with that??

Fisher · « **Reply #13 on:** December 24, 2006, 09:13:28 am »

The Bolts are self locking, designed to be one time use. Should be replaced each time if you want them to stay tight. Different Nut for NA and TD.

anarchyx34 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 24, 2006, 11:04:32 am »

I already bought all new hardware. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm supposed to get that mess apart.

Author Topic: Exhaust manifold gasket leaking. Doh... (Read 9918 times)

anarchyx34

anarchyx34

anarchyx34

anarchyx34

addautomotive

anarchyx34

anarchyx34