exhaust manifold leak fix

[sambb]

Hi,

Well I Subaru 'top engine cleaned' the car today and sure enough had smoke pouring out from behind cylinders 1 and 2. It was too windy and with the car on the ground too difficult to see exactly where it was coming from, so I'm after a bit of help.

The car goes in next week for a dump + cat so it would be the right time to address any exhaust manifold leaks. What kind of labour hours am I looking at (assuming that the exhaust front pipe will be already off and budgeted for), to do the head - exhaust manifold gasket and/or the exhaust manifold-turbo gasket - whichever is stuffed? Is it possible to get the turbo off separately - can you get to its bolts or does it have to come out with the manifold?? Any nasty surprises or tricks to the job???

thanks for any help. this is going to be a big budget blow out so I need to know roughly how painful this will be.

thanks
sam

[h100vw]

Sam, pray that it is the turbo to manifold gasket. That's doable without much drama. The manifold to head would be a much bigger job.

I'd try to establish which it is, before next week.

[sambb]

Yeah manifold to head looks like a huge job. I hammered the car around the other night and when I looked under the bonnet it was glowing bright red down behind cylinder 2 which had me thinking a gasket had probably burnt through. Glad I've at least pinpointed a drama that may explain my flat spots/hestitations on boost. I'll redo the can trick tomorrow and try to get in there with a mirror.

[sambb]

does anyone know if the manifold to turbo bolts are stretch bolts with a torque setting ie do I need to order 3 new bolts for the job or can the originals be re-used?

[h100vw]

does anyone know if the manifold to turbo bolts are stretch bolts with a torque setting ie do I need to order 3 new bolts for the job or can the originals be re-used?

Get new ones Sam, I'll get you the tq number unless Jimmy beats me to it. They are single use, although I have reused the ones on my A4 wagen 4 years ago, still good.

Gavin

[Jmac]

Get new ones Sam, I'll get you the tq number unless Jimmy beats me to it. They are single use, although I have reused the ones on my A4 wagen 4 years ago, still good.

Gavin

Feel free Gav, im not on here much at all now.

[sambb]

Ok thanks that'd be great. I went to VW today and they gave me a trade price quote at 40 something bucks for the 3 bolts and washers. That seemed a bit steep so I shyed away from ordering them then and there but if you say they are a single use then i'll have to go ahead and get them as I need them by Wednesday.
I did the 'top engine clean in a can' thing again and with a mirror could see the smoke coming out from the underside of the exhaust manifold at the flange with the turbo. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be the manifold to head gasket. The 3 bolts are tight but it must have just burnt through.
Now that the turbo will be coming off before the dump pipe/exhaust work begins, is there anything much that can be done to the wastegate port to improve flow?

[h100vw]

Yeah you could port it out. Seen mine and the red devils?