Replacing Turbo Gasket Woohoo!!!

[bardabe]

ha ha alright guys. so here it is My car is finalyl broken in (yeay!) and i desided to go on some WOT runs get a feel for full boost yah know. well like on the 5th pull my turbo inlet gasket blew (like literaly it blew) so I got the meanest exhaust leak from where the turbo meets the exhaust manifold. thus meaning down time I don;t wanna drive car like that and mess something up. but I know its a bitch to access that gasket. so for those of you who have done it before lets hear some stories adn techniques. I know its not the easierst thing I'll do to my car. and I don;t feel like pulling the motor just to Replace that gasket. I am also going to be replacing my Intake manifold gasket and my Intake collector gasket since my current ones are probably messed up. (took intake maifold completly appart to have it hot tanked) so any advice, and tips are apreciate it. I don;t mind any smart ass coments either since Zilvians are known for flaming eachother pretty good. :Owned:

FYI I was boosting 0.5 bar.

[redsuns3838]

u dont need to pull the motor to replace that stuff, but sounds like u already knew that.
u just need plenty of craftsman 3/8ths extensions and swivvel joints make much easier, so if u dont have them, go buy a few.

other than that its just basic wrenching...not that hard. just dont be suprised if you break an ex mani stud. (mite want to get a few before hand if its ur only car, theyre only a buck or something from a bolt store. u mite want to just replace them all while the exmani is off and not have to worry about it in the future?


its not that hard of a job..ppl just like to complain a lot. just go buy ur replacement gasket and spend an afternoon or evening doing it.

[slideways2004]

buy metal gaskets from spl. how do you change the ex. mani studs? can you do it while the manifold is off or do you have to get it from inside the motor?

[GSXRJJordan]

This is a totally common problem - definitely replace the gasket with a metal one, and replace the head-exmani gasket with an S15 multi-layer metal one at the same time.

I've done this countless times, and it's a minor pain every time. Basically take everything off the turbo you can (intercooler piping, intake, etc), loosen the elbow->downpipe bolts (or drop them completely if you have something to hold the downpipe/exhaust up with). Now I like to take the turbo lines off (theres 4 total, if you include the coolant drain on the bottom) so they dont get bent - SAVE ALL THE BRASS WASHERS!

Now you're ready to pull the manifold/turbo/elbow combo, but you'll probably need to take the elbow off to get it to clear the steering rack. Just loosen the 14mm bolts that hold the exhaust manifold on the head, and then swing the whole contraption around and under the coolant neck and lift it up. It's a lot easier to work on the turbo gaskets when they're out of the car - so switch em up and put everything back in reverse, with your new metal gaskets.

Also, be careful when bolting the oil and coolant feed lines back into the turbo and block - its easy to get them cross threaded and have to redrill/retap them and custom make fittings (dont ask me how I know...).

Good luck ~

[slideways2004]

This is a totally common problem - definitely replace the gasket with a metal one, and replace the head-exmani gasket with an S15 multi-layer metal one at the same time.

I've done this countless times, and it's a minor pain every time. Basically take everything off the turbo you can (intercooler piping, intake, etc), loosen the elbow->downpipe bolts (or drop them completely if you have something to hold the downpipe/exhaust up with). Now I like to take the turbo lines off (theres 4 total, if you include the coolant drain on the bottom) so they dont get bent - SAVE ALL THE BRASS WASHERS!

Now you're ready to pull the manifold/turbo/elbow combo, but you'll probably need to take the elbow off to get it to clear the steering rack. Just loosen the 14mm bolts that hold the exhaust manifold on the head, and then swing the whole contraption around and under the coolant neck and lift it up. It's a lot easier to work on the turbo gaskets when they're out of the car - so switch em up and put everything back in reverse, with your new metal gaskets.

Also, be careful when bolting the oil and coolant feed lines back into the turbo and block - its easy to get them cross threaded and have to redrill/retap them and custom make fittings (dont ask me how I know...).

Good luck ~

good info. he pretty much nailed it. I'm in the process of doing the same thing, except i'm replacing my hardlines w/ ss lines

[redsuns3838]

to take studs out from the block you just thread 2 nuts onto the stud, then turn the bottom one counter clockwise and it will turn the stud with it, and go right out of the block. to screw a new one in, screw 2 nuts on, and turn nut clockwise to screw the stud back into the block.

jeff milano had some good points. if ur taking off the turbo, ur better off going and spending the extra cash and getting some taka coolant /oil lines for ur turbo. they are non-banjo fitting which means it doesnt need to be re-clocked to fit in. . i had to get my block re-threaded due to a coolant line i thought was clocked correctly but wasnt and caused the threads to get fucked up =( not a fun process. go with the taka and ull be happy u did.

[bardabe]

Damn so I guess the manifodl Does have to come off in order to replace those damn bolts. that is pretty anal. ... the bolts shoudl nto be hard to remove since I just rebuilt the motor and it was bearly broken in. so they shouold not be all hardcore stuck on there. or Atleast I hope. steering rack shoudl not be a problem since my car is Right Hand Drive. and no this is nto my only car I have an Accord for Daily comute. so its all good. my secret to not breaking any studs is brake fluid my friends. yes you heard me correctly Brake Fluid put some on the nuts and studs let i sit for a bit (30 mins or so) and it penetrates alot better than anithing I know (even PB blaster or WD40) 6 sided sockets are my best friends to avoid broken studs. also avoit cheater bars try hitting the breaker bar alot with a hammer in order to avoid snapin the stud. but damn Having to Drop the whole turbo assembly just to replace that damn thing sounds like a fuckin Mission and I am Supper lazy... what do you guys think of the OEM gasket that Phase2 sells is that the one you guys are talking about (looks like a metal one and not those cardboard silicone looking ones)

[sepulchral]

ok if u want to do it the easiest and fastest way listen up

a) first unbolt the coolant inlet line and the oil inlet line on the block, itll be to the left of the turbo, under the manifold, a 17mm and 19mm. when unbolting, place your hand under to catch the banjo bolt and BOTH copper washers. remember how the copper washers go on (fat one then little one i believe)

b) once those lines are off DO NOT BEND THEM AT ALL, it will only take even longer to put them back on. get under the car and loosen the ring clamp on the oil drain hose and pull it off.

c) unbolt the manifold, this will take a good time, don't break anything.

d) when pulling it off there will be one more line, on the back of the turbo on the center section, a 19mm. Break it loose (i used a lengthened 19mm open end wrench stuck through the runners on the manifold. Keep the copper washers.

e) take manifold off, replace gasket, do not use lockwashers, use the stock metal tabs and bend them HARD against the nuts to keep from backign off. use new nuts if possible too.

f) when putting manifold back on, put the large 19mm on the back of the cross section on first, remember, washer, line, washer, banjo bolt. THEN bolt the manifold up,.

g) with manifold bolted up you dont have to bend the oil inlet and coolant inlet line to fit, just put the banjobolts, washers, on the line, and thread them in by hand first, then tighten.

h) attach turbo oil drain and put all ur shit bck on.


I timed myself on this method took me 2 hrs, before i would accidently bend the lines and it took me atleast 6 hrs

[sepulchral]

now of course it only takes me 40 mins, ive done this atleast 10 times

[sepulchral]

if u wanna avoid ever doin this again, get megan racing flex downpipe, and use the bracket that goes form tranny to your downpipe

[bardabe]

Alrighty Will do. Thanks alot. I currently got an HKS Down Pipe so I doubt I'll get a Meagan but I will definetly get teh tranny mount Exhaust hanger (I don;t got it right now) and Hopefulyl it will solve my problems. this is the first time it busted. so I hope it dosent take me 6hrs. but we'll find out. now wont we. thanks alot for the input keep it up. :)

[crazyikimasho]

The S15 7-layer exhaust manifold gasket is ideal for manifold to head which you mind as well replace while you're at it, then you can use the OEM metal 4-bolt turbo-to-manifold gasket and it should be fine. Since you are in SoCal you can pick these up locally here.

[LB.Motoring]

move to tech sec?