There may be trouble ahead!!

There may be trouble ahead!!

Author
Discussion

brettster

Original Poster:

146 posts

239 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Is there any simple fix or is it gonna cost me an arm and a leg. I got home from work friday and noticed an exhaust smell in the cockpit of my 's'. It sounded like it was blowing and also started running lumpy, i presume it is loss of compression, (hope). Had a butchers at it today and noticed a hole about 2inch long upwards, and about 5mm wide where the three manifold downpipes meet. Im thinking i might be able to get it welded, or could i do a temporary wrapping job on it to get me by until MOT. Or is it a case that i have to get a new manifold frown Which i know wont be cheap. Please help. I really want to get it sorted as soon as...
Thanks for any input.
Brett

glenrobbo

35,077 posts

149 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
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A competent welder should be able to patch it up for you Brettster, but you will probably have to remove the manifold for access, if there isn't enough room to get at it properly.
If this is the case, it's time to start soaking those manifold bolts with Plusgas, you don't want to shear them off in the cyl. head.

Good luck,
Glen.

Griffinr

1,017 posts

173 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
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You could try this as a temporary measure, it goes to 400 degrees C which should be OK in that location. The surface will need a good clean up first though.
As regards welding, I found on my old manifolds that it was just the welded seam in the collector that had corroded and just either side was solid metal.
Rob.

brettster

Original Poster:

146 posts

239 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Thanks very much, its given me a bit of hope, i thought it was going to cost fortunes. The place that needs welding is easily accessable so no problem there, and that putty might do in the meantime, thanks glen and rob, always helpful on here. While i was fiddling about earlier i burnt my hand yikes on the exhaust and as i jumped back i scrapped it on the lower pulley and have a gash on my hand as well now. ha ha.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS irked
Cheers.
Brett

tvrgit

8,470 posts

251 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
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Griffinr said:
You could try this as a temporary measure, it goes to 400 degrees C which should be OK in that location. The surface will need a good clean up first though.
It's VERY temporary - it doesn't take long to go crumbly and start blowing out of the crack. Trust me.

phillpot

17,105 posts

182 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Might last a bit longer if you could cover with thin metal (baked bean can) and bind round with wire?

This could be a bit tricky if crack is on the collector "cone" scratchchin

brettster

Original Poster:

146 posts

239 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Really goog idea mike. will give that a go.

tvrgit

8,470 posts

251 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
phillpot said:
Might last a bit longer if you could cover with thin metal (baked bean can) and bind round with wire?

This could be a bit tricky if crack is on the collector "cone" scratchchin
That's what I thought. It did last "longer" - but still not for long.

ijbd

76 posts

224 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
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Yes, the "this" = http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JB-High-Heat-Temperature...
is temporary, since the picture on e-bay says 450 F = 232 C continuous and 500 F = 260 C intermittent.

regards Boudewijn


GadgeS3C

4,516 posts

163 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
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tvrgit said:
Griffinr said:
You could try this as a temporary measure, it goes to 400 degrees C which should be OK in that location. The surface will need a good clean up first though.
It's VERY temporary - it doesn't take long to go crumbly and start blowing out of the crack. Trust me.
It might get you to an MOT and back but that's about all in my experience. Worth a try though.

The real solution for our 3000M was making JP Exhausts richer - nice though!

phillpot

17,105 posts

182 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
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Rather than that epoxy stuff would something like this high temp silicone be any good?

reckon would still need wrapping to stop it being blown off.

brettster

Original Poster:

146 posts

239 months

Saturday 12th April 2014
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Got the front downpipe mig welded by my friend that has a garage, and now i have found that a couple of gaskets are blowing either side of the engine and it is running like a pig....
Can't believe it all happened at once, next job is to loosen the manifolds and put putty on both sides of existing gaskets and re-tighten.
With a bit of luck it should sort the running problem out as i think it is due to compression loss.
Fingers crossed.

glenrobbo

35,077 posts

149 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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brettster said:
Got the front downpipe mig welded by my friend that has a garage, and now i have found that a couple of gaskets are blowing either side of the engine and it is running like a pig....
Can't believe it all happened at once, next job is to loosen the manifolds and put putty on both sides of existing gaskets and re-tighten.
With a bit of luck it should sort the running problem out as i think it is due to compression loss.
Fingers crossed.
It's quite feasible that it all happened at once if you have grounded out on a bump in the road, because the exhaust system is the first to cop it, then the shock is transmitted to any weak points. Don't ask me how I know this.

I don't think you'll have much success just shoving putty in beside the gaskets, I personally would fit new gaskets, preferably the composite type with the "flame ring", they seal much better.
Continued use of the car with the joints blowing could erode the cyl head at the exhaust port edges, then you'll have worse problems.

Start soaking those bolts with Plusgas & be careful not to shear them off in the cyl head.

Good luck,
Glen.