engine and drivetrain first pics of turbo exhaust manifold

[jakeb]

I finally found some time when both myself and my buddy could start work on the turbo manifold for my 02.

This was made with a stahl exhuast flange, T3 flange off ebay, a set of unused baja beetle headers(had them around...with nice bends)

Here it is...tacked up, going to sandblast, pull the pipes all apart and weld them all up, then a nice coat of POR-20 high heat paint and it should be good to go.

We mocked it up in the engine bay and then pulled it out and ran all the pipe. You can see the re-rod we used to hold the flange where we wanted it welded to each flange. That actually may stay for a little added support.

pretty excited....second pic is my buddy modeling

[DAK]

Looks great!

Just a thought for you... If you are going to leave a support rod (which I agree would be wise) why not make it a seperate removeable piece that could be unbolted. It could attach to the top exhaust studs of cyls. 1&2 and to the two turbo mounting bolts for the turbo on the underside of the T3 flange.

What is the thickness of the tubing you are using? I'd be a little worried about the longetivity as most "headers" are made from relatively thin guage metal. I would suggest getting them sandblasted and ceramic coated to keep as much heat out of the metal as possible to extend the lifespan. Most header style turbo manifolds are made with 0.2" or thicker walled tubing to help cope with the thermal stresses present in a turbo application.

Good luck with your project, please post pics as you progress.

[DAK]

Don't make the support rod too thick or too rigid as it will not see the same rate of thermal expansion as the header tubing. Since it is essentially triangulating against the direction that the header tubing will grow a brace that won't flex or give at all will increase the stresses on the tubing and help lead to cracks.

Think of the brace as more of a vibration dampener not a rigid support.

[Harv]

Don't bother with the paint. I know Por 15 stuff is the bomb but it still will be no match for pre turbo heat. Somewhere around 100 bucks will get that ceramic coated inside and out.

Otherwise, looks good.

John

[skipsfcr]

LOL ! that's killer!