Corky Rodriguez

Finally getting my '88 951 back together after 5 years. Vitesse Stage 3 kit, Tial 38 wastegate, mbc, etc. I have most everything together but I guess my notes were not complete. Need help with the location and mounting point of these brackets. I know the black bracket attaches to the intake manifold, but not sure how it is supported or where the bracket that bolts to it connects to the engine. Also - the bracket for the idle stabilize (I assume that's what the small one is) looks like it was cut off for some reason.

Any help or clear installation pics are greatly appreciated (I did some searches but couldn't find any clear pictures)

zerMATT951

These should help... I was in the same boat not long ago. There are lots more pictures that could help in my re-assembly thread. I don't have any pics of the bracket in your 2nd pic, but I think that's the cycling valve bracket... I didn't reinstall that in my car. It mounts toward the back of the head under the intake manifold. IF it is the CV bracket, you won't need it either since you have a MBC & Tial.

Here's a link to my rebuild thread:

https://rennlist.com/forums/944-turb...ly-thread.html

Corky Rodriguez

Thanks for those great pictures! I wish my engine looked like that. When you say that I won't need the mounting bracket for the CV, I agree with you there. It looks like you deleted that ugly "vacuum tree" entirely. With a MBC and dual port wastegate the only reason you would use that metal pipe is for the connection from the AOS to the turbo inlet pipe on the MAF - correct? Did you just buy a hose for this connection? If so where did you get it? Looks like Lindsey sells something. In any case you still mount the bracket for the idle stabilizer, correct? Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

Corky Rodriguez

So I have all the brackets sorted out but now I'm thinking I'm screwed because I mounted the turbo before putting the engine heat shield that holds the rear intake manifold support in place.

Is there any way to get this heat shield in between the turbo and the block once the turbo in bolted in and connected? I am dreading the thought of taking everything out just because of this damn shield. It looks like the shield itselg may slip in there, but the intake bracket connected to it may not work (and no way to connect that bracket once the shield is down there).

I'm thinking maybe if that bracket were welded to the shield so there are no bolt heads and nuts sticking out and the raised edged are ground down?

Anybody been successful getting this shield in after the turbo was installed?

zerMATT951

I'm afraid that you are going to have to take the turbo out - or at least the down pipe if you can get that out by itself.

Part of the problem is that you have already attached the heat shield to the manifold support bracket - don't do that - they don't use nuts and bolts. Those parts use two bolts that go directly into threaded holes in the block. One of them is also the bolt that secures the down pure to the block... the forward bolt - the one thats missing in my pic. It goes through the down pipe flange, through the intake support, through the heat shield, and then into the block. Yes, it's a bitch to tighten with everything in place, and many people leave it out. However you've got to at least get the rear bolt in there to hold the heat shield and intake support bracket.

I wanted both bolts in place, and it probably took me 20-30 minutes to tighten it using two different open-end wrenches alternating for each 1/12 turn. Not fun, but with a 3" exhaust hanging below my car, I didn't want to risk the impact with a speed bump being transmitted directly to my turbo mount bolts.

Edit: Regarding the AOS to intake hose, I eliminated that and installed a Lindsey Racing oil catch can instead. Also, my car is an early car, so I did the venturi delete too and really made a lot more room under the intake without all of that extra junk. I also deleted the vapor purge system and blocked the associated lines going to the fuel tank and the throttle body. I drilled a small vent hole in my gas cap to prevent vacuum buildup.

Corky Rodriguez

Matt -

Thanks so much for your help! I took the original turbo off and then my car sat for several years as life got in the way and despite taking lots of pictures and bagging and marking hardware, I was a loss for how this bracket was installed. I kept wondering how it was supported and you just solved that mystery for me - I didn't realize it bolted through to the block.

Do you really think I can sneak it in there by only taking the downpipe off? I'm willing to give it a try although I've heard that removing this pipe alone is extremely difficult (everything is under some pressure fit I imagine). I also think my turbo is not indexed 100%, I would say it is about 98% right. That bolt hole from the downpipe flange to the block does not line up perfectly, it is off just slightly and not lie flush against the block. I guess I can try to sneak the shield in there by taking only the downpipe off (if I can get it off) and only put one of the two bolts in the shield and intake support. I know that some people run without that downpipe bolt (I also have a full 3" fabspeed exhaust and am not crazy about the idea)

Just when I thought I was done with this job. Damn.

zerMATT951

I really don't know if you can sneak it in there without removing the turbo, but it seems like it's worth a shot. UNLESS you did what I did and had your crossover cut by Lindsey Racing and a v-band clamp installed, which makes removing the turbo much easier with the down pipe and part of the crossover pipe still attached. That was $175 well spent in my book!

*IF* you are able to sneak it in there, you might get lucky and the hole will line up close enough. You might have to loosen the down pipe to turbo nuts (even just 3 of them) a little to allow that to twist a little - not the indexing nuts - and that may buy you the slop/movement you need to secure the lower down pipe flange to the block.