jedi951

O.K. can some one help here. I was trying to loosen the three nuts off the exhaust (after cat to turbo flange) broke one and dont know if I should continue with my clutch replacement, guess I have to know. Does someone know what I can do in case they all snappp? Im getting axiuos here..thank you thankyou.

Ski

You're talking about the turbo down pipe?



If so, well there isn't much you can do from down below. You'll have to pull the intake to get to the nuts that hold the down pipe on to the turbo. Then you get it off, get the broken stud out. Don't forget a new crush ring to seal the exhaust.

Joe Jackson

You could:

1. Pull the turbo and drill and retap the flange. Install new studs.
2. Attempt to drill and retpa it in place.
3. Drill thru and use a smaller nut and bolt to replace the stud.

I've never had one break but I've heard of a few people who have. Most of the time, it's only one but you never know. It's a fixable issue at least (worst case you buy a used, good condition elbow and be done with it).

Tom M'Guinn

Are you sure you broke a stud? I think you snapped a bolt. If so, just punch it out with a drift. Don't let one little fastener scare you away.

Tom M'Guinn

Oh, if you broke the studs Ski is showing, then it depends where it broke. If there are threads exposed you may be able to get it with a stud puller (once the cat is removed).

cpt_koolbeenz

Hey guys-
Just a little question: is there supposed to be a bolt that goes through the hole in the flange (to the right of the 3 studs) on the downpipe that goes to the block?

cpt_koolbeenz

Use an impact wrench - the studs most likely won't snap...

jedi951

Ski...yes thats the one. Soaked it with w-d40 waited then tried to loosen it and broke pretty easy. It broke FLUSH with the flange so tapping it or drilling it would be my option, dont want to mess with the turbo eventhough the intake and heat shield are already off. thanks guys!!!

Tom M'Guinn

That is how Porsche designed it. I've gone 30k miles without the bolt though. With an aftermarket turbo, the bolt can be very difficult to install (i.e., "not gunna happ'n").

Ski

The down pipe will come off with the four nuts on the back of the hot housing. You'll either get the nuts off or bring the studs out with them...again soak them well. Personally I would pull the down pipe, take it to a machine shop and let them do it, well unless you have access to a drill press or a really good vice. I'd go ahead and get my clutch finished then mess with the down pipe.

cpt_koolbeenz, like Tom, I didn't get my bolt back in either. We did manage to get the bolt back in on jwl's car when we installed the Vitesse stage II.

cpt_koolbeenz

Yeah mine didn't have one in it when I took off the down pipe...
Guess the PO said the same thing

Does anyone know what size the bolt is? - PET failed me...

adrial

PB blaster or a similar penetrating oil is better than WD40, I would go pick up some of that at the hardware store.

Danno

" is there supposed to be a bolt that goes through the hole in the flange (to the right of the 3 studs) on the downpipe that goes to the block?"

Yes, there's a bolt.

"That is how Porsche designed it. I've gone 30k miles without the bolt though. With an aftermarket turbo, the bolt can be very difficult to install (i.e., "not gunna happ'n")."

What does the turbo on the other end of the downpipe have to do with the bolt fitting? I guess if the hot-housing placed the flange of the downpipe in a different location, the bottom of it would end up in a different location. I find it's best to just barely intall the turbo-mont bolts, then install the downpipe bolt to the block, then go back and tighten up the turbo-mount bolts. I guess there's some wiggle room that way.

Without that bolt clamping the downpipe to the block, you've got the entire weight of the exhasut system hanging off your turbo! Probably not as big a deal as the torque that's generated by a lever arm that's 8-ft long. Your muffler bouncing up and down an inch or so can generate quite a bit of torque by the time it arrives at the turbo. Anyway, I've seen a number of turbos with broken center sections from this flexing of the exhaust. I go to pull the turbo/downpipe off and wow, the bottom of the turbo is still sitting on the engine-mount!

jedi951

Guess I'll continur with the clutch job. Any way I can move the torq-tube back with the exhaust in place exept for the waste gate pipe and waste gate?

Peckster

Not having that bold puts more stress on your exhaust manifolds too, makes them more likely to crack.