Exhaust manifold brass nuts

[D COUPE]

Avoid with your life.

Driving along and that little exhaust blow creeps up on you.

It gets louder under acceleration but goes away on the overrun.

Its the old cracked exhaust manifold noise again!

After 2 hours stripping the offside of the engine, fiddling like a
arthritic watch maker . the manifolds are OK its the brass nuts
that have come loose (again).

My advice is to fit the modern version metal locking manifold nuts.

Yes I have 20 but I still have 4 hrs to replace the brass ones.

Rather frustrating you know

Dave C

[Heuer]

The fix seems to be Nord-Lock washers: http://www.nord-lock.com/ I used these under the eight nuts at the downpipe joint and they have not come loose. Which metal locking nuts did you use?

[D COUPE]

Hi David The manifold to head studs do not have sufficient thread
to fit a lock or spring washer.

So I am using exhaust manifold nuts with a metal locking rather
than nyloc locking.

DC

[PeterCrespin]

To save confusing our American brethren even further, you worked on the nearside of the engine, not the offside. Which is why referring to the left or right side of the car is universally understood in a way that offside/nearside or driver/passenger side are not.

Pete

[PeterCrespin]

Apologies, I read David's post about his exhaust and got mixed up. I assume your car is an S3 with exhausts both sides. Right/left still makes most sense though.

Pete

[D COUPE]

I posted in the Series 3 forum only because it is some what of a time consuming job.

Where as on a S1 or S2 it is a hours job and easy considering.

DC

[42south]

I had the same problem with my S3. One of the brass nuts loosened and eventually the gasket blew out on that cylinder.
What a mission to change the gaskets, hours of lying on my back trying to get small spanners onto the nuts. The rearmost one by the bulkhead was almost impossible, required removing the starter motor, and lower splash shield, for manifold removal and access.
I have since tried to re tighten the brass nuts, but not all are accessible with the splash and heat shields in place.
So what size Nordlock washers are required for the manifold studs? I will use them next time, heaven forbid, if required.

[D COUPE]

It is actually easier attacked from the top.

Take the bolts out of the engine mounting on the side you
are doing and just jack the engine up an inch.

Splash guard removal is required

DC

[42south]

Thanks for that tip.
I hope there isn't another time, but I will certainly try that idea.