Is this anything to worry about

[tb3033]

Hi,

Having chopped my shed in half to allow access for the engine, looking round it for the first time I noticed this. Please dont say it needs a new one... I make that 10p a mile for just the manifold alone.

Ambrose

[tb3033]

Tony,

Thanks that all makes sense, Im now back to normal i.e. fully suppressed hysterics

Ambrose

[simonf]

Bad news! My exhaust manifold has gone! not only htat but Power and Performance want

[tb3033]

Simon,

Bugger !

I can't answer all your questions but.

For engine removal the manual has quite a good section on what to take out. You can also take a look at the list I made myself based on that, although Im taking out a few more things than required for very thorough cleaning. I was a little jittery about taking the engine out but it really isnt that bad, just have the right tools, take loads of photos and just do one thing at a time. Buddsy has started a restoration thread with some more info and Daz's resto thread has lots of useful pictures in too.

I kept the turbo in place when removing the engine, if you just want to take that off then I cant see why you'd have to pull the engine. PO Richard (the stainless steel fetishist) put a new hybrid turbo on for about 650 quid from Turbo Technics.

Oh and if you are working outside like me I recommend these

Good luck

Ambrose

[simonf]

Nice check list ambrose, but do i need to take the gearbox out too? It would be a much easier job if that could be left in-situ as i would n't have to faff about with removing driveshafts, linkages and all that! Is it a question of fit won't fit through the enginebay" unless the gearbox comes too?

Oh well at least i will be in a good position to give Buddsy some first hand advice when he starts his!!

[sandwer]

Si,

You've only got about 6 inches of fore-aft play between the front of the engine and the bulkhead, so I don't think you can get the engine far forward enough to clear the input shaft.

So you are going to have to remove both.

Another AEG car off the road

[tb3033]

Simon,

I'd be tempted to whip them both out at the same time. I don't have a conclusive yes/no but I bet the time spent swearing and shoving hard pointy heavy metal into fragile glass fibre is more than undoing the driveshafts, a good quality hex (snug fit) bit in sturdy ratchet is all you need.

Im beginning to think it would be more remarkable to meet an S3T owner who hasn't taken their engine out. And yes a fine idea to have a Spring (2008 please) meet once various bays and engines have been reunited.

Ambrose

[andydclements]

Trust me, it's almost as easy to take the combined engine and gearbox out as it is to take just the gearbox out, but to take the engine out on its own is a PITA.

Then factor in fitting a new clutch, you will want to take the pair out together, work on them then put them back in together.

If the manifold has gone, what about a repair? Cast can be welded successfully, it just needs to be done by somebody who knows what they're doing and have the right kit. That normally involves a forge or something else to get it up to the right temperature.

Mine was really bad, the crack was nearly 3/4 of the way round, it's not perfect now, but if yours is just a smallish crack or hole, that should be no problem.

The price of

[molemot]

Regarding D-I-Y turbo overhaul...yes, you can do it, but getting the parts ain't easy. I couldn't find any source of overhaul kits in the UK, so I ended up buying from a firm in the USA called the G-POP SHOP. Very helpful people, bags of advice, and the overhaul kit cost about

[simonf]

Molemot,

thanks for the heads up on the refurb kit - i may take advantage, but at the moment my turbo is just dandy but i was told to change the turbo is an engine out! i personally can't see why but if it is then i better do it now as i have no idea when it was (if indeed it has) been replaced!

Ambrose/Richard

Thanks for the info on engine/engine and gearbox out procedure, looks like i am going to have ot get my hands dirty and get stuck in!

I always dread doing these larger job! I love it when i get stuck in but the challenge ahead is daunting nether-the-less! My dad had an old Ford Y-Type in his garage when i was a kid, he too took the engine out and then after years of me climbing over it while it stood dormant he sold it for spares! History repeating itself?

Edited December 14, 2007 by simonf

[Simon350S]

That price doesn't include the wastegate adapter, and this part alone is about the

[bigsi]

speak to pete at pnm while i was starting my car i spoke in great detail with him about machining the valve seat out and pressing a new seat in, he told me he had done it before and can do it again, i dont remember the price unfortunatly. the gasket that goes between the wastegate and that aux manifold is a special black mika heat resistant gasket, measure the diameter of the studs and order the correct one as there are 3 different ones for that.

as for the manifold troy has one for sale message him

the price for the aux manifold section is right at

Edited December 19, 2007 by bigsi

[PER]

I had the same problem and ended up fitting a Turbonetics Wastegate in stead. Its just to bolt straight on to your adaptor. You will have to block the original output and modify your exhaust a little. If you have a leak because of a broken valveseat in the wastegate adaptor your turbo will need more rpm to spool up. After changing mine the pickup came a lot faster and the turbo is making more boost at lower rpm.

[LOTUS]

I just thought I might mention that another difference between a stainless tubular manifold and the original cast iron one is that the stainless one is quite a lot noisier, probably due to the thin walls. I also had a problem with the welds cracking where the tubes are welded on to the cylinder head flanges, all four of them were cracked after less than 3000 miles. SJ lotus however had them rewelded and sent back to me with 4 new gaskets in no time at all.

When I put the manifold back on I used stainless studs and copper locking nuts as the new correct steel Lotus ones that I had used before were rusty and the nuts were nearly undoable (after only 3000 miles!). I also retapped the stud holes to clean them out a bit.

The new ones are still looking OK after about 1500 miles.

By the way to remove a stubborn cast manifold with rusted nuts is nearly, but not quite impossible whilst the engine is in the car, you need to be creative with drilling/grinding/sawing/working upside down. A good technique is to use an old undersize imperial socket or spanner which can be hammered on to the thing that resembles a nut. It sounds silly but I have found if you try to tighten the nut first, it may then untighten more easily. If that fails drilling a line of holes with a dremel into the side of the nut and then splitting it with a chisel sometimes works, and there is a small cutting wheel for the dremel that works on some of the easier to access nuts.

If you break a stud, I wouldnt bother with those stud extractors, they have limited strengh and usually break off in the stud leaving you with hardened tool steel to try and drill through. An effective technique (if part of the stud is protruding) is to try and weld a steel rod firmly to the stud at right angles, the heat of the welding and the leverage offered by the rod usually works.

All good upside down fun!

Joolz

81 S3

82 S3 Turbo

87 S3 HC Turbo

[bigsi]

per did you need to make a new balance pipe that comes from the turbo the wastegate? or was the old one long enough to reach and fit?

I had the same problem and ended up fitting a Turbonetics Wastegate in stead. Its just to bolt straight on to your adaptor. You will have to block the original output and modify your exhaust a little. If you have a leak because of a broken valveseat in the wastegate adaptor your turbo will need more rpm to spool up. After changing mine the pickup came a lot faster and the turbo is making more boost at lower rpm.

[PER]

per did you need to make a new balance pipe that comes from the turbo the wastegate? or was the old one long enough to reach and fit?

I got a new 3" system made up at the same time.

it looks like this:

Erm...

I think i read your post too fast BigSi...

You meant the metal pipe from turbo to the wastegate?

I just use a silicone hose instead of the original pipe. It hasn't melted yet.

[bigsi]

Erm...

I think i read your post too fast BigSi...

You meant the metal pipe from turbo to the wastegate?

I just use a silicone hose instead of the original pipe. It hasn't melted yet.

i didnt know you could use silicone! i was told that you needed the steel one because of the amount of pressure that runs through the pipe. but that is a very nice wastegate though and an upgrade on the stock one

[andydclements]

Im not sure why Lotus didnt drill holes through both pieces and fit a nut rather than tapping the hole and then having it seize as it is always going to be easier to remove a seized bolt that a screw seized in the part you want to keep. Im guessing there is a reason such as due to the expansion on such parts as exhausts things come undone but there are ways round this? (I bet hilly knows why! he sure does know his stuff!)

I think it's because the access to the nuts would have been bad, even by Lotus standards of bad access.