removing exhaust pipes on a turbo

[951tyro2]

Help! I am trying to remove the engine from my 1988 turbo for the first time. I have reached the point where the Porsche workshop manual tells me to remove the exhaust pipe from the turbo and the waste gate pipe from the waste-gate.
All 4 fixings on the waste-gate sheared, despite copious plus gas. Looking at the waste-gates for sale in e bay this does not seem to be unusual. What I cant understand is that, even after I have split the waste pipe and undone the bolt holding the waste gate pipe flange to the engine, the waste-gate pipe remains firmly attached to the waste gate. Is there another fixing that I have not spotted?
I've located the 3 fixings holding the exhaust pipe to, presumably, the turbo. Again, despite plus gas, the first fixing has sheared. Given that access is restricted would it help to remove the inlet manifold and brake master cylinder shield so I could at least see the problem more clearly?
Please tell me the best way to complete the task
Many thanks
Stuart

 

[PSH]

hi Stuart

welcome to the forum and congrats on your choice of car...i suspect that it's just a matter of a sharp tap to remove the wastegate from it's pipe as IIRC you have removed all of the bolts required, these things can be a bugger to work on as you have already discovered. In as far as removing the engine goes, yes remove the inlet manifold and the brake heat-shield especially if you are removing the turbo and it's crossover pipe otherwise you may be able to remove the engine as one unit but personally I'd remove as much as possible first assuming that the engine needs a strip down anyway , I even took the head off mine.....BTW take the engine out from underneath, it makes life a lot easier and is what Porsche advise. These engines are very strong, is there a specific reason for removing the engine from the car?

regards

Pete

 

[robwright]

There are four fasteners holding crossover pipe to turbo and three on the exhaust turbine outlet. IIRC when I changed my turbo I ended up having to hacksaw through the crossover pipe due to the fasteners being rusted on. This resulted in a new crossover as well. As Pete says drop the engine out the bottom it is easier and you can leave the ancillaries connected, alternator etc but remove the air oil separator. You will need 24" of clearance though. It also makes the rebuild easier. Also interested to know why the lump is coming out?

 

[951tyro2]

Hello Pete and Rob
Thanks for your swift and helpful replies. I will proceed as you advise
I was reluctant to use a Birmingham screwdriver on the casting unless that was the only way.
Yes, its difficult to access the fixings but fortunately In have served an apprenticeship on a Mk 1 Cooper S
I know of the information from Pelican and Clarkes garage, are there other sources of useful information on the task in hand - I have not had much luck searching this forum
I've had the car for some time and its now done about 90k. So far as I know its on the original head gasket and the most important reason for working on the engine is to fit a new gasket. In guess that could be done without removing the engine but I prefer to get the engine out and give it a good clean before opening it up. I think the engine is in good shape, the oil pressure is fine and oil consumption is low, time will tell!
Thanks again
Stuart

 

[PSH]

hi Stuart

If the only reason for removing the engine is to change a head gasket i would leave it in the car, as you have already discovered some bolts will be in a bad shape and require a lot of work to remove. The wastegate being a classic example which may now need some effort to remove the broken studs without damaging the housing itself, there will be other parts like this and the cost can build alarmingly. 90k is very little mileage for these cars and i would expect the general condition of the engine to be very good.
I can understand the wish to take it out and give it a good clean as it's the type of thing that i would do but be warned there's a lot of hidden costs in working on these engines, ones which you won't know until you start to move things that haven't been disturbed in many years perhaps since the car was built and they then hit you in the wallet, electrics for instance. However if you are prepared for this and a stiff bill then go ahead, other than the new gaskets required there are other bits to look at while doing this job, as i said electrics would benefit greatly from renewal, especially the wiring under the inlet manifold which will be very brittle, be careful when removing the boost hoses from the cycling valve which is also under the inlet manifold, it's likely that the plastic lugs will snap off although if you are planning any mods such as a dual port wastegate then this isn't important as this part would no longer by required. You can buy engine harness sections from Lindsey racing in the US, they are very good quality and sheaved in 1200 degree resistant sheaving so likely to last the lifetime of the car. I would check the rear seals on the balance shaft housings for any leaks as these imho can only be changed with the engine removed from the car, be warned as there will be associated costs from doing this, however it would be a good time to replace the 'top hats' at the front of the balance shafts and their plastic seals at the same time. Engine mounts are likely to need doing too and to be honest it's not worth refitting used mounts considering the work involved in fitting new ones, same goes for the clutch, rear crank seal and perhaps the spigot bearing too. Front suspension geometry may also need doing after removing the engine crossmember as it can upset the settings.
There are many other parts that to be honest I'd change when taking an engine out as it's a big job and there is lots of things that you can do that will be far easier out than with it in the car...the question as always is 'were do you stop'?.....this is something that I fail to do and thus end up spending a fortune but hey not everyone is as mad as me...

good luck......

Pete