7.3 IDI definite exhaust leak

[renjaminfrankln]

First gen banks turbo

The ****** exhaust shop I use did not want to F with this (I don't blame them)

Leak at the driver's side exhaust manifold joint. And at the slip joint where the Y pipe from the exhaust manifolds joins with the pipe that goes up to the turbo (forgive my lack of proper terminology, this is my first turbo vehicle).

Just wondering how you would approach this, also, are there any gaskets for these type of exhaust manifolds?

My first thought is to just hit everything with PB blaster every day for a few days, then hope and pray I can get things apart without snapping bolts.

Pics to follow in a sec

 

[renjaminfrankln]

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[Oledirtypearl86]

Some pb blaster and a few hours .of watering then hit it with an impact gun it'll come free

 

[renjaminfrankln]

Some pb blaster and a few hours .of watering then hit it with an impact gun it'll come free

I know I can get an impact on that driver's side flange and get it off. Just wondering how to seal it back. Just clean the threads up and put some new nuts on there, tighten it up?

For the clamp, I can't get an impact up there. I may just cut that sucker off with an angle grinder.

 

[riphip]

You can buy KROIL straight from the manufacturer at: http://www.kanolabs.com/
They have deals all the time + get on their mailing list for better deals. Located in Nashville,TN
Always good to have a couple of cans around the house and shop

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Yes PB blaster, yes it's no fun. But not too bad with a creeper and an impact.

This tip is from @Thewespaul --
Drop the pipe, clean the mating surfaces really well and use copper RTV as a sealer. There isn't any crush sleeve/gasket/washer, it's just the way they made it(poorly, if you ask me).

I just did this a month ago and the difference with my Factory turbo is huge. I have 3lbs of boost at 1300rpm under the right circumstances and that was NEVER possible even when I bolted my waste gate shut before. Also have much more snappy boost, up to 13 psi where the gate blows open a bit and I run out of fuel. Before that it might hit 12 eventually, some day, while towing. Now I get it empty on flat ground!

Honestly I dont know why that stuff works...its only rated to 700*F. But it works!

 

[renjaminfrankln]

Good to know. Are these 2.5" ? Is that the right size clamp I need.

Damn I want to go out and get started on this now.. unfortunately gotta use the truck this weekend.

By the way, here is an interesting question. Any point in hitting the nuts with PB blaster now when I have to use the truck later? Feeling like that might be counterintuitive, getting hot and burning the PB off might not help anything.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Actually doing the PB soak/heatcycle/soak/heat cycle thing works great! Smells bad and smokes a bit if you are just city driving but it burns off after some good heat.

This is common practice from what I've read here and over on FTE. I personally think it is best to spray at night and run it the next day so the lower flash temp solvents have evaporated, due to their flammability.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

I know I can get an impact on that driver's side flange and get it off. Just wondering how to seal it back. Just clean the threads up and put some new nuts on there, tighten it up?

For the clamp, I can't get an impact up there. I may just cut that sucker off with an angle grinder.

It will help when it burns off it smells terrible but it will help and you would be surprised what you can reach with a 18 inch extension and a swivle plus when you pull the nut it cleans the threads and as for the clamp cut it off and get a new one and from the wise advice of tewespaul use copper rtv on the joints to seal it all up should only take a few hours if you can plow through with out stopping for honeydos (4 beer job) for me

 

[BrassBandit]

Kopr kote is better and can withstand temps up to about 1000 degrees Celsius. We use it to seal steam line flanges with worn mating faces.

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Kopr kote is better and can withstand temps up to about 1000 degrees Celsius. We use it to seal steam line flanges with worn mating faces.

Looks like you're talking about this? https://www.jetlube.com/pages/kopr-koteIND.html

That's the industrial formulation, theres about 5 other types that are all rated at under 450*F. But man that industrial stuff says 1800*F!!
Dunno if it would work on the gaps I had in my system...it doesnt harden at all, and would have to withhold at least 15psi. Is it like crazy thick or something?
Cool stuff nonetheless

 

[DrCharles]

Yes, I know this is an old thread I'm curious to know if the OP fixed his problem, and how much it improved the boost?

A little background on mine: I put a used factory turbo setup on my 7.3 NA IDI (including a little Ultra Copper RTV on the slip joint). It made the stock 7 psi with the fuel turned up 2 flats, so I figured everything was working, although there was more than spec radial play in the well-worn turbo. I wanted to turn it up to 10-11 psi (no studs), but it would not go higher even with the wastegate forced closed... I can make plenty of black smoke if I floor it even with the turbo spooled, too.

Anyhow, several thousand miles later, even on a cold day it won't make more than 5 psi@2000-up (55 mph in 5th gear), and only about 2 psi at 1500.

I don't see soot under the turbo piping and no audible exhaust leak. Before I go to the PITA of removing the turbo (not to mention the expense of a good rebuild), could a small pre-turbo leak really cause this much of a difference? A 2" pipe has a lot more area compared to a gap with a .020" semicircle, which would be quite audible...

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I seem to recall that you were having trouble with boost after you installed your turbo. I hope you find the problem soon. If you haven't done yet, check the play in the shaft in your turbo now. If it gets bad enough for the vanes to make contact with the side of the housing, then you will start sending metal shavings through your engine. I'd hate to see that happen.

 

[DrCharles]

True... but wouldn't compressor wheel contact with the housing make really ugly noises (and very little boost)?

I'll definitely check - it was above spec but no contact when I installed it - but still don't know how critical a small exhaust leak might be vs. the effect of excessive radial play?

 

[Old Goat]

NO. Not till it might be too late.
My Bro in Law has a 94 F-250 IDI Turbo. He had the Air Filter housing off doing some cleaning etc... reached in to turn the Turbo Wheel and noticed up and down play. Then noticed wear where it was wearing against the inside housing and wear on the blades.

Pulled it off and sent it in to Classic Diesel for a over haul.
Wes said it was a good decision before pieces could have gone through the Engine.

20 some years ago I was driving a Dump Truck load of hot Asphalt up a long steep winding mountain road to a paving job we had going on.
I hear this POP Noise, looked down at the gauges, all normal, then looked in the drivers door mirror...WOW! everything behind the truck was buried in white smoke. Blowing smoke out of the stack like an Air Plane at an Air Show.
Soon as I pulled over and stopped, so did the Engine. Heard this crackling fire, flipped open the Hood and a fire blazing out of the melted hole in the exhaust side. It was glowing red as well as the down pipe.

Figured the seal on the Shaft went and started sucking oil and burning it till the Turbo finally failed.
Lucky in this case all the crap went out the Stack and not into the engine.

So checking the up and down play on a high milage Turbo is good once in a while. But this Turbo had 150K miles on it, but too many different drivers that shut down the Engine w/o a cool down period.


Goat