ATS upgrade exhaust for factory turbo

[94f450sd]

well i decided to finally install it today.turbo was fairly easy to remove.the bolts that hold the outlet housing to the turbine housing sucked!whoever thought of those bolts should be shot!! :draw :draw but i got it apart replace the turbine housing and outlet housing and all the gaskets and orings for the turbo.got the turbo back on it and cut the old downpipe out in 4 pieces.i cut and bent the pinch weld while the turbo was off.

but now heres the issue.i cant mount the new downpipe like ATS says too.i called them cuz i couldnt figure out what kept the downpipe from falling out or leaking.well it came with a twisted bracket that goes on the stud for the crossover pipe and bolts to the tab welded to the pipe.well i cant use it!!!the damn tranny dipstick tube is right in the way!!!!!! now i got fab some type of bracket for that.now how the hell does the pipe seal to the outlet housing??the pipe just slides into it with no clamp or anything and of course cuz the truck is a car carrier the pipes are 2 feet too short.

so now the truck sits in my shop with the pipes just hangin there and i need it tomorrow to pick up a car i might buy if its not a misprnt in the want advertiser

 

[pafixitman]

Rich,
Thanks for telling me where the bracket is supposed to go!

"We" (Mel, EZ, Scott, John) used a short piece of angle iron and they managed to bolt it to something!

It is a slip fit, but once it gets hot I don't think it will come off. I have a mild rub on tight right hand turns, but all exhaust fastners are tight. The twisted bracket from ATS was about 1.5" too short.

 

[reklund]

Mine's the same way. Nothing to hold it in there or seal it at all. The little bracket they supply actually works fine on a manual trans, but I'm still suffering from major exhaust leakage, both at the exhaust inlet pipe and the downpipe. I've had the system on my truck for approx 800 miles now, with no improvement. I'm tempted to rip it all apart and see if I can seal it up somehow...

Ryan

 

[tommyp]

go to a truck supply store and get a flat band clamp(3'), they should fix the slip joint. As far as the housing seal it must not be sitting right, take it off and see where it's leaking. Good luck

 

[93turbo_animal]

mine fit tight so tight in fact we had to use a 2x4 on the end of the pipe and tap or beat it in place no leaks

 

[reklund]

mine fit tight so tight in fact we had to use a 2x4 on the end of the pipe and tap or beat it in place no leaks

I should be so lucky. My kit was used, and it was like throwing a hotdog down a hallway it was so loose...

Ryan

 

[Freight_Train]

I should be so lucky. My kit was used, and it was like throwing a hotdog down a hallway it was so loose...

Ryan

Take the pipe to a exhaust shop.They should have a way to expend the end just a little.They do it to slip fit pipes.Try and have them expand it just a fudge and then test fit.As for the bracket....don't tell me that.I want the upgrade and have a Auto.....Guess I can wait for the upgrade when I upgrade the tranny.......GEAR ROWER!

 

[reklund]

I could get the downpipe flared, no problem. It's the cast-iron up-pipe that leaks the worst on my rig... Short of having it welded and then ground down to the correct diameter, or replacing the exhaust housing and pipes I don't know what to do...

Sorry about the trouble with your bracket...got any metalworking equipment at your disposal? I'm sure something could be fabbed up relatively easily with a mig welder and some scrap steel...

Ryan

 

[Freight_Train]

I could get the downpipe flared, no problem. It's the cast-iron up-pipe that leaks the worst on my rig... Short of having it welded and then ground down to the correct diameter, or replacing the exhaust housing and pipes I don't know what to do...

Sorry about the trouble with your bracket...got any metalworking equipment at your disposal? I'm sure something could be fabbed up relatively easily with a mig welder and some scrap steel...

Ryan

you could go to the home improvement warehouse and try some of that Rope seal for sealing up old cast iron stoves.I know it is some tough stuff.I have an old cast iron jobber to heat my little shop and have had that thing HOT and it still is sealed.Any idea what the EGTs on a well chugging stove burning oak would be?

 

[The Warden]

mine fit tight so tight in fact we had to use a 2x4 on the end of the pipe and tap or beat it in place no leaks

You're lucky that you were able to get it in place with the 2x4. No amount of beating, wire-wheeling the turbo side of the joint, or freezing the pipe to try and get it to contract, would get my downpipe to go fully into the turbo housing. I finally used the bracket and some creative nut/washer work on the crossover pipe stud to push the downpipe up enough to the point where it felt like it was as sealed as it'll ever be, and called it good. I covered both sides of the slip joint with anti-seize as per ATS's instructions, and I THINK it's sealing...but it's only in about 1/8". I couldn't figure out how to get it in further without risking breaking the pipe, though...so I don't see much of an alternative.

I have an older non-wastegated kit, but it sounds like the downpipe assembly's the same...and IMHO this is the one really bad thing that ATS did with the design.

 

[94f450sd]

I should be so lucky. My kit was used, and it was like throwing a hotdog down a hallway it was so loose...

Ryan

mine is new and its like that.im gonna go see if i can get a band clamp thats formed to 3" & 3 1/2" to hold the downpipe to the housing.i can fab something for a bracket,i have torches,welder and metal.just sux i have to make something to get it to fit when it should have been an exact fit for 800.00 and for that money i figured it would have had a better way to attach the pipe to the housing

 

[pafixitman]

I don't think I had any problem with the slip fit. Then again the brotherhood was doing most of the work!

I agree about the bracket. It would cost ATS about a buck to supply two sizes. I figured it was "us" since the unit I installed was pulled from a '94.

 

[deanj]

Can't really help you as the 3 I have installed all sealed in the turbo housing. The only thing I did was use high temp never seaze on the pipe - outlet flange. The useless bracket will help to keep it in place (had to make a new one for one of the installs).