Inlet manifold leak into No.4 cylinder....

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:03 pm

Finaly found the route where my coolant is escaping through.

No.4 cylinder found wet after turning car over and engine stop turning...

Hydraulic locked on start up. It had been sitting for 3 hours after a run a with pressure still in the cooling system. small leak into the inlet manifold. The rate of loss if very small and it runs fine. So plenty spare coolant with me for SIDC and the third eye on the temp gauge all morning.

Gave Dan a phone and he diagnosed the fault as an inlet manifold gasket failure. So he is sending one up.

So, Saturday after Knockhill, the inlet manifold will be comming off for a look. Anyone fancy a mini spanner n sponges at mine after Knockers.
Might be fitting a new throttle body to a 160 at the same time.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:25 pm

Good luck with the lower bolts on the inlet manifold....

Do you have a PRRT fitted? I can't remember if you had it done, ideal time to do it.

If not, change the thermostat on spec anyway....

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:29 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Good luck with the lower bolts on the inlet manifold....

Do you have a PRRT fitted? I can't remember if you had it done, ideal time to do it.

If not, change the thermostat on spec anyway....

PRT done when the head was off at Dans last time.

I asume it is an undertray off and stretch up from below for some and the rest from above?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:34 pm

OMG... Please tell me you have an Ali boot divder!

The top bolts are easy, the lower one on NS is virtually impossible to get to. I would not even want to contemplate doing it with a fixed boot wall. I would think clam off ywould be quickest with a placcy fixed divider....

good luck

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:40 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:OMG... Please tell me you have an Ali boot divder!

The top bolts are easy, the lower one on NS is virtually impossible to get to. I would not even want to contemplate doing it with a fixed boot wall. I would think clam off ywould be quickest with a placcy fixed divider....

good luck

Clam off FFS... cant be that hard to get the rear clam off though?

Cant you split the alloy inlet in the middle and take the top bit out giving better access.... just a thought.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:16 pm

Yes, forgot you had an ali tb, access is better for the lower bolts, you can get a deep socket in IIRC, the placcy one is worse. Its the clearnce around the nut thats the problem.

TBH I would not split it as there is another gasket between the 2 halves.

Could you take some pice of the inlet tracts, if you get the chance, I'm intruiged about the porting on a 135

robin · Post by **robin** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:49 pm

It's a nightmare, but I have removed and refitted the alloy plenum in a plastic boot car - it really doesn't help splitting the manifold, but I have a spare gasket if you decide to do it. You need an assortment of 1/4" sockets and drives to get on the n/s nut.

Given that the gasket must be new (you had the cylinder head removed, I think) and given it's not the silicone/neoprene web gasket thing, I am surprised it has failed - are you sure it's not just that one or more of the nuts/bolts is not tight - I would check that first.

Under no circumstances would I drive the car on track now - if the gasket problem worsens you will have hydraulic lock at speed = locked wheels, broken pistons and possibly crashed car. Sorry to spoil your fun ...

Cheers,
Robin

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:54 pm

robin wrote:It's a nightmare, but I have removed and refitted the alloy plenum in a plastic boot car - it really doesn't help splitting the manifold, but I have a spare gasket if you decide to do it. You need an assortment of 1/4" sockets and drives to get on the n/s nut.

Given that the gasket must be new (you had the cylinder head removed, I think) and given it's not the silicone/neoprene web gasket thing, I am surprised it has failed - are you sure it's not just that one or more of the nuts/bolts is not tight - I would check that first.

Under no circumstances would I drive the car on track now - if the gasket problem worsens you will have hydraulic lock at speed = locked wheels, broken pistons and possibly crashed car. Sorry to spoil your fun ...

Cheers,
Robin

I did get a quarter turn on the end bolt and a little on the top bolt. They didnt feel that tight and I didnt put a lot of force into them. I am hopeing the little nip on it will be enough to seal it. I will know in the morning if the level has gone down any overnight.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:54 pm

Good idea, crank the nuts down a bit more.

How much coolant are you loosing? If its only a dribble I would rad weld the bastid. But I'm a gash bodging barsteward, you have higher standards, obviously....

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:59 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:Good idea, crank the nuts down a bit more.

How much coolant are you loosing? If its only a dribble I would rad weld the bastid. But I'm a gash bodging barsteward, you have higher standards, obviously....

About an 1/2" after a good thrash for an hour. The problem is when it cools and is left for a while with pressure in the cooling system it keeps passing into the piston giving a small knock on start up..

robin · Post by **robin** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:59 pm

Noooooooooh!!! - don't radweld it - total bodgit pikey solution ...

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:02 pm

robin wrote:Noooooooooh!!! - don't radweld it - total bodgit pikey solution ...

What do you expect from an ex-RAF bodge merchant...

"around 70% fluid loss is normal, as long as they have one hydraulic sytem working when they land"...

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:13 pm

Loking for a torque setting for the manifold in the manual and cant find one.. any of the guru's know what it should be? Dont want to go to medieval on it.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:23 pm

Worked last time....

Told you I was a bodging b'stard....

Its a steel stud in ali, just tight will do.

When you stop then let it cool for a few mins until the temp is about 85 or so then release the pressure from the cap. Will stop the system from holding pressure while it cools.

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:33 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote:
Worked last time.... Told you I was a bodging b'stard....

Its a steel stud in ali, just tight will do.

When you stop then let it cool for a few mins until the temp is about 85 or so then release the pressure from the cap. Will stop the system from holding pressure while it cools.

Thats the plan... also got the spanners for pulling no.4 plug if I do leave it sitting for any lenght of time just to check. May have fixed it, got (in total) 3/4 turn on end bolt and 1/2 turn on top nut. Not mega tight, two fingers tight.