possible broken exhaust manifold?

potatoe · 10-02-2009, 10:28 PM

so the people at the shop said my headgasket was ****ed, but im pretty sure they didnt tear it down and look at it and then reassemble when i told em i wasnt paying 1400 to change the gasket. im not sure what tests they did but im not seeing signs that point to a headgasket problem, its not smoking out the exhaust, no oil in coolant, no coolant in oil, and im pretty sure a blown headgasket would cause an increase in temp. it also doesnt seem to diminish the coolant level. the only thing i see is if i open the decklid after a drive it smokes from right around the exhaust manifold heatsheild. i was wondering if the problem could be a cracked exhaust manifold instead. also it feels kinda unresponsive and lacking power. gonna check the plugs for coolant tomorrow.

YellowJacket · 10-02-2009, 10:40 PM

Can you remove the heat shield and look at #4? Thats where the cracks happen 90% of the time. A new manifold kit OEM from Aaron is just under $200 shipped.

This is what my #4 looked like cracked... mine wasnt all the way through yet, but I replaced it anyway. Yours sounds like its cracked all the way through but I would think your car would be audibly much louder along with the exhaust leakage.

potatoe · 10-02-2009, 11:02 PM

oh its louder than my old neighbors was, and it rattles.

'91mr2 · 10-02-2009, 11:59 PM

What does the new manifold kit from aaron include?

YellowJacket · 10-03-2009, 10:29 PM

I call it a "kit" but its just what Aaron actually just includes together with the manifold to include all the necessary hardware & gasket needed to get the job done. He's cool like that... you could just order a mani, but you would find you forgot a few things.... he is invaluable to getting you all the little stuff to do it right the first time that you might not know about if you didnt have him as your personal guru.

potatoe · 10-04-2009, 08:39 PM

so i got the heatshield off today and it was very broken. now im in the market for a new header i suppose. would the broken exhaust possibly cause it to run really rich and or be sluggish? just tryin to figure out some more problems.

mr3 · 10-04-2009, 09:33 PM

When mine was cracked it did run rich but I didnt notice any power loss. Every shift it popped and backfired but there was no noticible loss in power. Now that it's fixed it's a little quieter and it gets a little bit better gas mileage.

potatoe · 10-05-2009, 04:24 PM

so who do i talk to about this kit?

esreveRBackwards · 10-07-2009, 12:53 PM

Lithia Toyota of Springfield - Toyota MR2 Message Board

YellowJacket · 10-07-2009, 01:27 PM

If you are ready to order, call him direct to order it. 541.736.3221

The forum link above and email (awillis@lithia.com) are probably preferred for non-ordering communication as they allow him the latitude to respond as he has time.

dirocyn · 10-07-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by potatoe

im not sure what tests they did but im not seeing signs that point to a headgasket problem

There are tests--a test for exhaust from the cooling system, a test for coolant in the exhaust, and of course the compression test and the "coolant on the spark plug" test you're doing yourself. If a shop told me I had a bad head gasket I'd want to know which test they used.

Busted exhaust manifold changes back pressure for one cylinder. It also makes your O2 sensor read wrong, so your car will adjust the fuel mix wrong.

potatoe · 10-08-2009, 02:11 AM

good to know thanks guys.

potatoe · 11-09-2009, 03:47 AM

so about that crack... yeah. i finaly got time to tear the manifold out and it was full on broken all the way around. the only thing holding it on was the flange. and to add to the exhaust leak, there were no gaskets connecting the bottom to the flex pipe and holes all over the tubing. also there was no bolt to hold the manifold on under the distributer. me and my buddy welded up all the holes he could find and the crack, made a gasket and got a bolt to replace the missing one and it seems to run a bit better. still gotta figure out the electrical weirdness and burning oil.

edit ***oh and i have pics if anyone cares to see***

countyboy3188 · 11-09-2009, 10:25 PM

When you test for a blown head gasket or any coolant leak most mechanics use a pressure tester where they put pressure in the system and it pushes out coolant where the leak is.

it sounds to me like you have a crack in your exhaust mani.

scottohno · 11-13-2009, 01:24 AM

i have my old stock manifold... ill check it for cracks, but im pretty sure its ok. if not interested, i got my exhaust from a guy in washington, custom made, with a stainless steel header and 2" piping, comes out to be dual exhaust from the muffler and looks really nice. if you want i could take pics. for all of it shipped to my door it cost me almost 600. thats engine back, no cat, and it has stainless steel tips welded to it.

efx · 11-13-2009, 03:28 AM

So what's the cost just for the exhaust manifold he made from stainless steel? And yes, please show us the pictures. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottohno

i have my old stock manifold... ill check it for cracks, but im pretty sure its ok. if not interested, i got my exhaust from a guy in washington, custom made, with a stainless steel header and 2" piping, comes out to be dual exhaust from the muffler and looks really nice. if you want i could take pics. for all of it shipped to my door it cost me almost 600. thats engine back, no cat, and it has stainless steel tips welded to it.

scottohno · 11-13-2009, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by efx

So what's the cost just for the exhaust manifold he made from stainless steel? And yes, please show us the pictures. Thanks.

im not sure so ill ask him. mines a couple months old and it held up great. u want pics of the headers and exhaust or just headers? if theyre not on tomorro they will be monday. my headers got oil on them tho cuz my dist. gasket leaks.

scottohno · 11-17-2009, 01:40 AM

ok i emailed him. his email is terpcar@msn.com by the way. he said he wants 500 per header because its stainless steel, he doesnt like to make them, and they do look nice. however for 150 more he made me an exhaust with a o2 sensor bung in it to read the o2 of all the exhaust past the downpipe (not just 2 cylinders). i know you want pics so ill give u sum pics of it off the car... its beautiful on the car too. and its dual exhaust from the muffler with 2" piping. stainless steel tips. by the way it came with a new EGR pipe, and went straight on with no modification. stock mounts, stock bolt patterns, new gasket, $50 shipping to IL from WA

scottohno · 11-17-2009, 01:42 AM

he ran it around the block to check for leaks. it sounds great inside the car. ive heard it sounds like a subaru. very quiet til the tvis kicks in, then it sounds angry.

YellowJacket · 11-17-2009, 10:32 AM

I bought my exhaust from him also.

10-02-2009, 10:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
potatoe No Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: san marcos, ca Posts: 46 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	possible broken exhaust manifold? so the people at the shop said my headgasket was ****ed, but im pretty sure they didnt tear it down and look at it and then reassemble when i told em i wasnt paying 1400 to change the gasket. im not sure what tests they did but im not seeing signs that point to a headgasket problem, its not smoking out the exhaust, no oil in coolant, no coolant in oil, and im pretty sure a blown headgasket would cause an increase in temp. it also doesnt seem to diminish the coolant level. the only thing i see is if i open the decklid after a drive it smokes from right around the exhaust manifold heatsheild. i was wondering if the problem could be a cracked exhaust manifold instead. also it feels kinda unresponsive and lacking power. gonna check the plugs for coolant tomorrow.

11-17-2009, 01:40 AM	#18 (permalink)
scottohno Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Orland Park, IL Posts: 127 Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	ok i emailed him. his email is terpcar@msn.com by the way. he said he wants 500 per header because its stainless steel, he doesnt like to make them, and they do look nice. however for 150 more he made me an exhaust with a o2 sensor bung in it to read the o2 of all the exhaust past the downpipe (not just 2 cylinders). i know you want pics so ill give u sum pics of it off the car... its beautiful on the car too. and its dual exhaust from the muffler with 2" piping. stainless steel tips. by the way it came with a new EGR pipe, and went straight on with no modification. stock mounts, stock bolt patterns, new gasket, $50 shipping to IL from WA Attached Thumbnails

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10-02-2009, 10:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
YellowJacket 1985 N/A 6-Speed Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 262 Thanks: 8 Thanked 17 Times in 13 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Can you remove the heat shield and look at #4? Thats where the cracks happen 90% of the time. A new manifold kit OEM from Aaron is just under $200 shipped. This is what my #4 looked like cracked... mine wasnt all the way through yet, but I replaced it anyway. Yours sounds like its cracked all the way through but I would think your car would be audibly much louder along with the exhaust leakage.

10-02-2009, 11:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
potatoe No Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: san marcos, ca Posts: 46 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	oh its louder than my old neighbors was, and it rattles.

10-02-2009, 11:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
'91mr2 No Skills Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 41 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	What does the new manifold kit from aaron include?

10-03-2009, 10:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
YellowJacket 1985 N/A 6-Speed Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 262 Thanks: 8 Thanked 17 Times in 13 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	I call it a "kit" but its just what Aaron actually just includes together with the manifold to include all the necessary hardware & gasket needed to get the job done. He's cool like that... you could just order a mani, but you would find you forgot a few things.... he is invaluable to getting you all the little stuff to do it right the first time that you might not know about if you didnt have him as your personal guru.

10-04-2009, 08:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
potatoe No Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: san marcos, ca Posts: 46 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	so i got the heatshield off today and it was very broken. now im in the market for a new header i suppose. would the broken exhaust possibly cause it to run really rich and or be sluggish? just tryin to figure out some more problems.

10-04-2009, 09:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
mr3 Cage Fighter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Plymouth Mtg, Pa Posts: 842 Thanks: 19 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	When mine was cracked it did run rich but I didnt notice any power loss. Every shift it popped and backfired but there was no noticible loss in power. Now that it's fixed it's a little quieter and it gets a little bit better gas mileage.

10-05-2009, 04:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
potatoe No Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: san marcos, ca Posts: 46 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	so who do i talk to about this kit?

10-07-2009, 12:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
esreveRBackwards Some Skills Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 74 Thanks: 15 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Lithia Toyota of Springfield - Toyota MR2 Message Board

10-07-2009, 01:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
YellowJacket 1985 N/A 6-Speed Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 262 Thanks: 8 Thanked 17 Times in 13 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	If you are ready to order, call him direct to order it. 541.736.3221 The forum link above and email (awillis@lithia.com) are probably preferred for non-ordering communication as they allow him the latitude to respond as he has time.

10-08-2009, 02:11 AM	#12 (permalink)
potatoe No Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: san marcos, ca Posts: 46 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	good to know thanks guys.

11-09-2009, 03:47 AM	#13 (permalink)
potatoe No Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: san marcos, ca Posts: 46 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	so about that crack... yeah. i finaly got time to tear the manifold out and it was full on broken all the way around. the only thing holding it on was the flange. and to add to the exhaust leak, there were no gaskets connecting the bottom to the flex pipe and holes all over the tubing. also there was no bolt to hold the manifold on under the distributer. me and my buddy welded up all the holes he could find and the crack, made a gasket and got a bolt to replace the missing one and it seems to run a bit better. still gotta figure out the electrical weirdness and burning oil. edit *oh and i have pics if anyone cares to see*

11-09-2009, 10:25 PM	#14 (permalink)
countyboy3188 3s-gte swap under way!! Join Date: May 2007 Location: Buchanan,GA Posts: 479 Thanks: 15 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (6/100% )	When you test for a blown head gasket or any coolant leak most mechanics use a pressure tester where they put pressure in the system and it pushes out coolant where the leak is. it sounds to me like you have a crack in your exhaust mani.

11-13-2009, 01:24 AM	#15 (permalink)
scottohno Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Orland Park, IL Posts: 127 Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	i have my old stock manifold... ill check it for cracks, but im pretty sure its ok. if not interested, i got my exhaust from a guy in washington, custom made, with a stainless steel header and 2" piping, comes out to be dual exhaust from the muffler and looks really nice. if you want i could take pics. for all of it shipped to my door it cost me almost 600. thats engine back, no cat, and it has stainless steel tips welded to it.

11-17-2009, 01:42 AM	#19 (permalink)
scottohno Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Orland Park, IL Posts: 127 Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	he ran it around the block to check for leaks. it sounds great inside the car. ive heard it sounds like a subaru. very quiet til the tvis kicks in, then it sounds angry.

11-17-2009, 10:32 AM	#20 (permalink)
YellowJacket 1985 N/A 6-Speed Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 262 Thanks: 8 Thanked 17 Times in 13 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	I bought my exhaust from him also.