Exhaust manifold 190E

[whizzo]

I have a not so lovely V8 sound coming from my 1991 190E 1.8l.
I want to remove my exhaust manifold and fit a new gasket.
Has any one got some tips or advice for me (not don't start it!)
Thanks

 

[spanners]

Exhaust manifold

Soak all the nuts in WD40 before starting. Sometimes they are tight and snap off creating a much bigger problem. :wink:

 

[willydog]

I've got a similar problem on my 190 but decided just to leave it cos my mechanic said it was going to big job cos the bolts are badly corroded
and difficult to remove due to restricted access.

You will probably need to get new bolts as well my mechanic said the bolts probably need heating with a blow torch to get them off.

I'm not going bother to change it until it gets worse as it has been 9 months now and hasn't really got any worse. I only hear the noise when idling but it gets drowned out once on the move.

 

[neileg]

My 190E 2.0 made a noise like that and the manifold was cracked. I bought a second hand manifold and put up with the noise until the exhaust needed replacing. I had the manifold replaced at the same time and was only charged £10 for the extra work.

 

[jaymanek]

hi mate,

I have battled with my manifold all this summer. In total, i wreckon i took it on and off about 20 times!! When i got it off, i cleaned it really well, had it skimmed off to makesure it sealed well. New gasket etc. All in all took the best part of a day. Had to take carb off etc, refit with new gaskets etc etc. On my engine, its quite easy, a lot of room, proabably not on yours.
Anyway, didnt cure it at all. So then i decided it must be cracked, even though i couldnt find one. So i ordered another, had it skimmed, new gaskets again etc. Same noise. By now was getting v annoyed and had a few skinned knuckes. On mine, the exhaust and inlet manifold sort of sit on top one another and there is a thick gasket between them. I finally realised that this is where both the manifolds must have been leaking from. So i got my original and took it apart, replaced gaskets etc.
Still same noise, just couldnt get it to seal. Tried same with new manifold. Same again.
By now i had spent a lot of money on what was initially just a small blow!
Also i was running out of weekends before summer. So now i have put it back together as best as i could. I keep telling myself that it is better than when i started out!
So after all that, if its not too bad, dont bother, you could end up going around in circles. Manifolds get rusty on the surface, they bend, expand, contract etc. After 20 yrs they are bound to blow and itll be the same with a second hand one.

Overall, if you need a new manifold, do not take it apart, just clean it up and put it on.
Also when putting a new gasket on. DO NOT use crappy exhaust sealant. This stuff lasts for about 200 miles, then it cracks and becomes powder and leaves a gap. Only use a bit of copper slip or some other lubricant when putting on the gasket (if its a metal gasket). This will ensure an even fit. W
When doing the bolts up, do each one stage by stage, ie. dont tighten one up completely before the rest. This is all common sense though!

Good luck!

Jay

 

[whizzo]

Thanks Guys, some good advice there.
Dave

 

[Francois]

I recently replaced the gaskets on the manifold on my V8. It was a mission!

Lessons I have learned.

1. Make sure that this is in fact the problem. After spending a day on this, it turned out that it was one of the down pipes that had a hole in it and not the gaskets.

2. Spray WD40 or simmilar penetrating oil on the nuts a couple of hours before the endeavor. This helps a lot and saves your skin and threads on the block.

3. Get new nuts. Do not use the old ones again.

4. Use proper wrenches and spanners and not just a set of pliers. It there is a hard to reach place then: stop, go buy the necessary tool, then try again. Don't continue until it is too late and the nut is busted.

5. Get the gaskets from a dealership. They will last longer and work better.

6. Don't force the nuts. Rather have an experienced mechanic help you with the ones that didn't want to go in properly.

7. Everything in the other posts that I haven't also mentioned.

8. If you need to work under the car, then wear safety goggles. Rust etc. can fall into your eyes when working on the old nuts.

 

[DavidBlake]

Hi.
I have done this a couple of times, it is very easy. Just put a good 12mm ring spanner or socket on the nuts and turn. The studs will come out with the nuts! You can simply reinstall them or locktite in new studs and use new nuts. I simply wound the original studs/nuts back on.
Before you disconnect the downpipes spray the bolts/captive nuts with release oil + allow to soak. you will need quite a long 3/8 extention and universal joint to get the bolts out. The uni joint is quite important, if you don't contact the bolts square and round off the corners you are in a pickle.