Help To Fit New Exhaust Manifold?

[Ronniebiggs]

Im after a bit fo advise.

I bought:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130290931476

A few days ago and spent 6 hours yesterday trying to get it to fit!

The car was stripped down in less than 40 minutes but when I come to put this manifold on it was nothing but hassle. First I had to reroute the oil pipe to the turbo and then once I started to put the nuts on the head side of the manifold I noticed that the turbo bolt holes where a mile away from lining up!

Then I noticed that the bold wouldnt even go in the holes as the due to where the holes where drilled. So I rounded the holes alittle and got the bolts to fit through the holes but again unless I cut the bolts down they would of had to go in on an angle and I would never have got the thread started.

No matter what I did the turbo holes wouldnt line up without making the holes even bigger and risking the strength of the manifold at that point. I even got the feeling that even if I got it on. Tightening the nuts/bolts would have been a near impossibility on some of them due to how well they where obsquered.

I e-mailed the seller and have had no reply as yet. Any advice?

What would you do would you try again and fit it?
Try and get your money back? bear in mind I drilled out the holes alittle!

Etc

Many Thanks
Andy

 

[ScottyP45]

Look at this post on audi zine, it looks like a completely different angle on the turbo flange from the one you showed on ebay, the ebay one points straight up where the audizine one is at an angle:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=267373

granted its a custom one by a manufacturer but the turbo sits on the top - dunno if you need to realign the cat to match the new turbo position but the two manifolds look very different.

Also check the URL on the ebay pics....

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/xspower/audi/

Heres the dearer original:

http://www.xs-power.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37&products_id=308

 

[aragorn]

This kinda crap is quite common with XSPower stuff, some of it will go on and fit perfectly, and others will be nowhere close.

 

[Ronniebiggs]

I noticed that there was a site called XS power. The guy is e-mailing me and has said he wants pics of the manifold but I need my car for work so I had to rebuild it yesterdayand im not taking it back apart just to take pics!

The next time I take it apart it is either going to have a nice new shiney stainless manifold on or im going to break the damn thing into small pieces!. You should see the state of my arms and hands after 6 hours trying to force it to fit! I have never been in so much pain. My nuckles are nearly all bleeding! Bo way am I stripping it again until im ceratin it will go on.

 

[ScottyP45]

i'll try and find a photo of the original on vagcat for you, that should help him.

 

[ScottyP45]

here are full size shots from the site showing the fitment:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/xspower/audi/22022008030.jpg

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/xspower/audi/?action=view&current=DSCF0025.jpg

http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i90/xspower/audi/?action=view&current=DSCF0023.jpg

Does your one look exactly like this one? maybe they sent the wrong model.

 

[Ronniebiggs]

The picture where it is fitted to a car clears alot up for me. Thats the picture they show as there demo and if you look it isnt actually fitted!! They havent got the nuts attached! Mine fits without the nuts and looks like the picture. Its trying to get the damn bolts through the turbo thats the problem!

So maybe this is something that is happening to everyone who buys these manifolds. They cant fit them without altering the flanges. But maybe there not saying anything about it because they are managing to get it on even though its alot of work.

I could chop my flange off and have it rewelded onto the car in the correct place or even get another flange made and weld that on. But its all hassle and all I wat is it on. SO the easiest way is going to be to drill out the holes bigger and try and get it to fit some how. But again Im risking it not fitting and having to reassemble it standard again. This time im out of gaskets so if it doesnt go on. Im ********

 

[ScottyP45]

yeah thats a pisser mate. I guess now you have altered it you will need to keep going, what I would do is let a fabricator / pipefitter mate (if you know one lol) to take a look and alter the manifold. They wouldnt prolly take much to do it, less than you paid for it and they want over £300 for one off the manifold website.