Going f!ix my turbo to manifold joint for good!
 

I have had it all, copper coated, hardened, and now this shit is loose again with yet another stud broken and others backed off. It is time to put the idea below into practice.

Non-OEM turbo under race conditions: welding or die!
http://www.turbo240sx.ca/images/newturbomounted.jpg

http://www.turbo240sx.ca/images/turbowelded.JPG

I will probably remove the entire intake plumming and disconnect the downpipe and try to remove the manifold and turbo myself and bring them to my shop to have them resurface the flanges and replace the four studs, tighten it all up, heatcycle and then weld it all together.

i knew contents of this thread when i looked at title :)

hope you are not planning to upgrade your turbo later...

How about just a few spot welds instead of all around like that?
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I think fabbing up a v-band setup would be much better, you could easily remove it if your turbo fails or you need to take it off for some other reason.

Just thinking if driftbadgerbanger is cracking manifolds, and I've torn downpipes, I have a feeling that weld is going to crack eventually.

What were you using for lock washers? Can't remember the name of the type I'm using, the ones w/ the ramps on them....those things are good and stuff.

Nord washers. And they suck on track cars. Mine bit the dust long ago. They're still there, but they can't shit from back out. And once you do secure the studs/nuts so they won't budge, your studs will back out or the threads will strip. I already have a heli-coil in one of the holes in the manifold and I'm just waiting for it to die, at which point I'll probably weld mine too.

If it were me, I'd never weld a turbo to a manifold, instead, I'd get extra long studs and fab a square piece of steel that was big enough to sit over top all 4 studs on the backside (threaded side). It may end up looking like a horseshoe to get around the exhaust and still cover all 4 studs. I'd then tack weld that plate to the end of those studs. They won't back out, and if you ever need to remove the turbo, you just cut off the tips of the studs and unthread the bolts as normal.

What's so hard about that? I thought that up just now in 5 seconds while reading the OP.

@Project84: the studs break.

maybe a turnbuckle is needed? Maybe a big ass heat sink can somehow be added? These are quality studs and they just break? I don't get it.... that's frustrating just to think about, let alone actually have to deal w/ that. Sorry man, thought my idea had it squared away.

V-band or spot welds.

If I ever change from the Greddy I'll be looking for a v-band setup.

Chris

Like i said earlier, if you can do it, v-bands are the way to go. We have countless v-band connections on the airplane i work on (b-52h), they undergo much more stress than im sure any turbo setup on a miata does, I've never seen one fail.

greenday - Hey, my brother's a B-52 pilot stationed at Barksdale AFB. I wonder if you know him? (I suppose there are quite a few B-52 pilots stationed there.....)

V-band is nice, but I don't see how that is going to fit with this manifold and this turbo. So that is another very expensive route...

V-Band Adapter - GT25/GT28/GT307X-WG Series: atpturbo.com
These aint for the turbo to mf connection...

turnbuckle to limit engine movement is under investigation.

Heat sink for what?!

Tial Turbine Housings: atpturbo.com

PROGRESS UPDATE:
Started to disassemble everything. Work for 2 hours this afternoon with icecream and beer breaks because the weather is lovely. The intake plumming is gone and all nuts are loose. Wasn't actually hard, just took it slow and easy.

I am now in the process of removing the manifold and turbo as one unit. This is currently not possible because of stud length in the block and turbo which I am going to shorten all. Dremel works I found.

After it is all out, i will also make a bit more room in the firewall/suspension top mount reinforcement area - the horizontal sheetmetal below the brake booster. Not alot, just a little more. The turbo+mf should then easily slide on the engine and downpipe.

Pics monday probably...

Nice but very $$$ and I would also need a vband welded to my downpipe. On a new setup I am all for it, but not right now.

Those prices are CRAZY!!!

I was thinking some type of heat sink like copper tubing that you could flatten on one end and drill a hole through it and run a stud down on it w/ a lock washer of course. (this would go between your fastener and the manifold)

Totally just guessing whether or not it would work (or allow for you to adequately tighten your bolts) but it would suck a lot of heat of your fasteners (while looking ridiculously lame).

Sorry... nix that idea, it blows.

Oh, by the way, is your manifold flange cast? You're going to have a hard time wedling to it if so.

Really thats cool, I'm enlisted and work in maintenance as an electrical and environmental systems specialist so I doubt I would know him.

Back on topic: I thought you were looking for solutions for the MF to turbo connection not the turbo to dp?