Mighty Shilling

How can I check for cracked headers? I've always suspected it, but today for the first time I had the car running with the hood open, and I've heard it now too... also gonna put it up on ramps and tighten every frickin nut and bolt that I can find under there...

Ian Carr

best thing i can think of is to put a little oil in the intake and see if it smokes from the headers. I know my exhaust cracked at the Y in the cross over...

bscpanther

never tried oil in the intake but finding leaks is as easy as sticking your hands down there and feeling around (while car is cool of course). I've been able to easily find pinhole leaks this way.

Ian Carr

^ thats how i found mine.. I would think that would be hard with the heat shield though.

Techno Duck

Well the slightly more expensive way (but most sure fire) is to find a shop or something with access to a smoke diagnostic machine. Stick it in the tail pipe and eventually you will see a thick white smoke emanating from any leaks in the system. Same can be done with the intake track.

Mighty Shilling

I had a friend tell me to plug it with a paper towel or something and feel around... didn't seem bright to me...

Ian Carr

^no just do it when the car is cold, it is actually a good idea. You will see the paper towel move when it is hit by exhaust.

wolfenstein

i usually have a friend cover the tailpipe with a welding glove, small towel works as well. they usually crack at the flanges, hope this helps

toddk911

Wouldn't the wastegate block airflow from the tailpipe up to the headers?

SD Porsche Fan

It shouldn't. The WG only opens when it's told to. Exhaust flows normally out the tailpipe with it open or closed.

MPD47

While the car is COLD start it up and spray soapy water on the headers with a hand held spray bottle (like a windex bottle). It will bubble up if there is a leak.

-M

Mighty Shilling

Ok. I'm gonna go look.

friend last night (in a parking lot) blocked it off with his bare hand for like, 3 seconds after a spirited drive. I'm surprised he lasted that long...

Mighty Shilling

oK. so here's what I found- #1 and #2 cylinder head to header had loose nuts. they've been tightened. Also, on the exhaust side of the turbine, 2 of the 4 bolts holding that down were very loose, as in nearly falling off... since it's on the exhaust side of the turbine, I can't see it being parasitic, but I bet that's where my spooling sound is coming from, not to mention it'll be a hell of a lot safer to bolt those back down... Carbon monoxide poisoning isn't fun.

and Mike, burning soap smells REALLY bad. thanks