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[Dave]

what do you mean?

[TK]

Get the manifolds skimmed flat & skip the gaskets, loctite ultra copper silicon FTW. & use studs for the exhaust manifolds, much easier to get the sods on & off in the car with studs rather than groping around under a manifold trying to start a bolt that you can't even see.

Change plugs from underneath with axle stands.

[Dave]

underneath is no-go because of the log, there will be a flange in the wheel well (if we ever put a full exhaust on it )

studs really shit me, broke 3 on the pajero and have had a bunch of other problems with them.

I will just get new bolts and insert the outside two before putting the log in, have always found it easy to get holden headers on, and this should be easier. Will get them skimmed and use the ultra copper.

[TK]

Well, just use 2 studs then - 1 at either end & use good ones, not cheap plasticine shit.
You'll appreciate them once you've had to pull the manifolds off a couple of times - I'm not joking, well worth it to be able to just plonk the manifold on the studs rather than trying to hold the manifold & line it up with one hand & get a bolt started with the other when everything is cramped & there is sharpish cutty/scratchy shit everywhere.

[Gammaboy]

Any thoughts on who to get to grind the manifolds flat? I'm going to have to get a set skimmed soon - the plate the flanges were laser cut from wasn't particularly flat...

[hrt5l]

This is coming along good. Plugs are a problem on mine, got to get the drivers side rear one from underneath caus of the steering arm. Can that copper silicone handle the heat?, if so i will ditch my gaskets.

[crack]

the guy who faced my manifolds i think had a plate that was milled, he puts machine blue on it and and rubs the flanges on it to see the high spots, then using an angle grinder and sanding disk he keeps working the high spots until he gets an even contact with the plate. came out perfect, i'm not sure how much distortion was initially in the turbo manifold head flanges though. much cheaper option that milling the flanges and the same end result.

[BigMuz]

Linisher + good operator = win.

[Dave]

Paul can probably skim them at his work, if not I will get an engine machinist to do them.

[TK]

Muz - gotta be dead flat for the ultra copper to work, they need to be milled.

I do them with a rollover fixture on the mill & cut with a flycutter, comes out flat within .0002" & with a finish you can see your face in.

hrt5L - the regular copper silicon can't take the heat, but the ultra copper can.
My manifolds, wastegates, dump pies & screamer pipes are all sealed with it.

[Greg Rust]

TK, are you talking about this

http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...ve_Sealant.htm

[TK]

Nah, this stuff - my bad, permatex, not loctite!

http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...sket_Maker.htm

[mx_paul]

I`v already machined them Dave , you probably wasn`t listening again . Or I was slurring?

[Dave]

nah, you speak better than you spell, my bad.

[OKE020]

eta till skids / broken parts?