ShadowDrake

So I've got my turbo DOHC build up and running finally. Been working out all the kinks - one of the last ones being all of the exhuast leaks.

The on3 performance forward facing kit fits like crap. But that's to be expected. I'm also very unhappy with on3 because my kit was missing a lot of key parts and any time I have tried to get in touch with them about it, I get ignored. If it's on the phone they just say they know some were missing, ask for my last name, and just tell me they will send the parts out and then get off the phone as quickly as possible. It's been two months now and those parts they were going to send out haven't shown up.

And they just ignore any e-mails I send asking about missing parts.

Unhappiness with their customer service aside, the fitment is kind of poor. Off the passenger side header, there's a v-band connection. It doesn't line up well and has a decent gap. If I turn the clamp down as hard as possible it still leaks.

So I gooped it up with copper RTV and let it cure for about 48 hours to be sure. It works beautifully until I make about two pulls. The heat is burning the copper RTV and it starts leaking again. The leak slowly gets worse till it starts making me get massive turbo lag. Then I have to take the clamp off, scrape out all the RTV dust, and reapply.

But it doesn't last very long.

Is there anything out there that will work at higher temps than copper RTV? This stuff is burning away at 4 psi and I want to turn up the boost already.

Repzard

That sucks about ON3.
What about the Industrial JB Weld ?

That takes heat better than the regular JB weld.

Maybe you can form a Gasket out of it that will hold up better that RTV.
As for ON3 Id give them hell and they would hate me

ShadowDrake

As much as I want to, I can't bring myself to do it being too polite. They're a startup and I'm grateful for what they're making. I was able to get the rest of the stuff myself, it was just a huge chase. I'm lucky to have Aeroquip right down the road.

I'll have to give that a try if all else fails. I need to have that piece be removable though because it goes through the k-member up to the front of the engine. I'm planning on having to pull the engine again soon to give the heads a complete refresh. Thanks

cliffyk

Depending on how large the gap to be spanned is, you may find that this stuff (Permatex Metal repair Compound, aka "Muffler Cement") works.



Heavy (pounding) vibration and movement between the clamped parts, are not this product's friends, however I have used it as an alternative to odd-ball (hard-to-get and expensive) motorcycle exhaust manifold gaskets for years...

ShadowDrake

It isn't a terribly large gap, and the gap is only on one side because the flanges aren't parallel. The exhaust manifold side absolutely isn't budging for sure, and while the up pipe side has a section of flex-tube, because they aren't parallel I can't get them to line up.

I'm going to try with a couple of friends this weekend to muscle it into place and possibly make a gasket out of aluminum foil layered over itself.

The v-band clamp will hold pretty much anything I need in place over the gap. As long as that metal repair compound allows me to separate it later, even if I have to bang it apart, that'll be fine. Else I'd just weld it together :P And the clamp does go tight and does a good job of preventing any motion once it's clamped down.

The turbo is -supposed- to be attached to the front of the engine with a support bracket but that was one of those missing pieces that on3 forgot to include. So the turbo's full weight is on the up pipe.

cliffyk

I really do not understand your being so charitable to this "ON3" outfit--if this is the way they treat their initial "start-up" customers they don't stand a chance in the real world.

FWIW--Aluminum melts at 1220°F--pretty close, to maybe well below, the temps you'll be seeing at that joint...