Hard to find exhaust leak

[Jake Brake]

I am pretty certain i have an exhaust leak because no puff of black smoke. I have a pretty loud hiss when building boost.
What i have done
1: bypassed egr cooler
2: replaced flexible exhaust piece by cat.
3: cleaned and looked all over for soot tracks
It only leaks under moderate to high boost and does zap some power.
Working on making a homade smoker system with an old soldering iron, paint can and acouple of fittings and baby oil with an old sock for a wick.
My question is how prone to cracks are the exhaust manifolds?
How prone to blowing out exhaust manifold
gaskets?
How big of a pain is the manifold to remove?
Found out if egr and cooler is off you can remove down pipe with cat out of the top. It has to be jacked up pretty high to do so.

 

[imo000]

Are you sure it isn't a boost leak in the intake system?

 

[oilhammer]

Never seen an exhaust leak on any BHW car ever.

Seen plenty of charge air leaks, though.

 

[Jake Brake]

It might be, no smoke though. I have taken off the front bumper cover and checked each connection of my front mount intercooler too. My flex piece on the exhaust was definitely bad.

I will finish my smoker and try it on the intercooler side. Got 2 young grandkids to look after, daughter had major back surgery and not a lot of time to tinker right now.

 

[Jake Brake]

Have a beaded lip on all my intercooler pipes and T clamps. I cleaned all connections and used hair spray to make the pipes stay put better.
Hair spray works pretty good on a grease free pipe and coupler hose. I sanded the polished area of the aluminum pipes that are clamped as well.

 

[Uberhare]

Never seen an exhaust leak on any BHW car ever.
Seen plenty of charge air leaks, though.

Come to Canada We live in the "salt" belt, just about every BHW needs a mid-muffler here!

 

[oilhammer]

I bet. I see some stuff periodically from the salt belt. It is awful, no idea how you guys deal with that.

 

[Scubanero]

He meant eastern Canada.

 

[Jake Brake]

Thanks guys, I'll post back when i find my leak.

 

[imo000]

I bet. I see some stuff periodically from the salt belt. It is awful, no idea how you guys deal with that.

It's simple, we have to buy cars more often. The VWs have excellent corrosion protection and last a long time. Mazdas on the other hand, if you are quiet, you can hear them rust!

 

[Uberhare]

In fact my BHW had a new mid muffler just before I took it off the road (car was rotten) if anyone needs one!

 

[Jake Brake]

I finished my smoker and tapped into the intercooler side. It was coming from the intercooler. The smoker works brilliantly! Used a friends old nebulizer pump to push the smoke.

 

[oilhammer]

Do NOT try an eBay intercooler. Just get an OEM (Modine) one. Trust me on that.

 

[Jake Brake]

I was already running a front mount intercooler. I have pitched many of the original hoses.
The intercooler is a bar and link type.

Looked around my garage and found most of what I need to hook up the stock intercooler.
May go ahead and hook it back up. I have get a new hose for the one off the turbo.

 

[imo000]

That's the expensive hose.

 

[Jake Brake]

That and the stage 2 tune is why I went to the front mount intercooler.

At least I found out the 3B0145828g hose will fit.

 

[imo000]

That and the stage 2 tune is why I went to the front mount intercooler.

At least I found out the 3B0145828g hose will fit.

Unless you buy an OE hose (I wasn;t able to buy it up here at the dealer), the Chinese replicas will not last long with a Stage 2.