SpankedYA!

Well I have a customer that purchased a manifold back in August just send me this email.

Hey csaddict, I bought this manifold off you a couple of months ago and have been very happy with it, I dont know if you remember but i made a post in hmt thanking you for such a great looking manifold. Well I noticed the problem when I took out my motor yesterday to replace it with the dohc zc. I flipped my manifold on it and its got two identical cracks. One end of both the cracks ends or starts in the middle of a weld, The other side of the cracks stop in the middle of the metal piping. I had a 48/60 with a 2.5" downpipe with flex section hanging off the manifold. What should I do with it? Ive got the boost factory real close to me so I could have slappynuts tig it up for me if that will work. please help, thanks-- Aaron

He sent these pics along with it.






I have made quite a few manifolds but this is a first. I have never had a cracking issue. Granted this is back when I first started to make them. My technique and welding has improved 10 times.I showed the pictures to another local welder in town and he was thinking it was do to an upward force. He says it would have cracked on the top and not the bottom. He thought the direction through the tubing was weird and that it was force or impact related. He asked if it was used as a lifting point while removing it from the car. I said I would ask Aaron. It seems odd that Aaron didn't notice any issues with the manifold prior to removing it from the car. I would assume that it would have been extremely loud and that the manifold would be covered in carbon. I am having the manifold returned to me and I am obviously making another one for him. I just wanted some educated opinions on the cause. It seems by the nature of the cracks that the upward force theory is correct.

I fully intend to make another one for Aaron and thats not why I'm posting. I just would like to hear some thoughts on the matter. I have contacted multiple customers that purchased manifolds around that same time and use them daily and everyone said its in great shape.

Thanks for helpful thoughts.
David

P.S. this manifold was made completely on a Miller Synco Wave 300. Not a chinese welder.


********UPDATE*******
Well I just got done with Aaron's new manifold. This is the last one of this style I am making. Too much of a pain in the ***. I would rather make Ram Horns. Anyway, here are the pics. Hope he likes it.

Here is the top view. I changed the angle of the flange so the turbo would be closer to the block and added an external wastegate flange at Aaron's request. Obviously free of charge.



Here is my sad macro attemp to show that the welds are not undercut.



Bottom view.



New angle shot for Aaron.



Thank you all for your input on the issue. I appreciate the insight and knowledge.

David

civicvtecb16a

imho the engine has not been run with the manifold cracked, there would at least be a small amount of carbon buildup where it has cracked, would there not?

civicvtecb16a

Was there any flexipipe in the exhaust?

W O T

I would think that was caused by user install error, there would be carbon for sure and a definate noise

Eville140

I have to agree that it was lifted by there. If it was run any at all it would be nasty as heck looking. Plus it would of sounded absolutely horrible while running.

Later
Randy

SpankedYA!

Aaron said there was a flex in the exhaust. My Wife's future step father just left who does Fabrication work and he thinks there was a large impact of some sort. I have to email Aaron again and ask. I really dont care if he took the motor out of the car and it fell on the manifold. I would still make him a new one. I just can't see how it happened.

slappynuts

This is why I dont use stainless steel.That is a full on expansion crack.Bring it to the welding class tomorrow and I will weld it up for you.

daubleaaron

Well, I figured I would contanct you with this via email and let you decied if you wanted to post it up.
I was using this manifold while it was cracked, I did notice one small hairline crack which you can see from above but it didnt seam to be leaking because there was no carbon around it. I had planned to put my crx away for the winter a week or two after I saw the crack so i didnt look into it any further. Untill I finally got out to my grandparents farm which im storing my crx at and pulled the a6 and grabbed the manifold for closer inspection and pictures to show the cracks to CSaddict so he could decied what should be done.
I was using a flex section in my downpipe and I had a shotty weld on my downpipe about an inch or so down from the turbo which was leaking so I knew there was an exhaust leak there. I did wipe the manifold down with a rag, but there wasnt a lot of carbon leading to believe it was leaking a lot of exhaust. As for using it as a lifting point, Im going to school to be a auto tech, I know where is a safe lifting point. My grandpa has a full lift in his shop and a perfect engine hoist, there would be no reason for using any bizzare lifting point like the exhaust manifold. But I understand you would need to clear that up.

Since a new one is being made I have a few requests which I will IM you about.

Here is a shot of the shop I use and one of the setup, I was using poly mount too.

98ctr

It could have happend while in the car, and the wheight of the turbo/downpipe/wastegate kept the cracks closed, and when he took off the manifold the cracks were alowed to open.

Just a thought, but what material did you use to make that manifold?

SpankedYA!

Schedule 10 SS. Slappy you seem to think this is an issue with all SS? Do the bigger dollar ones from the big name companies have issues after time too in your opinion? Think by going with a better grade of SS that it would help? Thanks for clearing it all up Aaron. Like I said from the begining anything you want done is fine. A design change, material change, it doesn't matter to me.

Thanks for the views on the subject guys.