Popping noise - leaky manifold gasket?

[Matt84]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here...

I've noticed the last few trips I have a popping noise coming from my engine, particularly when I release the throttle. I've narrowed it down to LHS of the engine, down by the heat exchanger I think.

I've attached some photos, the first two are of the LHS and the second two the RHS. It seems like the gasket is kinda just hanging out. Maybe it was never fitted correctly? There also seems to be some carbon there, I guess that's where the gas is escaping?










I've also noticed neither heat exchanger is mated to the exhaust part correctly, could this fix prove difficult?

My question is, is this something I could do myself say over a weekend? I'm an engineer by trade and am pretty handy however, I've never taken my engine bay apart before!

Thanks in advance,

Matt

 

[Marriedblonde]

Firstly - wrong section this is for sale and wanted

Secondly yes you can do it yourself, dead easy. Only a few bolts involved. Just changed my complete exhaust and j tubes over today. In the pissing rain. Not a huge job.

 

[Matt84]

Firstly - wrong section this is for sale and wanted

D'oh, I really don't post up here much!!

Could someone move to tech please?

Thanks for the reply

 

[AxlFoley]

Yeah easy enough, just get yourself an exhaust fitting kit first some bolts will be a pain to undo and will probably snap.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Matt84]

Thanks all, got a lot, tools and plenty of releasing fluid!! Going to have a crack tomorrow, do I need to take the rear bumper, valence and tinware off I'm guessing? Or is it just an awkward reach around?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Marriedblonde]

You can get to them without removing it all.

 

[mike202]

My manifold gasket dropped off one of my heat exchangers due the nut not having a spring washer attached. It just came away due to vibration after about a year. I used spring washers on the new kit and on the other side which seemed seized on I just added another nut on top of the existing one.

If I have understood this right and its the same problem I had, it's a bit difficult to tell from the pics, in order to replace the gasket you'll have to take off the HX away from the bolt studs on the engine side. To do this I had to take off rear bumper, engine valance, rear tinware etc etc.