I'm with you in that they are a bit messy looking. Don't have oil pooling in the intake manifold any more though. No smells. They definitely work.

Been just under 4k KMs since my last service, and I hadn't checked my exhaust manifold bolts since the service. Since doing the studs I figured they'd be fine, they were re torqued at the last service too. However on boost I noticed a strange noise I'm all too familiar with, exhaust leak! 

Checked it out yesterday, I've lost a nut and washer from cyl 6 lower stud 😭😭😭

Could see soot all around cyl 6 making it pretty clear what's happened. Checked all the others and had a couple that were loose. Dammit! 🙃

 

Emailed empire elite, hoping they stock individual parts as spares so I can buy some. For now, found a m10 nut in my dad's nut and bolt collection and used that for the time being. Thinking I should invest in some Nord lock washers to replace the titanium ones, thoughts? 

Annoying man, but good pick up. Might be worth trying the nord lock washers.

 

I need to get to work on my car. I'm half way through tidying up various lines. Coverting boost control silicone lines to braided AN lines, and I'm tidying up water lines. I hate the factory turbo waterline, so converting that to braided AN all the way. Not sure if I'm going to remove the header tank or not...

I'd love do an water lines too! Bit of a pain to do though. You can get an adaptor that goes under the thermostat to convert to an, but it means you need to do an lines for the water line that goes behind the engine too. Would look mint though once done!

 

 

Have an annoying update 🙃

Still noticing a small exhaust leak, it's coming from my screamer, I think the wastegate is stuck open a bit 👌👌

Yeah I've got the billet lower and upper thermostat housings to convert it all, including the hardline AN10 adapter. 

 

Good luck with the screamer man

Give us pics when you do it mate! Would love to see how it comes out 😄

 

WG seems to have sorted it's sh*t out, gave it a careful boot to open it and after that it was fine. I'll let MT know at it's next service to take a look at it. 

Ok, halfway through, but this should give an indication of what it looks like. I've retained the factory coolant overflow and just need to connect up the turbo water line. Easier said than done because mine's routed around the back of the motor.

 

Bit of a learning process for me. I've also done full AN4 lines for boost control, but the AN10 lines for the coolant pipe under the intake manifold were a bit of a pain to make... the olive just didn't want to seat, and I frayed the braided line a bit trying to get it perfect. Anyway, looks tidier.

 

Definitely looks way nicer! that's the only thing that's putting me off doing this is the line that goes from under the thermostat around the back of the motor 🙃

Your water feed is probably at the front, so easy to access. Mine was routed around the back when the engine was out. 

 

The hardline underneath the intake manifold wasn't too bad, I just hope the AN to pipe adaptor doesn't leak...

Oh, yea the turbo is at the front, but there is a hard line that goes from the thermostat to the heater, and that is routed round the back