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- #721
Yeah, accessing the turbo in a stock application is miserable. The trouble with my setup is that while it looks all out in the open, everything is packaged in such a way that it renders several fasteners completely inaccessible to any tools that would be able to provide sufficient torque. Two exhaust manifold studs are buried between the turbo and the intake manifold, one has an EGR port stud in front of it, one of the downpipe bolts is only accessible using a stubby open end wrench, and several intake manifold bolts can only be reached with an Allen wrench doing 1/6 of a turn at a time. I'm working myself up to spending a lot of money to improve the situation.I was reading your post and thinking, wow, it must be SO EASY to work on the TDI with it oriented lengthwise like that.... then you went and said how awful it is working on the exhaust manifold... lol.
I replaced my wife's exhaust manifold and turbo on her car. As you know, all that is behind the engine and against the firewall. What a pain that is.... just trying to put it into perspective for you!! Your setup is a dream to work on in comparison. I am impressed with how well the little 1.9 is moving about that 70 series metal box around for you as well as it is. They are indeed impressive motors for those who know how to look after them.
There are a couple of exhaust manifold options. SPA Performance Fox/Dasher T3 manifold:
Vanagon 1.6TD "JX" engine code manifold:
And then of course the true party piece, a GTD1752vrk. Should be good for 30psi and pretty extreme EGT's, though hopefully it will help reduce them some instead. A forward facing compressor outlet and v-band exhaust outlet will really simplify the charge piping and exhaust, I have an inquiry out to a company that offers these set up for top mount, waiting to hear back if they would do one with a flange exhaust inlet rather than welded to a manifold.
