Today I noticed that the end corner of my manifold gasket is torn and cocked
a bit out of line. This is at the very end over an exhaust port. I fired the
engine up and sure enough, I could feel hot exhaust gas pulsing out from the
gap. This explains the exhaust smell I've always had in the cockpit. Now I'm
a rank novice when it comes to auto mechanics, so let me know if my
reasoning is faulty.
Assumption one:
The leak hasn't hurt anything, some of the exhaust has just come out of the
engine compartment instead of the exhaust pipe. (The engine does run well.)
Assumption two:
The gasket was probably torn by the DPO during an engine rebuild because
there really isn't enough pressure in the exhaust manifold to blow the
gasket out like that. (Exhaust manifolds don't get plugged up, do they?)
Now is it essential that I replace the gasket, or could I fill the gap with
some gasket-in-a-tube stuff without removing the manifolds? If the
gasket-in-a-tube
stuff will work, what brand should I try? Is it a difficult job to replace
the gasket? If I replace the gasket, is there a torque spec on the manifold
clamp nut? (You can tell I've never torn an engine down.)
Bob Donahue, Still Stuck in the '50s
rdonahue@holli.com
53 MG-TD under DIY restoration
71 MGB still in shop, 11 months and counting (the TD is winning)
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