[urq] (Not) Rod Knock!

[fdekat]

Hello All:

Maybe two weeks ago, I started getting a 'bad noise' under load, and as far
as I could tell, it sounded like a bad rod bearing.(Except that it only made
the noise UNDER LOAD.)  I thought I had narrowed it down to #5, by pulling
the plug wire, the noise went away.

I then swapped 4 & 5 injectors, and could get the noise to stop by pulling
plug 4 wire.

THerefore, must be the injector that I jsut swapped, right?

Zzzzzt! 

I never checked pulling 5 plug, when swapping the 'bad injector' to #4.

But I pursued that it was a bad injector anywy. Surprisingly enough,
replacing injectors #4 & 5 didn't fix the problem.


So.. trailered car to friends shop, and did some more thinking. How about
compression test he says? Sounds good..

#5= 40, #4=40, #3=130, #2=130, #1=130.  Hmm...??? Maybe not a bad rod
afterall?

So, decide to pull the head. I must say, that's a  "fun" job. 
After pulling the cis out of the way, and removing the air box, can finally
get at the intake bolts, then the exhaust manifold bolts, and after hours of
messing, get the head off. Sure enough, perhaps a 1/2 gap in the head gasket
between 4 & 5. Who'd have though that could lead to a 'knocking' noise?

I'm assuming that the 'knocking' was really some extra charge from 4 getting
pushed into 5, and causing too much 'boost' in just cylnder 5. Or
something..?


Anyway, to my real question...

How's the easiest way to get the exhaust manifold back on? 

(It's a MC block in the urq, so both oil & water lines to the turbo.)
Right now, the downpipe and turbo are connected to the manifold. (I didn't
want to undo any of the oil & water lines to the tubos, as they looked kind
of crusty..)


Just attach the manifold (complete with downpipe & turbo) back on again?  I
can't really see how you could correctly torque up the exhaust manifold bolts
that way..

Or.. 

Pull off the downpipe (and wastegate bellows), leaving the turbo on the
manifold, and install that, then connect the downpipe again?

I can't even see how you could pull off the turbo, with the manifold still in
the car. It's really crazy tight in there..!

ANd thanks for all the ideas that I've received so far. It makes one feel a
lot less unmotivated when one knows that there are others with the same sorts
of problems out there!

Regards,

=Frank de Kat=