RE: Broken exhaust headpipe on 87 5000 tq

[New England: July-August & winter 12-Oct-1994 0909 <samaras@wrksys.enet.dec.com>]

 >Car:  1987 5000 turbo quattro with 130,000 KM (about 80,000 miles)
 >
 >On the weekend I poked my head into the engine compartment after starting
 >the car for first time that day (engine COLD). I could hear what sounded
 >like an exhuast leak.
 >
 >What I found was that the exhaust pipe RIGHT BEHIND the oxygen sensor is 
 >cracked completely around!!! I stuck my hand down and could feel the hot
 >exhaust blowing out the gap...
 >
 >Question: anyone else have this happen to them??

Yes, the exact same thing happened to my 86 5000CS TQ about 2 years ago. Looks
like a big job to me... I removed the turbo air pipes to get at the exhaust.  I
wrapped the crack with el-cheapo muffler heat tape and applied some hi-temp
sealer goo from NAPA. Than I got a big stainless hose clamp and tightened it
around the cracked area. It's been like this for 2 years. The car runs fine. It
leaks just a little. I'm not going to replace the pipe or take any of this
apart.

This would be an awful job.  I'm _sure_ the manifold studs will break if I
tried to remove them.  Also, stainless exhaust parts are big bucks. Not to
mention that the wastegate, etc has to be removed. I gave up on this one...

If you have the ambition to really fix this, please let me know how it goes.

Oh yeah, when I sealed the exhaust leak, the engine ran better.  I'm sure the
OXS sensor is getting the wrong reading when the pipe leaks.


...bill
DEC 
MAYNARD, MA