exhaust manifolds

["Dan Bocek" <dan@di.com>]

So, I finally flatbedded my Ur 300 miles from the Bay Area to Santa Barbara
over the weekend, and I took the exhaust manifold off to get it ported.
Turns out there are quite a few cracks in it here and there.  Specifically,
on the manifold outlet port where it bolts to the turbo, there are what
can best be described as four 'webs' (like the ones between your fingers)
which are the walls from some of the exhaust ports which all meet at the 
turbine inlet.  These webs have some pretty nasty cracks in them.

In addition, there are three other cracks on the outside of the manifold
in various places which look like they've been welded shut by the 
previous owner - two of which cracked again.

I talked this over with Sport Wheels.  They said that all the turbo 
manifolds crack, and not to worry about it.  They said the cracks don't
generally seem to leak or propagate further - just to live with it (which
I might do at $600 for a new one).

On later model 10V turbo engines, Audi apparantly went to some kind of 
split manifold with a flex pipe between the two halves.  These are not
supposed to crack.

Anyone care to comment on any of the above?

-- 
                                                   
                                                    Dan Bocek
                                                    dan@di.com