For anyone about to replace turbo gaskets

[Gaz 200SX]

I did this just recently after the dreaded "tractor noise" started. Not willing to pay ridiculous Ni$$an prices, I made my own... and they won't blow again :D
Manifold -> turbo gasket http://www.pmbl.co.uk/images/200sx/Image(072).jpg
Turbo -> turbo elbow gasket http://www.pmbl.co.uk/images/200sx/Image(073).jpg
Pics are before they were anealled and cleaned up. Been installed for a week or so now and I'm well chuffed. Copper sheet is available at loads of places online (I used 0.9mm thick) and cost about £15 delivered for a 30x30cm sheet. Rough cut with a jigsaw, shaped with files and needle files, then drilled. Anneal (Heat to cherry red and let cool naturally) with a plumbers blow torch, clean up with a wire brush.
All-in-all it took about 2 hours to make and saved at least £40 and they won't blow again.

[Rude Dog]

Maybe you should be making a few more sets ;)

[Mark]

The ones you removed look like cheap japspares ones that are crap. The OE ones are multi-layered metal jobbies ;)

Why are you so sure your ones will never blow again :confused:

[PulsatingStar]

But the gaskets are only about 30 quid anyway. Had mine done on Tuesday. IMHO doesnt seem worth it. I wouldnt be confident trying to make it myself anyway.

Lee

[MeLLoN Stu]

could make them in all of 10 minutes tbh, suprised this hasnt been done before.
anyone got any idea what pressure is placed upon the gaskets bar / psi wise ?

[Sideways Danny]

spoke to a company that said they'd make the manifold to turbo gasket and the turbo to dump pipe gasket in copper, in batches for about £10 each

[Gaz 200SX]

Nismo Mark - AFAIK the gaskets were original, FNSH supplied with thee car showed no signs of tubby removal, but that's not to say they aren't cheap Jap items. The head to manifold gasket was a multi-layer steel item. They wont (shouldn't ;) ) blow again because copper gaskets are renouned to be one of the top upgrades... gasket-wise that is.

Pulsating Star - I was quoted £60 inc vat for the turbo gasket set by 3 different places, one reason I gave this a go. If I got into probs, I always had the OE route to fall back on, but for £15 it was worth a go IMHO.

MeLLoN Stu - if there ever is a next time :rolleyes: it would only 10 mins I expect :D . The 2 hours I spent making them was over a lunch break, after 5 hours removing the tubby, trying to suss out exactly how to anneal copper properly, and how to turn on the bl00dy blow torch :ghey:

sideways danny - £10 sounds about right, I spent £15 on enough copper to make 4 sets. to get batches laser cut or wire eroded would be loads cheaper.

Anyways, this was me just sharing an experience. it worked for me and might prove useful to others.

Cheers,
Gaz.

[Stu]

I've already bought the gaskets from Bren for £30, but am interested to know how long the job of changing took? Any tips as I'll be attempting it next weekend?

[Tricky-Ricky]

I'm sorry to say that they will blow again! they probably will last longer than the non Nissan stuff, but i know they will not last as long as the Nissan one's!
beleive me co's i've tried it! its because the heat from the manifold area is just to hot! and what happens is the copper oxidises with high heat, so its constantly breaking down into layers of oxidised scale, which will after a while blow! i removed the one i made for the s13 just befor it went! and it had only been on for about 5,000mls :eek:

[Aitch]

Any tips as I'll be attempting it next weekend?
Soak your nuts in WD40. No, not those nuts, but all the studs and bolts under the heat shields. Might be an idea to get the shields off this weekend and start spraying the bolts and nuts and studs now and repeat all week so the WD40 gets a chance to penetrate the threads. :thumbs:

If it all goes smoothly about 5-6 hours should see the job done. If everything is seized like it was on mine then reckon on about 12 hours.

[Rude Dog]

Use 3 in 1. It penetrates better than WD 40

[scWirral]

Gaz, do you still have the old gaskets? If you could pop them on a photocopier / scanner and let me have a copy, I will have a go at making a .dxf file drawing of them. I teach DT at work and have a desktop CNC machine in my workshop. I regularly cut acrylic sheet / plywood / mdf etc up to a thickness of about 6 mm. I dunno whether my machine will cut copper sheet or not, but as they say I know a man who can. Our local CLC (City learning centre) has invested in some serious CNC kit. The deal for them is that they are given a huge amount of start up cash, but eventually have to develop ways to generate their own funding. Could a group buy on this sort of thing help them I wonder??

I have just replaced my exhaust so I have the gaskets that came off that. Will have a go at them next week.

[stumitch]

Use 3 in 1. It penetrates better than WD 40

3 in 1 eh ?? I will be doing this job very soon as i'll be changing the manifold to SS type and a Dano turbo outlet as they are cheap and HUGE
:nod:

Not looking forward doing it at all but after losing quite a bit of power due to this, its gonna have to be done :confused: