Bracing your Turbo/Exhaust - Is this the solution ??

[Random Tim]

Hey there all. After nearly 10 years of ownership and numerous changes of the turbo/manifold gasket, I'm going to share my solution to the problem with you. I think i posted my original design in someone elses thread years ago, but have made a better version now and am going to share what is hopefully part of the solution to an age old problem.

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The materials and tools you will need:
25x3mm steel bar
20x1.5mm steel bar
approx: 150mm of 13mm tube with about a 9mm internal diameter
pair M10 rod ends - 1RH 1LH with lock nuts
2no M10 bolts
2no M10 nuts
3no M8 bolts
welder (or a mate who can)
angle grinder
Drill and 9 and 11mm bits
RH M10 thread tap
LH M10 thread tap

Bend the 25x3 steel so it runs from the back of the block, around the breather hose and pics up the next 2 holes on the side of the head. Make 2no tabs that stick out from the bar roughly where the bends are, these are to mount the rod to. If like me you struggle to get the bend going both ways then make a 90* bend on the long bar and weld the short bar that comes from the back around the breather to it.

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Make up a 2 sided triangle usig the 20x1.5 that fixes to the top 2 bolts holding the elbow to the rear of the turbo, then form a 90* bend in another piece and weld to 1 side of the bracket to form the holder for the other end of the rod.

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I chose to weld the nuts to the brackets to make installation easier.

To make the rod, once you have the 2 brackets made and mounted, measure between the 2 bolt holes in them and cut the tube to suit. Tap 1 end with the RH tap and 1 with the LH tap. This makes it easier to adjust the length of the rod as you will have infinite adustment whereas by using 2 ends the same thread you will be extending the rod in stepped lengths.

I have done this on top of using genuine gaskets with new studs, locking nuts and locking tabs. I am also aiming to modify the downpipe to feature a a flexi instead of the joint between the DP and elbow, and make sure the exhaust is supported at the joint between the end of the DP and CAT to the gearbox mount. Many people also recomend to have the surfaces of the manifold and turbo milled perfectly flat to further minimise chances of it blowing again.

Hope this thread helps some of you. I cant be credited for the designs, it's something i saw a long tie ago on RHDJapan while window shopping. I think it was made by URAS and hilariously expensive. This cost me about £20 and took about an hour to put together.

[T926_S14A]

I had same problem non stop gasket failures, nuts coming loose etc, I made this out of steel not had problem for about 2 years

[Random Tim]

Thats a good ideaa too mate, moving the weight back to the head directly instead of it being through the manifold. Still allows for expansion of the metals.. Glad it worked for you

[T926_S14A]

Yeah knocked it up in 5 mins lol, i found the inside nuts on the mani to turbo (facing cylinder head) keep coming loose as if its being pulled down, even with flexi downpipe, so decided to make a brace/support to keep that side up tight to the manifold and seems to of fixed it so far

[zeppelin101]

My HPI manifold is braced in the centre from the exhaust flange to turbo flange. No issues as yet. Now the turbo has been off though will be the real test.

[ANDY black s13]

Some good engineering there,
I went on the theory of replicating (as best as) the OE bracket that we can't refit when the elbow is changed
I ran a SS manifold on the 13 for 30k + miles on stage 2 powers,I kept the downpipe>gearbox mount bracket
and made a short stiff bracket like this https://scontent-b-mxp.xx.fbcdn.net/...87&oe=54CACB55
https://scontent-a-mxp.xx.fbcdn.net/...2f&oe=54B0C50C
I did a similar thing on the 14a https://scontent-b-mxp.xx.fbcdn.net/...0e&oe=54C62361
https://scontent-a-mxp.xx.fbcdn.net/...2a&oe=54CFB43A

On both I kept the downpipe to gearbox mount,as I see it that takes the strain off the elbow to DP joint
I did look into doing a rocker cover or cylinder head type of brace,like the funky rosejointed braces yb200 cossies had back in the day
but I found my simple little twisted brace worked on both,no cracked manifolds/blown gaskets etc

I even as an experiment ran the 14a without the brace and in about 500 miles the turbo came loose and started blowing the gasket
refitted brace retightened turbo nuts and did 3/4k miles with no issues

[jumpbike]

I have a top mount set up with 2 brackets similar to the second pic going from the 2 inside turbo flange nuts to the empty holes on the head, this is with a T3 flange, 10mm bolts/studs, I hope it aint going anywhere. Also have quite a substantial brace from the bottom of the down pipe to the bell housing followed by a flexi