Supersprint 16v conversion manifold touching! FIXED!!

Hey,

I've just noticed now that my engine is all in place and wired in that the supersprint conversion manifold that I've got is touch the sterring rack any got any ideas? or had this problem?

The car is still up on axle stands with the steering disconnected, I'm hoping that by some miracle when I lower the car down it'll some how move and not touch

I also haven't got the rest of the exhaust on yet, just the manifold and downpipe so again by some miracle I hope by fitting the rest of the system it'll clear.

The exhaust is heat wrapped and I'd probably be able to get some of that plumbers heat stuff in between the manifold and steering rack with some gentle persausion.

Please someone give me some words of encouragement, that manifold was damn expensive and it's all in place and heat wrapped I don't wanna take it off

Firstly, which engine (code) are you using?

Secondly, this isn't the first time I've heard about a supersprint manifold touching. I think its something to do with it being designed for LHD, not RHD.

I have a 16V and the steering rack is duly shielded with plumber's soldering mat, from B&Q, held at the back with cable ties. Mine is close but doesn't touch. Seems to do the job.

Oops sorry it's a 9A in a original GTi (DX)

I've heard something about them being for a LHD when I googled the problem, do you think it will be ok? I don't think the heat will hurt as there shouldn't be much (if any) heat coming off the manifold but will it do any physical damage?

If its touching then the heat will damage the steering rack, it will heat it up and melt the grease which will run away. If there's a little clearance you'll be okay so long as you insulate the steering rack. Another thought occurred - maybe the engine will sit very slightly differently and it will clear, if you replace the engine mount inserts.

hmm ok

I've changed to a diesel rear mount, maybe with it being harder it's making the engine sit differently? the side mounts are new replacement VW items and the front is the original VW mount..

Could take the rack out and use 2 bits of a string to go left and right?

Just spoke to my uncle and I think the first thing we will try is changing the rear mount back to a GTi and putting a couple washers behind the bolts on the front mount, see if it'll tilt the engine back enough..

1 thing I did find odd which I think is worth saying.. Every where I read when doing this conversion said to put the side engine mounts in first the worry about the engine mount after cause it's the easy one.

Well, took us about 20mins to do the side mounts and 3 hours to do the rear mount! ended up taking the studs out where it mounts to the engine and replacing them for bolts cause we just could not get the mount to line up, it was always twisted!

Could I possibly have the wrong mount if you take that into consideration? Paul - did you have the same problem with the rear mount as me?

AdrianT said

Just spoke to my uncle and I think the first thing we will try is changing the rear mount back to a GTi and putting a couple washers behind the bolts on the front mount, see if it'll tilt the engine back enough..

1 thing I did find odd which I think is worth saying.. Every where I read when doing this conversion said to put the side engine mounts in first the worry about the engine mount after cause it's the easy one.

Well, took us about 20mins to do the side mounts and 3 hours to do the rear mount! ended up taking the studs out where it mounts to the engine and replacing them for bolts cause we just could not get the mount to line up, it was always twisted!

Could I possibly have the wrong mount if you take that into consideration? Paul - did you have the same problem with the rear mount as me?

You might have the mount pressed in upside down - I doubt if you have the wrong side mount, but its always possible. I had no issues fitting my rear mount, it shouldn't take 3 hours. I can't see why you'd need to leave the side ones loose, since there's a range of adjustment on the rear one too - the part that bolts to the car can be moved side-side if needs be?

hmm, I'm gunna put the original mount back in rear I think and see what happens.

Thanks for the advice paul

Well, I knew I wasn't gunna sleep tonight if I didn't get this sorted so trundled back into work and had a think..

Took some of the heat wrap off and voila! I have about 2-3mm clearance! Not a lot, but as long as it isn't touching, it can't cause a problem right?

Yay

well i dont see why it would cause a problem….its not gonna be any hoter than the original one ever was is it!!!  i personally dont see the need to wrap them anyway, even the standard type heat shields disipate the heat onto other areas

besides if ya go fast enough it will be air cooled anyway :wink:

1. The more torque an engine produces for a given capacity, the hotter the exhaust gases. PV = nRT

2. The point of exhaust wrapping is to keep the exhaust gas temperature high as it exits the engine, thus keeping it in laminar flow rather than turbulent flow. This leads to less friction –> more power.

all negligable on a mk1 golf road car though yeah? a thorough bred race car maybe!

Not really……every Mk1 I've seen has had its rubber gaiter which surrounds the steering column - rack, hardened and perished. While 4 inches away is the right rack boot, which never sees this damage. So heat is an issue here. Its not a serious issue though (not an MoT failure area).

I just think heat wrap looks cool and makes me seem like I know what I'm doing lol

I gotta try n get the rest of the supersprint system to fit now, which is looking near impossible grr

I have full supersprint system on my 16v (1.8 KR) my manifold fitted ok after being heat wrapped, some times the exhaust touches the antiroll bar but only for a second! Its a tight fit but with a bit of time it will fit nice!

I was always advised that you shouldnt wrap a stainless manifold - it will induce cracking  :dontknow:

I am gonna be running a unwrapped stainless 4branch, instead using a turbo heat shield on my steering rack… which is exactly what the seat ibiza cupra has fitted and thats gonna get alot hotter than my 16v  

Everyone says somthing different, I only put on just enough heat wrap to cover it, have seen manifolds with twice as much as it needs! I used to have a MK2 with 4 branch and no heat wrap, then I wraped it and it was just the same to drive, so I dont think there is a noticable power gain or anything!

only time you will see a power gain from generation of laminer flow is if you have a straight though exhaust system (i.e no back box) as the box will generate more than enough turbulance into the system to kill all laminer flow. you want to maintain smooth flow of exhaust gases get the manifold,down pipe and exhaust gas flowed and remove all imperfections including the joints.

MK1Allan said

Everyone says somthing different, I only put on just enough heat wrap to cover it, have seen manifolds with twice as much as it needs! I used to have a MK2 with 4 branch and no heat wrap, then I wraped it and it was just the same to drive, so I dont think there is a noticable power gain or anything!

Wrapping just the area where the steering rack is, is sensible. If you wrapped the whole thing, then the exhaust gases would be hotter once they have travelled the foot or so from the exhaust valve outlet on the head to the area concerned. Yes, there is a significant temperature gradient over the wrap (mainly due to its weave stopping convection, and its non-radiating properties, together with a low thermal conductivity anyway) but this would be the same at this area no matter how it was wrapped. So you'd transfer the least heat to the rack, if you only wrapped it in the area where radiation/convection was most significant.

Putting it another way, wrapping does 2 things:

1. Makes the exhaust gases flow easier (because they're hotter)
2. Provides some insulation to surrounding components.

it also has the benefit of reducing temperature at the inlet manifold, compared to non wrapped.