Manifold to turbo housing Nuts are coming loose

[QuattroBucc]

Hey everybody I was wondering what the best type of Nut to use or Nut/washer combo so it won't come loose on the turbo housing. Mine keep coming loose and creating exh leak at the flange no matter how tight I seem to get them. Its a bitch to get to the 2 backside nuts nearest to the exh manifold so Ideally I want something that will hold, would serrated Nuts going into copper washers hold? Some people have to drill holes through the studs/nuts and wire ring them

[B5carl]

Not sure if you tried copper bolts. They fit tight and are resistant to corrosion

[MetalMan]

What turbo and manifold?

I had the biggest struggles keeping bolts from coming loose on my Frankenturbo setups.

Early on I used the 034 locking plate: https://store.034motorsport.com/k03-...ng-flange.html
This worked well enough, but it's not really reusable. I had turbos on/off way too often haha.

Then I switched back to bolts. Went with grade 10.9 bolts from McMaster-Carr. I forget the length exactly but my memory is suggesting 75mm. Drilled the heads and safety-wired the bolts. Only downside with bolts is that the inboard bolt has to be installed before the manifold gets installed (otherwise the cylinder head gets in the way).

0620141744_zps2f4f4bbf.jpg

[xdewaynex]

I had problems with my Frankenturbo as well, eventually modified the turbo brace to fit and installed ARP bolts with nord lock washers and never had a problem. I did use a nut and stud for the hole close to the head.

[B5carl]

Theres a book called nuts,bolts, fasteners, and plumbing by Carroll Smith. He use to be a F1 driver and he tells you everything on what hardware to use around the car.

[Blazius]

I just run bolt + lock washer(split washer) on T3 without issues for now.

[QuattroBucc]

Not sure if you tried copper bolts. They fit tight and are resistant to corrosion

I haven't but with more research it seems those are the best- with nordlock washers, ill have to order some

[QuattroBucc]

What turbo and manifold?

I had the biggest struggles keeping bolts from coming loose on my Frankenturbo setups.

Early on I used the 034 locking plate: https://store.034motorsport.com/k03-...ng-flange.html
This worked well enough, but it's not really reusable. I had turbos on/off way too often haha.

Then I switched back to bolts. Went with grade 10.9 bolts from McMaster-Carr. I forget the length exactly but my memory is suggesting 75mm. Drilled the heads and safety-wired the bolts. Only downside with bolts is that the inboard bolt has to be installed before the manifold gets installed (otherwise the cylinder head gets in the way).

0620141744_zps2f4f4bbf.jpg

its a SPA top mount twinscroll T3 cast manifold with a VSR 58/55 turbo so quite heavy and I don't have a brace for it. theres m10x1.5 studs in the manifold so I have to use a Nut/washer combo

[QuattroBucc]

I just run bolt + lock washer(split washer) on T3 without issues for now.

did you torque them while manifold is Hot? or cold? I've heard ppl say if you torque them when hot they wont come loose, but I can't really get to my back 2 nuts to tighten while car is hot. I think i'll try copper nuts with nordlock washers, took almost 2 months for them to popoff but last night on the hwy after accelerating to speed I started hearing what almost sounded like knocking I thought I hurt the engine but I babied it home to find there was only 1 nut left holding the turbo to the manifold lol

[Blazius]

did you torque them while manifold is Hot? or cold? I've heard ppl say if you torque them when hot they wont come loose, but I can't really get to my back 2 nuts to tighten while car is hot. I think i'll try copper nuts with nordlock washers, took almost 2 months for them to popoff but last night on the hwy after accelerating to speed I started hearing what almost sounded like knocking I thought I hurt the engine but I babied it home to find there was only 1 nut left holding the turbo to the manifold lol

Cold but I am not on stock hardware, the manifold holes are threaded and the bolts are running thru the turbo, no nuts used.

[QuattroBucc]

I just threw on nordlock washers with Copper Nuts and got them real snug n' Tight so hopefully I don't gotta do it again cuz the back 2 Nuts i had 1 inch of movement with my spanner and being all bent over getting 1/16 of a turn every go was a bitch on my lower back

[QuattroBucc]

Update, nordlock washers and copper Nuts didn't work, started coming loose 1 week later and now blew out the gasket so turbo's gotta come off now. I don't really want to have to wire-lock them so any other tips?

[B5carl]

Might need a brace? Maybe downpipe is pulling on it to hard so might need to be remade. ARP might have studs and high temp loctite could maybe work or melt.

[xdewaynex]

Definitely sounds like you need to fab up some sort of brace. Maybe look into Stage 8 locking hardware, thats what I went with on my Hx35 and Treadstone T3 manifold.

[MetalMan]

034 sells these guys: https://store.034motorsport.com/lock...d-or-bolt.html
I think it would work well as long as you don't take your turbo off often, since they aren't really reusable. That's part of why I went with safety wire on my Frankenturbo setup, because I happened to remove my turbo often and safety wire is extremely cheap.

[Gumby]

I’ve been running an OEM Nissan T3 gasket, with OEM Nissan T3 locking tabs for years, and have had zero issues.

https://frsport.com/products/nissan-...b20det-rb25det

https://frsport.com/products/nissan-...32-r33-r34-c34

[QuattroBucc]

I’ve been running an OEM Nissan T3 gasket, with OEM Nissan T3 locking tabs for years, and have had zero issues.

https://frsport.com/products/nissan-...32-r33-r34-c34

https://frsport.com/products/nissan-...32-r33-r34-c34

ooh those locking tabs look nice, that might be the winner

[Gumby]

ooh those locking tabs look nice, that might be the winner

I didn’t realize I posted the link to the locking tabs twice. I edited my post to add the gasket I use.

[QuattroBucc]

I didn’t realize I posted the link to the locking tabs twice. I edited my post to add the gasket I use.

so you just fold it up against the side of the nut and that prevents the nut from turning?

[Gumby]

so you just fold it up against the side of the nut and that prevents the nut from turning?

Yep. Same with any locking plate. Just take a punch and fold it around the nut to keep it from backing out.

[QuattroBucc]

Yep. Same with any locking plate. Just take a punch and fold it around the nut to keep it from backing out.

gotta use a basic flat hex nut though right? To get it to wrap on the side of the nut flush

[MetalMan]

gotta use a basic flat hex nut though right? To get it to wrap on the side of the nut flush

Ideally, yes. At least with the 034 tabs they are long enough to use with flanged nuts though.

[B5carl]

You should still make sure the test pipe/downpipe isn't pulling hard on the turbo housing or eventually you will develop a crack in the manifold like alot of people do.

[QuattroBucc]

You should still make sure the test pipe/downpipe isn't pulling hard on the turbo housing or eventually you will develop a crack in the manifold like alot of people do.

Yeah I definitely need to fab up an extra mount for the exhaust and a brace for the manifold