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New chrome inlet pipes....rubbish running.

2K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  alfa101 
#1 ·
After HMs continual remarks as to be a 'durty boy', I bought a nice clean set of chrome inlet pipes for my 156 V6.
Spent a day cleaning them up and on my day off decided to replace the old corroded ones that made the engine bay look so durty.

Took the old one s off, and did a straight swap with the new ones. Bolted them in and re-did the pipe fastners at the throttle body end.

Now the car runs (and sounds) like HMs GTd!!
Pops, bangs and continual whistling.
I surmise that there is air getting in/out somewhere it shouldn't.
I'd guess it's more likely to be at the rubber tube end rather than bolted end.

Any suggestions as to get the sweet V6 noise and smoothness back?
 
#2 ·
Did you replace the gaskets or use the old ones?

Could be the cause. Also, the gaskets are a pig and generally slide off when bolting down a pipe. Perhaps one has slid out of place a little and you now have a major air leak...
 
#4 ·
Used the old ones, and they were a pig to get back in place. It seems like they're located properly, but that air is pretty thin stuff and can get through the tightest of place......
I'll have a look after a well earned brew.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Sometimes you can hear the leek!!
hope that's not a pun on my Welsh heritage


yep, can hear the leak, just trying to find where it's coming from. Choice of 12 seals, and 24 bolts to choose from......
and all just to make it look better.

Ran great before, looked cack.....looks great runs cack,

a lesson to be learned, perhaps?
 
#7 · (Edited)
Well the job's well an truly FUBAR'd.

Took the new pipes off, to check and replace the gasket seals. Dropped one bolt into the recesses of the engine bay, not too bad as I've got some spare.

Put the first resealed tube back on and put the bolt back in, when withdrawing my extended socket, the 5mm hex key fell of the end and it too has disappeared into the engine.

WHAT A T**T!!

I can see both the hex key and missing bolt, but there's no way on God's green earth that these are getting back out the way they went in with an additional tool attached.

Is it the look of the Alfa? Every SIMPLE (and I mean simple) job I start becomes a nightmare, things that used to take 10-20mins on the SAAB end up being a day off job, and hope it stays light until I finish.

Best example, headlights;
Saab open bonnet, remove 4 bolts holding headlight unit (you can see each of them and nothing else needs to be removed to get at them), disconnect electics and remove.

Wouldn't even begin to start on the156 on a weekday!!
 
#8 ·
I can see both the hex key and missing bolt, but there's no way on God's green earth that these are getting back out the way they went in with an additional tool attached.

I have a torch with a long flexible neck containing a single bright LED. The mount for the LED is magnetic, vey handy in those circumstances -- if one can see the bit, one should be able to retrieve it.

Too late for you now, of course, but I won't do anything around the V6 without tying a bit of thick cotton to all tools or small parts being removed/reassembled.

I know what you mean about things all being so much more involved.... Ah well, the joys of Alfa ownership! :)
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the advice guys, nipped out to my local autofactors and bought a magnet on some spring steel. Managed to get out the 5mm hex key, now have a full tool kit again.
The missing bolt is somewhat more difficult, it's head up, but wedged in tight. The magnet won't lift it. Never mind, got a bolt to replace it with.
Didn't see the flexible LED magnetic torch thing, sounds like the kind of thing every big boys tool box should have.

Cleaned both faces of the lower join and refitted (and bolted) using a liquid gasket (not for fuel system or head gasket reapairs, as it says on the tube).
Waiting for it to cure then I'll nip up the bolts and find the leak's at the throttle body end!!!
 
#11 ·
and it was. Although cannot discount that the manifold end was previously leaking too.

The clips that hold the rubber tube onto the inlet pipes were not gripping had enough to form a proper seal. Replaced 3 with jubilee clips and tightened then up until the rubber had sealed itself against the tube.

No whistling, no backfire, and no lumpy idle.

Now running like a proper V6 again.

Are the clips (as found on the air intake) a one shot deal?
I found if I closed them (using the proper tool for once) further than they would stay closed themselves they did seal the tube properly. Of course there is no adjustment and they need to be closed only a matter of 1/4inch to make the seal, hence the replacement.
 
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