So I thought I had a bad exhaust leak at the header- replaced the gasket and... nothing. So, I thought, where the hell IS it coming from then?? Well, actually, the center iron. huh? yeah, it's coming out just above the center of the header, and below the intake manifold from a rectangular opening. I just started having this problem after I rebuilt the engine, and I'm thinking that had something to do with it because Atkins sent me a 81-85 intake manifold gasket, and I used a 81-85 rear rotor housing. That shouldn't make a difference though, should it? What's the deal, and what is that opening for?







thanks

 

Egr?

 

the center iron hasn't been change (79), which didn't have EGR. I'm guessing it has something to do with the thermal reactor, but the strange thing is it just started happening after I rebuilt the engine. The header isn't new.

 

well, the intake gaskets are definetly different from the SA and FB

FB



SA



I definetly was shipped the FB one. But why would that make a difference, other than the holes being smaller?

 

your center iron has a port designed to heat the intake manifold for faster warm up and better fuel atomization. There are ports in the exhaust manifold that bring exhaust to the center port racing beat or mazdatrix sells plugs to block these off at the exhast port.

 

intresting

so why is it coming out all of a sudden?

where are the plugs, I can't seem to find them.

thanks for the info.

 

Coolant is what warms the fuel charge, plugs are sold for those housing ports. Clean out the rectangular hole, removing all of the carbon and layer in a top quality steel putty.

 

That is the port that leads from the ACV to the exhaust ports.
Its part of the air injection system (smog) and allows the air control valve on the stock intake manifold, to deliver air to the exhaust ports via the center iron.

 

The 81-85 rotor housing is the culprit. On the SA engines, that port is dead, but it has exhaust flowing thru it on the FB's. It actually has air from the air pump flowing into the exhaust, for the cats.
As Proffessor T stated, fill it with a good metal putty.

 

yeah, I nothiced on the FB intake manifold I have there is a opening for it.

cool thanks./

 

Just to make a small correction, The port is in the FB and later center iron, not the housing.

 

where can I find the plugs? I haven't seen them anywhere.

 

I ran into a simalar problem when I wanted to use a SA intake on my FB. If you have someone who can weld aluminum, just have the bottom of the intake built up to cover the port. Then use a FB intake gasket. If you look at the aftermarket intakes like Racing Beat or others, they make their intakes to fit the FB. Which they are just blocking off that port. I will try to post a pic of a highly modified SA/FB intake. The intake I modified, will be used to clear a S4 turbo. I will be mounting it basically like the S4.

 

Here is a SA intake on a FB engine same issue you have.


This is a FB engine.


Here is how I "fixed" my problem.




I went a step further, and I machined off the egr casting on the intake to get extra clearance to clear a S4 turbo.

 

nice, but I was thinking something a little easier/ quicker, like just stuffing it with jb-weld. Would that work, and how long do you think it would last?

 

How many times do you want to do it before you decide to do it right? I gave you the best method in my 1st post.

 

this is the problem i ran into with my intake manifold...its a racing beat one piece.it didnt seal(sp?) completely, and i thought i had an exhaust leak, but look at all of the soot on the manifold. so anyways where can i get a good steel putty?

 

by the shape of the soot, im willing to bet you used an SA intake gasket.




oops, old thread