My Front Housing (not the Front ROTOR Housing) has corrosion damage between the inner O-ring and the water passages. I'm at work so no pic available. The metal between the O-ring and the water passage is gone.

Note that I see a lot of people use "front housing" to mean "front rotor housing." I'm using "front housing" in the official sense from the FSM page C-29

I'm taking the Front Housing to a cylinder head repair shop to see if there are any options to build the material back up and then machine it back to viability.

Assuming they can't do anything, what donor options do I have? The engine is a JDM S5 TII. Can I get a Front Housing from an S5 NA? S4 TII? FD?

Thanks

Oh, and I did a search on "front housing" and "front housing interchangeability" but didn't find any info.

 

I would not try to repair the damage. You can usually find a usable plate for less than $100.

You cannot use the N/A front plate because of the 6-port design, so you have to stick with a turbo plate.

 

Do you know if it makes a difference S4 vs S5?

 

This thread implies that S4 and S5 front housings are the same but it isn't clear if they are interchangeable.

RotaryResurrection's statement in that thread "I have run s4 housings in s5/s6 engines, and s5/6 housings in s4 engines" would suggest they are interchangeable. But since I'm just trying to build a car for my kid I'm not especially enthused about fabbing stuff like to get the electric OMP to bolt up (I dont remember if that is on the cast iron or the aluminum cover.

But i've learned that "irons" is a common synonym for this pieces.

 

OMP bolts to the front-cover.

Yep, Irons, plates, side housings... those all work.

If you aren't concerned about emissions, the S4/S5 housings are interchangable. The middle plate (atleast on the NA.. but PROBABLY the TII) on the S5 is blocked off/filled up... the S4 has a big opening you must block off if putting it on an S4. There's also some recirc passages or something on them that on one generation were on the ends, and moved to the center or visa versa (not looking at my irons right now. hehe)

Definately some good information out there if you search though.. Even recently there was a post about this.