manifold gasket

[mint]

Please, does anyone know what the French for manifold gasket is?  Mine has a crack in it and I want to get it welded.  Dictionary says nothing about manifold gasket.  Went to the garage and tried to explain what I wanted doing.  The garage man said, "Montrez mois" but, being a "mere" woman, I don't know what the hell to show him.

[Bugsy]

Your manifold is called a 'collecteur'. Gasket is 'gasket'. I suggest you try "Joint de collecteur"

Gary

[AnOther]

You want to weld a manifold gasket...............[8-)]  [8-)] [8-)]

[mint]

Bugbear

Thanks for that.  Look forward to trying that out in the garage.

ErnieY

Thanks for raising the query.  My husband also says that a manifold gasket, being made of cast iron, should not be welded.  However, a UK garage told me it could be done.

If you know anything different, do you mind explaining?

[Nick Trollope]

A manifold gasket is a flat piece of cardboard, composite or metal (in the case of an exhaust manifold, although many modern cars don't use them). You can't repair them.

I assume you have a cracked manifold, which, even if it is cast iron, can be welded - by someone who knows what they are doing. I suspect that most garages would just replace the manifold.

 

[cheminot]

It sounds to me that you are talking about the exhaust manifold, which in french is a 'collecteur d'echappement'. They are usually made of cast iron but as to whether it can be welded or brazed depends on where it is cracked as the heat generated by such repairs may distort the manifold.

The one on my Renault cracked and I had to have a replacement. Cost me about €150.

cheminot

[AnOther]

Can we just clarify something ?

You have a manifold which will generally, but not always, be made of cast iron and can be welded but this is a highly specialised process and by no means guaranteed to work, or last if it were and personally I would only ever contemplate it if a new part were not available. I think you might have great difficulty finding anybody willing to do it in fact.

You also, in addition, have a manifold gasket which is a cheap replaceable item which fits between the manifold and the engine to provide a seal, you would not and could not weld this.

Getting back to your original post; if you're sure you have a cracked manifold can you not just point this out to your garage, why the language or communication problem ?

Maybe the car isn't driveable although I wouldn't have thought that cracked manifold would be enough to immobilise it.

[Bugsy]

You have to laugh when a simple question causes such debate.

For the record, cast iron, strictly speaking cannot be welded. It can be repaired by a process known as stitching but that is not generally recommended in 'hot - cold' situations such as vehicle exhausts and no guarantees would be given.

Mild steel and stainless can, as stated previously, be successfully welded.

Brazing is the prefered method with mild steel when it comes to manifold repair.

 

[jc]

By the time a garage has removed the manifold-taken it to a specialist to be welded and then back to the garage to be refiitted-it must be quicker and cheaper to fit a new one.Also,whilst being welded,the manifold should be bolted to a cylinder head or steel plate to prevent distortion.That's even more important if you've removed the manifold yourself.   Many manufacturers fit the manifold to the head without a gasket in production but supply gaskets for use in service.There are different types of cast iron,most of which can be welded,some easier than others,but you need someone who knows what he is doing-it's not a skill to be found in your local garage-tho' brazing is.(but can hardly be described as a skill). 

[mint]

Sorry folks, for confusing everybody.  What happened was that when I had my car MOT'd in the UK (it was due), the garage pointed out that I had a crack in my manifold (must have been manifold, now I have read your posts).  However, it did not stop the MOT being OK.  Then, as luck would have it, we suddenly sold our house in a tremendous hurry (after it having been on the market for 18 months) and had to get out and over here to our French property.

I desperately searched the internet for a secondhand replacement manifold that I could bring with me to France.  However, in the little time that was then available, I couldn't find a match for my car.

Now that I have been here a while and finding my feet, I want to sort out this manifold problem.  I couldn't point out the part to the garage chappie because I do not in fact know where this part is to be found and, indeed, what it looks like.  Thence the need to be able to tell the garage man in French.  As the garage is a carroiserie (spelling?), I thought they'd be the right people to weld the offending part, seeing that they do body repairs and so forth.  However, if as seems likely, it's best to have a new manifold altogether, then that is what I will have done.

The car, by the way, is a Hyundai Lantra year 2000.  I have only done 30,000 miles in it and that includes the 600 or so that I did driving from Wales to Plymouth and then Roscoff to here in the Charente Maritime.  I don't want to just give it up as it's nice to have my own little runaround and not have to share the OH's car.

Any further advice gratefully received and thanks again for helping

[AnOther]

They say a picture paints a thousand words and although your manifest will look different if you show this to any mechanic he will instantly recognise what you mean,

[IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p123/biskitboyo/manifold.jpg[/IMG]

Might be worth a search here www.1stchoice.co.uk for a secondhand part, albeit in UK. I very much doubt you'd find such a thing in France

[dave21478]

If you follow your exhaust under the car back up towards the engine, there will be a point where the single pipe of the exhaust splits 4 ways and each pipe bolts to the side of the cylinder head (top of the engine) . This part, which goes from 4 ways to one (In some cases it goes to two, then two to one on the next section) is your exhaust manifold. Its not always immediately visible looking under the bonnet as it may be either at the front or the back of the engine and it often has all kinds of heat shields and other engine components above and around it.

As said, they are cast iron, and cracking isnt unusual. It CAN be repaired, but it all depends on the garage you take it to. Welding cast iron is possible, but takes a bit of skill to do right. It could also be brazed, which is a bit easier. I dont know what parts availability is like for your model, but any KwikFit style fast-fit garage like Feu Vert etc will 99.9% of the time want to replace the part rather than repair it. Ask for a price and see if its too dear or not.

You are more likely to get it repaired by a smaller non-franchise garage, especially one that has proper "mechanics" who can actually repair things, rather than the modern breed of "technicians" who like replacing stuff instead. Ask around for some recommendations of a good local garage. I dont where you are located, but around here a lot of the garages also repair agricultural equipment. These are the kind of places who are likely to have the staff with the skills to repair your manifold well.

 

[mint]

ErnieY & Dave

Wow am I impressed or what.  Will now have great confidence sorting this out.  Will show the guy the picture and will get a couple of devis from different garages.  I know a Hyundai garage in Cognac and I think I'll make that my first port of call.  Having said that, the local garage I have mentioned might just be the place.  The owner does the welding work and I have seen him do some real swanky body spraying and the like.  In any case, I think he is the sort of guy that will tell me if it can't be done in his place.  I had my lamps replaced at his garage; it is something that I don't think he'd done before.  But, he came up trumps, ordering the parts, placing them and then, after I got my number plates, he rivetted them in with the right colour rivets.

I do wish to thank you both very much indeed and this is not just some polite message but meant straight from the heart.  Nice of you both to have taken so much trouble.Cheers

[magna]

Interesting pictures there, Ernie Y. No. 8 looks like an   MG MGB exhaust manifold and the bracket, no.12(?) would appear to be to be the rear hanger for the same!

[AnOther]

Well spotted magna, obviously someone knows their MG's [:D] , the other one is for a V8 of course.

I see your signature says Dordogne and I wonder where you are if you actually have an MG because you might be interested to know that there are a small group of us in the area roughly between Bergerac and Cahors looking to get a regular meet going. Not necessarily exclusively MG but definately classics orientated and not just another expat drinking club...[;-)]

[Onion van man]

Can't believe I missed noticing that exhaust hanging bracket! I had a 'B' roadster for 5 years. But, I never went to any MG meetings because I found most UK MG owners to be a bit too stuck up for my liking. I like classic car owners that get their hands dirty and do the work themselves rather than the cheque book restoration brigade.

Ernie is your 'B' a left hooker ?

[mint]

Even I used to have an MG.  It was a midget and, if I rmember correctly, it was 1974.  The colour was a sort of bird sh...t yellow but I used to think it was marvellous and I called it "Yellowbird" (as opposed to the famous Bluebird, of course).  What defeated me in the end was the struggle to get the tonneau cover on and off and being stopped by the police for some trumped up excuse or other. Happy days!  Why does one have to grow up?

Now I suppose the fact that I can't recognise a manifold if it was stuck in front of me would automatically disqualify me from belonging to ANY sort of motoring club.  Perhaps not even the AA

[Onion van man]

Sweet, The whole point of a car club is about meeting people who like and enjoy their cars regardless of if they are in mint condition or not. I've spent many weekends camping somewhere with the motor club I belong to. We have visited interesting places and of course done quiet a few unexpected roadside repairs! Usually we spend more time talking about anything and everything rather than the cars.

I hope I find a local classic car club when I eventually get to France.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Onion van man"]Can't believe I missed noticing that exhaust hanging bracket! I had a 'B' roadster for 5 years. But, I never went to any MG meetings because I found most UK MG owners to be a bit too stuck up for my liking. I like classic car owners that get their hands dirty and do the work themselves rather than the cheque book restoration brigade.
Ernie is your 'B' a left hooker ?
[/quote]That'll be me then OVM [;-)]

I've found the MGOC to be generally less stuffy than the MGCC who can sometimes look down their noses at anything more modern than an MGA, and no, my car isn't a left hooker and no plans to make it so...!

[Onion van man]

Well Ernie which one are you? cheque book or dirty hands ? [;-)]

 I was a member of the MGOC, mainly for the useful things the club did such as spares offers etc. Cheese and mulled wine nights wasn't really my thing I'm afraid.

I used my MGB everyday of the year in all kinds of weather. was a pretty good car really. Although I did change the exhaust for a stainless one and fitted a bilstein suspension kits too. I had started to collect the parts to do a V8 conversion but, lost heart in the car and ended up selling it off in more or less standard spec.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Onion van man"]Well Ernie which one are you? cheque book or dirty hands ? [;-)][/quote]At approaching 300,000 miles most decidedly the latter !

Engines, gearboxs, axles, brakes, suspension, alternator repairs, electrics, welding, you name you'rs truly does it. I used to paint too when cellulose was still in vogue but 2 pack is too difficult and dangerous. I'm planning to put an inspection pit in my barn......hands on enough for you [blink]

[magna]

Hi Ernie, yes I have an MG and I live about 20 kilometres south of Sarlat. The car is a 1931 MG Magna F1 tourer which I have owned since 1964.

It's in one piece and runs well. I'm in the process of getting it registered in France. I have a 1933 J2 Midget in bits in the sous-sol also about 50% of a PB Midget as well.

I'd certainly be interested in meeting up with the group and chat to like-minded folks.

Regards, Eric.

[Onion van man]

It's great that you do all your own work. 300,000 miles...... Did you do all of those miles? I'm a big fan of 2 pack paint, yeah I used celly too but, can't beat 2 pack for the hardness and no shrinkage either!

[AnOther]

I've done about 210,000 of them. For a number of years it was my only car and I was doing around 24k PA, I peaked one year at 44k.

Touch wood, I've never broken down. I've had to do a spot of roadside maintenence from time to time, for instance had to remove and straighten a bent push rod on a garage forecourt on the motorway between Amsterdam and Rotterdam one wet miserable night, but I've never failed to get going again and get home !

 

[jc]

The MGCCand the OCC were set up before the second world war and were car clubs;the MGOC was well post war and was set up mainly to supply spares for MG B's.