Reversing Exhaust Manifolds

[Ashyukun]

Sometime back I thought I had seen something posted about someone flipping around their stock exhaust manifolds- I forget whether it involves swapping sides or not- so that the 'exit' from them was facing backward, facilitating easily hooking up piping to a new exhaust system. I had thought it was Bill, but his still has them facing the normal direction. Was this just something that I imagined, and you can't do anything of the likes with the manifolds, or is this actually possible? And if so, pictures would be great. Thanks!

[Farrar]

I have my exhaust manifolds off the car at the moment. If you think it would help, I will take a picture of them side by side and see if the holes line up.

Farrar

[dmc6960]

The Island twin turbo's utilized stock manifolds turned around backwards. They were modified though with a built-in right angle and their output to mount the turbo to them. So the answer is yes, they will mount. However I'm unsure if you can reasonably add anything to the end of them without going into your belts/alternator.

I believe one person has Eagle Premier manifolds, turned around backwards.

[Delorean Industries]

The Island twin turbo's utilized stock manifolds turned around backwards. They were modified though with a built-in right angle and their output to mount the turbo to them. So the answer is yes, they will mount. However I'm unsure if you can reasonably add anything to the end of them without going into your belts/alternator.

I believe one person has Eagle Premier manifolds, turned around backwards.

Island manifolds are completely custom castings but the orientation is backwards.

[DMCMW Dave]

.....and the alternator is on top of the engine.

[Delorean Industries]

here is one of the manifolds

[Delorean Industries]

.....and the alternator is on top of the engine.

moving the over flow bottle waaaaaay forward. Do you know if the original kit required cutting the now rare tube to the over flow bottle or was it supplied with a replacement? The new kit I have here doesn't have that piece.

[DMCMW Dave]

They had you hack it up. I just de-turboed a car and had to scrounge the OEM tube.

[Ashyukun]

I believe one person has Eagle Premier manifolds, turned around backwards.

I was wondering about this too, since there are a decent number of them up on eBay at any given time...

[Delorean Industries]

I was wondering about this too, since there are a decent number of them up on eBay at any given time...

You can do this but I recall having fitment issues back in 06 when I messed with this.

[content22207]

Outlet of one of the OEM manifolds is cast at an angle (can't remember which one). If you turned it around, it would be pointing towards the charcoal canister or the coolant expansion tank. You'd need a pretty wicked reverse bend to reach the rear fascia exhaust recess in the limited space between the engine and the back of the car.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Ashyukun]

Since there's a set of Premier manifolds up on eBay fairly cheap, I'll probably pick those up and do some playing around with them.

I hadn't planned on pulling off the manifolds (as implementing a setup like Bill uses doesn't normally require doing so), so this bring up another question- how difficult will it be to do so (and put them/new ones back on) with the engine still in the car? I'm planning on replacing the engine mounts as well, but am just planning on jacking up the engine/transmission to do so vs. pulling it completely (after how much fun it was getting the transmission in and out last time I'm NOT in a hurry to do that again...), so I might have be bit better access to the manifolds then...

[SamHill]

Since there's a set of Premier manifolds up on eBay fairly cheap, I'll probably pick those up and do some playing around with them.

I hadn't planned on pulling off the manifolds (as implementing a setup like Bill uses doesn't normally require doing so), so this bring up another question- how difficult will it be to do so (and put them/new ones back on) with the engine still in the car? I'm planning on replacing the engine mounts as well, but am just planning on jacking up the engine/transmission to do so vs. pulling it completely (after how much fun it was getting the transmission in and out last time I'm NOT in a hurry to do that again...), so I might have be bit better access to the manifolds then...

if your mani's have never been off? Extremely difficult. But if they've never been off, you are due for exhaust leaks on both sides anyway. Whatever anyone charges for taking off the mani's and putting a new gasket in there is worth it.

[20098]

I have two sets of the Eagle Premier manifolds. One set is from the zero mile crate engine I put into 001292 and the other from a junk yard 3.0 that I picked up to practice on. I've wondered if the Eagle Premier manifolds would be a better option as far as flow goes (for the 3.0 and the stock DMC engine). They seem to look better, but the flange is different and curved downward, IIRC. I have some pictures I'll try and post.

I decided to reuse the stock DMC manifolds and front pipe to make the exhaust portion of my conversion go smoothly. I'm planning to add a single turbo to the 3.0 in the next few months with the help of Gregg Zilb. His turbo 3.0 uses the stock DMC manifolds and front pipe, and I'm modeling mine after his. I can only assume that the Eagle Premier manifolds would be a better option than the stock DMC ones, but they would need to be reworked.

DPI Josh, you mentioned that you've had fitment issues, but it could be done. Can you elaborate on this? Did you keep them on the car? What did it take to make them fit? Did you cut off the flanges? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Ashyukun]

if your mani's have never been off? Extremely difficult. But if they've never been off, you are due for exhaust leaks on both sides anyway. Whatever anyone charges for taking off the mani's and putting a new gasket in there is worth it.

I've never taken mine off, but have no idea when they were last off.

I've been toying with taking the car to the exhaust shop I've worked with in the past on the Saturn and RX-7 and having them handle removing the existing exhaust hardware and installing the new stuff- including the manifolds.

Would be good to know about how the Premier manifolds would work before then, though. And hopefully soon, as the auction for them closes in 4 hours or so (has no bids and is buy-it-now, but may not be re-listed/be listed with a higher BIN price :P).

[content22207]

Premier manifolds look to be shaped similarly to the manifolds that came on my barge engine, which don't appear to be a good starting point:
1411

Bill Robertson
#5939