Manifold SOS

[alangraham]

Help please.
I urgently need a manifold for my 1500HL. I know this should be in the Wanted section but time isn't on my side. The car is sitting in a local garage, having gone in for a new stainless down-pipe, but the manifold studs have had to be drilled out and re-threaded. It's not a success. The nut & bolt solution isn't working either, on one of the holes. To add to the problems a previous bodger has added weld to them. The garage owner is complaining about the time the job is taking, and that jobs on other vehicles are taking a hit because of it. He says that new manifolds are available - I didn't think they were? And he's made it clear he doesn't want another manifold with the same stud problems. If anyone has one that's serviceable or knows where I can obtain one, please let me know. I'd drive to collect if it was within - say - 100 miles of Catterick (North Yorks). Meanwhile my car's sitting in pieces with the carbs off.
Alan

[Jon Tilson]

If a garage can't drill out 3 studs, fit 3 helicoils and new studs then they should not be in the business of attempting
a job like this.

I take manifolds to an engineering shop who charge about 25 quid to replace the studs, and that is in West London. I fail to see how a similar service isn't available in your neck of the woods.

Try the spitfire graveyard who are near you. Its the same manifold on a spit 1500. A midget 1500 one is NOT!.

Jonners

[Edin Dundee]

Hi Alan,

Once the car is back to you, find another garage.
You are not to blame for a po's previous bodges, or for the garage owners lack of foresight doing a job on a 40 year old car.

[alangraham]

Thanks Bill and Jonners.
After a poke about on the internet I think the part number for this manifold is RKC648, and if a Spitfire one is the same, is this what I need?. Mine's the 2 carburetor 1500.
There seem to be new ones on Ebay for Spitfires for £69. I tried to provide a link here but I couldn't get it to work.
Alan
PS We live in James Herriot land (Wensleydale) so there are more sheep out here than engineering services.

[Toledo Man]

I can confirm that the part number for the exhaust manifold is correct. Rimmer Bros reckon the Spitfire 1500 exhaust manifold is the same which should give you more options.

[cliftyhanger]

To sol;ve the issues with the small studs and blowing gaskets, I drilled mine out to 8.5mm and tapped 10mm (yes, I am a luddite, didn't have any UNC taps) then used 10mm cap head bolts. Not ideal in that doing them up too often will affect the threads, but if you drill the downpipe to match, you can tighten the studs up without fear of stripping.

Just a thought that your garage man could do (maybe) But as jonners says, helicoiling is an everyday job in the motor trade, even if they use metric.....