There are a few custom manifolds out there in the tuner market. As for mounting a heat shield where no provision for one is there. It's nothing to MIG or TIG a few nuts in the right spots on them.
And they surprisingly bond quite well. My stainless turbo outlet had no heat shield bosses. A couple of stainless nuts and a sharpie. Drop a few dimes with the TIG. OEM shield to hide that shiny new probably waste of cash.
Those 'yoter manis are around $250. On a 300k+ mile jitney. Somebody should be able to retrofit a cat to it. But. Depending on where you live. Cat, schmat! Did someone say test pipe? And anti fouler after the cat extension?
Yeah. You want to get that heat excluded from where it's not supposed to be. Probably a good idea to get it out of a turbo so the bearings don't coke up and not use a heat wrap. Especially since you're not using synthetic lubes.
I had an engine built ground up. Virgin block, sleeved. All the "good stuff". The builder was adamant. Brad Penn 20W-50. The green (or blue...I don't remember) stuff.
1st 500 mile oil/filter swap it had used 1/2qt. Next few changes it still used oil. A qt. in 3000 miles. 5,000 miles on the engine it still used oil. Brad Penn. Lots of zinc.
I swapped to just what the oil cap said to use. Mobil 1 synthetic. It quit its 'oilcohlism". Now between changes it uses nothing of note.
The drilling company owner from Michigan came down to Florida one summer. My bosses dad. He didn't give a crap. Wolf down a Wendys burger in the bosses truck headed out to a job site. Toss the wrapper out the window. Fries gone. Toss. Coke done.....overhand fling. Empty bag. Whoosh!
He said he had so many heart surgeries that "He had enough dacron in his chest to make a suit". John H. Roberts.
I went to Detroit once. If you don't have a flat and want one. Just veer towards the median or shoulder. Liquor and beer bottles, lounge chairs, metal scrap. You name it.
Anyway him and his wife drove down in the Caddy. He asked me to take a peek at it because the engine was making a rattling sound. And it was. Like it had a solid cam in it. A bit worse actually.
And the oil light was flickering at idle. Only when it was warmed up and hot.
I pulled the dip stick and had to do it like 3 times. The oil on it was barely visible but it was up to the full level. Rattle rattle rattle. I asked him when it was changed last. Right before the trip.
Said his boys at the shop did it. "Because those assholes at the dealer and Jiffy Lube don't have....straight 30 weight". I kid you Not!
I asked him. Then told him. He needed a multigrade detergent oil. I suddenly became an idiot. Convinced the old fart to let's just try a milti-vis swap of 15W-40. Florida is hot. It was in the 90+ range in July. If he didn't like it, I'd swap it back to good old straight 30.
Well. It had like 60k on it. And the oil swap made it purr like a kitten. Sounded like a well worn sewing machine. He still rejected anything but straight 30 weight. That's all he used since Christ was a corporal.
Can't say I really ever approved of STP or Motor Honey. Or a stack of Quaker State oil stickers on door jambs. Pulled many valve covers on Fords and Chevy's that ran on Quaker State to see tunnels where the valved oozed up and down and oil returns clogged. And when the sludgelesterol broke loose the oil pickup screen suddenly, or over time, became restricted at best. New engines, no synthetic, 6k oil changes. Not cool.
Stuck second and oil control rings. That's one thing that happens.
My 2011 Outback drank oil. Bought it from my dad's estate. Best $10k-$40 4WD I ever bought. Well except for the Evos of course!
Last year with 95k on it I dropped the oil and changed it. Got it good and hot and put in a can of Rislone and let it fast idle for probably way too long.
Dropped the mix and filter and gave it a bottle or 2 of fresh oil and let it drizzle out the oil plug. Put that back in and filled it with a high mileage synthetic. Probably the best oil change special of the week. What the hell. Right?
It stopped using oil immediately. In 3000 miles it might use 1/4qt. Felt so good I changed the plugs. 155 psi compression ain't bad huh!
I turned a few wrenches in the past.
My first 4-speed was a '49 Ferguson TO-20. Learned how to shift it w/o grinding a pound. Once I pulled the head and had the valves and seals done. Split it in half and put in a clutch. Rebuilt the hydraulic pump. It was a bear bush hogging. Had a dead PTO that didn't spin until the wheels moved or was in neutral. A bear!
But in the morning. Turn on the petcock, crack the throttle, pull the choke. Move the shifter over to start. 3-4 rolls and it purred to life. Maybe on a real cold snow plowing morning give 'er a shot of starting ether down the gullet.
I still have that baby in all its farm grey patina. She starts right up after a top off of the 6 volt.
Yeah. If Scotty ever has a stroke. He'll be one frustrated dude. He reminds me of one of those fast-talking guys with the white stuff in the corners of his mouth and tiny spit balls hitting you if you get a it too close. But he's smart. Not that you actually get a lot of hands-on from him. Ton's of advice. VGG, Pine Hills Auto Diagnostics, South Main Auto Repair. And Curtis from Cutting Edge Engineering. You can learn a lot from those dudes.
