Crossover pipe to manifold connection??

[Turbobug]

Trying to piece together a 1983 Turbo Buick Regal V6 Carbed 3.8 engine to shoehorn into a 59 Bugeye Sprite. Only got some of the engine parts. Today I tried to install the crossover pipe. The crossover fits nicely on the drivers side with a two bolt crossover pipe flange which matches up with the exhaust manifold bolt holes. On the passenger side, however, the crossover is too short to hook up and the two bolt crossover pipe flange does not match up with the bolt holes in the exhaust manifold (they are smaller and more narrow on the manifold). I'm thinking there must be something missing like a heat riser or a spacer or both! Help!!

 

[bobwieser]

My 79 Has A Heat Riser There. Unsure If It Is The Same In 83

 

[dr_frankenstein]

I think you have a mis matched manifold and crossover..... sounds like the driverside manifold and crossover are an earlier 79 setup........ smaller outlets than the later 83 passenger manifold.

A.j.

 

[Freddie's Buick]

...Trying to piece together a 1983 Turbo Buick Regal V6 Carbed 3.8 engine to shoehorn into a 59 Bugeye Sprite. Only got some of the engine parts. Today I tried to install the crossover pipe. The crossover fits nicely on the drivers side with a two bolt crossover pipe flange which matches up with the exhaust manifold bolt holes. On the passenger side, however, the crossover is too short to hook up and the two bolt crossover pipe flange does not match up with the bolt holes in the exhaust manifold (they are smaller and more narrow on the manifold). I'm thinking there must be something missing like a heat riser or a spacer or both! Help!!

Yes, there is something missing...and it's not the heatriser. (turbo's dont use heatriser valves on the exhaust manifold).

This link may help. It's for an '81 but it's an 82-83' crossover I have on my set-up. The part is rare. You may have to fabricate something, (The N/A heat riser wont work).

This one's for you Rich.... - TurboBuicks.com

 

[b4black]

BEFORE BLACK - Turbo V6 Exhaust Manifolds

I don't like the 83/85 exhaust manifolds. They crack too easily.

I have 79/80 manifolds on mine with the '83 crossover. You could get the driver's side from a NA motor and you'll need the heat riser as an adapter. I pulled the butterfly valve out of mine.

 

[conn84gn]

Did you use Copper Exhaust Gaskets? adds about 1/4"
Pipe will not fit, to short

 

[Freddie's Buick]

....I have 79/80 manifolds on mine with the '83 crossover. You could get the driver's side from a NA motor and you'll need the heat riser as an adapter. I pulled the butterfly valve out of mine...

I guess it all comes down to plug and play. I used the 1981/82 Cast Iron manifold, Casting #25507802 on the passengers side along with the crossover pipe. And I used the N/A 1981 manifold on the drivers side. Jim sent me the oem 1981 adapter that he had hanging around in his garage which completed the fit.

Now you have two working fits.

I tried using the N/A EFE heat riser but the crossover pipe's diameter was too small and it would'nt work. Thats why I guess that the 1981 turbo pipe adapter is so rare. It was used only for those two years, and it was only made for the turbo units.

 

[b4black]

Non-ECM Turbo V6's used a heat riser for the EFE, so they are the same as the NA engine.

But ECM Turbo V6's used an electric EFE heater grid, so they did not use the heat riser like the NA (and therefore needed the special adapter).

 

[Freddie's Buick]

Good info Rich. Those minor details can cause major headaches.

 

[Turbobug]

OK, just got back in town. Looks like a lot of great info. Thanks. I know I have the same DS manifold as Freddie's Buick - #25507802 -2 . That seems to fit-up OK without any adapter. The passenger side is the problem area. That manifold is cast #25516359 - 3. The Manifold Inlet from the crossover is only 1 7/16" ID with the bolts @ 2 3/4" and crossover flange bolt holes @ 3 3/4". I can machine a fitting, but I'm concerned about the restriction. Wonder why there is such a large crossover pipe leading to the much smaller opening in the DS Manifold. ya think its some engineered-in back pressure thing? Should I machine a tapered fitting?

 

[Freddie's Buick]

Sounds exactly as to what happened to me, (I rounded off the inner diameter's measurement of the crossover flange to 1-3/8" on my post). The restriction has'nt caused me any kind of a problem. I'd say go ahead and fab the part. Use the pic on my earlier post as a guide.

My confusion was with the crossover. I don't know if there's a way to numbers match the year on those things since they have no numbers.

I'm guessing since 1-7/16' is the I.D. of my crossover on both ends and it fits the PS #25507802, the crossover is for 81/82 turbos and your choice may be limited to the adapter I mentioned or a custom fab.

In Rich's case he used an '83 crossover, (unknown flange ID size), to an N/A DS manifold with the EFE heat riser. His PS manifold is from a 79/80 turbo.

 

[Turbobug]

Ok, guess I'll look for a N/A Drivers side heat riser and a 79/80 Passenger Side turbo manifold before trying to fab a connection. Thanks for the help!! Anybody got some spare heat risers or manifolds they want to sell?