exhaust manifold gasket??

[EyeTalk2Trees]

I'm trying to track down a ticking noise on my driver side. I thought it was a exhaust manifold gasket leak on one cylinder, but when i went to fix it, i found there was not an old gasket there. Now i'm new to TRs but I've nevr heard of a exhaust system without an manifold gaskets. Is this how its suppose to be??
I put a gasket in where there wasn't one before thinking that has to be the source of the sound. Then finding the tick still there, no change at all. Its hard to hear in park, but with a load you can hear it; Also when the car is nice and hot (after 45-1 hour of driving) I can't hear the ticking anymore. Am i looking at a burnt valve or something with the head??

thanks
JoshZ

 

[FJM568]

The turbo Buicks(and others) don't use exhaust manifold gaskets...I think you'll find that the ticking you heard on the driver's side comes from the notorious cracked exhaust manifold itself...If you remove the manifold and look between cyls 3 and 5, generally on the upper side where the primary tubes are welded together, you will find the crack...Take it to a welder and have it bolted to an old junk head and tig-welded with stainless...After it's welded, make sure that the flange isn't warped and bolt it back on...There are also stock replacement manifolds that you could buy that have supposedly solved the cracking problem...

Almost all of the TR/GNs have this problem...my driver's side was cracked between 3 and 5, and my passenger side was also cracked, almost all the way around where the #2 primary meets up with the tube that goes to the up-pipe to the turbo...

Btw. if you use regular exhaust manifold gaskets on the turbo manifolds, you will probably end up burning thru them...When under boost, there is way more heat in these turbo cars than in a NA motor...Make sure the header flange is flat and bolt it back on without any gaskets...

 

[EyeTalk2Trees]

I'm going home saturday (i will have a garage and tools to work with) if thats really the problem you will be a life saver...thanks
JoshZ