Up-pipe blew off!!!

[Renthorin]

So I was acting a damn fool and smoking the tires through an intersection to show off for some guys who said "nail it!!".

I got through the intersection and there was a loud BANG/POP which reminded me of a carberator backfire. I assumed the worse but the oil pressure was good and no coolant leaking or smoke out the pipes.

Car had no power so I limped into a Ford dealership and popped the hood.

Up-pipe can off the throttlebody. Blew off some vac lines too so I put those back on (need to ziptie them).

The clamp where the rubber attaches to the throttlebody is MIA and the headline from throttlebody back is ripped apart (I have a spare).

A guy stopped to help me who had an 86 and he said "Yeah, mine did that all the time". I have put 12k on the car since owning it and it has not done this before. Is this a sign that something else is wrong or did the clamp just loosen up?

Car is back together but I did not get on the boost as I only had one clamp up top. I think all is well but just wondering wtf?

 

[Brer Rabbit]

Had the same thing happen to me at the track.

I was told that the up-pipe coming off under WOT is a result of a lean condition. Take it for what its worth. Anybody else?

 

[KEVINS]

I have a close mesh, aluminum screen that is wrapped and clamped under both hose clamples. I found this funky screen at the hardware store that has 2 clampes rivited on the ends and it works great. I later saw these for sale from ATR...

ks

 

[rodman99999]

Get the hose as far on the throttle body as possible, and tighten the hell out of the clamp. Make certain the clamp is not sitting on the raised part of the casting/tubing that the hose slips over on the intercooler, pipe or throttle body. I've had the same problem in the past, but not as long as I'm careful to follow the above process(and check the clamps now and then).

 

[85HOT-T]

Mine did it from old oil soaked hoses.

 

[d0n_3d]

HEY BILL!

sounds like you need a T-BOLT clamp! hoses will never pop off then...

 

[Richard]

Make sure your cam sensor is tight. Loose cam sensor on mine caused such a violent explosion that the up pipe cracked the paint on my hood and the pipe itself had indentions from the AC lines.

Richard

 

[Renthorin]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

Don! Long time no chat. What is a T-bolt clamp?

 

[strikeeagle]

http://www.breezeclamps.com/tbolt.htm

As you now appreciate, the hose to TB joint is, for many reasons, problematic.

The B9224 is, IME, the best clamp you can buy. But there's a lot more to getting hoses to stay put than just a very high quality clamp.

I wrote a "thesis" on everything I know about clamping for this board some months ago - it would be worth your (and eveybody else's) while to search it out.

strike

 

[Renthorin]

Strikeeagle........

http://turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148011&highlight=clamping


very good info! Thanks

 

[Renthorin]

Who makes good new hoses? I would like to replace the upper one, preferably in black.

 

[strikeeagle]

r,

You're very welcome...

strike

 

[Super6]

Renthorin

Me and a friend was racing from a stop light and his up pipe blew off. His fender was at my door..Man i thought he blew a head gasket...i left him like he was sitting still when it blew off. He had to limp into a parking lot..We had it off putting the alky nozzle in the up pipe and didn't get the clamps back over the lip of the throttle body good...fixed it right and he hasn't blew it off again...The front end of the car was up till the pipe blew off and it looked like he slammed on brakes...no boost no go ...............................Bob

 

[turbo2nr]

Clean parts, use hair spray as a lube, then it dries and really helps to hold pieces together.

For vacume lines, I use Shoe-Goo and zip-ties. Rubber and silicone hoses will crack with any other glue (Ask me how I know)

I have had a few chitty runs when 30PSI++ blows off hoses etc. Never fun.

It is super easy to deform/bend/crush IC piping by over tighting the clamps. I would not go crazy on the clamps.

 

[Delerius]

Renthorin, http://www.stylinmotors.com/
I have dealt with Sig twice now in purchasing hoses and clamps. Their hoses and clamps are top quality and they are the cheapest I have found on the net. They sell the hoses that have the gloss look to them. Mark at buickgn.com has some very nice hoses as well.

 

[larsbars]

Renthorin, http://www.stylinmotors.com/
I have dealt with Sig twice now in purchasing hoses and clamps. Their hoses and clamps are top quality and they are the cheapest I have found on the net. They sell the hoses that have the gloss look to them. Mark at buickgn.com has some very nice hoses as well.

checked out the site looks pretty good. then i saw this. kind of creepy.

car commercial

 

[turbo2nr]

Good looking car!

 

[jgme]

I'll second the T-bolt clamp idea. A heavy hose is
Gates hose 2.5"D #24440

 

[Renthorin]

I put the plumbing type clamps on and cranked down on them. Ran the car up to 18 lbs of boost and nothing flew apart so all is well.

Just to be safe I have orderd two hoses and 6 clamps from Mark He sells a nice package for just this situation.


Thanks again for all the suggestions.