You asked me about my experience of blowing manifold / Toyo manifold fitting via message. For the sake of the forum and helping someone else in future perhaps i'll write it here too:
Yes the Toyo is a direct replacement. Mine even came with a new gasket. Nothing else needed - as such.
I had my garage stick a notch in subframe to help with the possible knocking issue i'd read of. And i fitted uprated engine mount bushes at same time (This is THE reason why most manifolds / flexi joints cracking 1st place - as the flexis are under too much stress because the engine moves alot ). Hence its never knocked for me thankfully.
****I believe you can tilt the engine on the mounts slightly to to gain some more clearance ref the manifold and subframe too. The thing is though if you dont do the engine mounts at same time - the new manifold is still liable to take alot of pressure as the engine moves = more liable to crack again possibly. So its better to just do it once and do it properly IMO......so that means new polybushes. Cost of which is £50 for the two main ones needed and perhaps a couple of hours labour to fit.
I personally think you'll be looking at more like 6 hours labour for manifold swapping...... Not the 4 as mentioned. Unless an experienced subframe remover / Renault specialist does the job of course. My garage wouldn't have managed in 4 i dont think (Perhaps he would 2nd time around now though !!!!).
And then of course you might get into remap territory. Personally i thought mine was far worse bottom + mid-range with JUST the Toyo manifold on. Top end felt quicker perhaps. Again - i think this was actually because bottom end was so flat. ***Just what my butt-dyno was telling me as i never had it Dyno'd bog-standard or with just the manifold on though.
So this means you ideally want to perhaps get a complete system exhaust fitted along with anything else breathing mods-wise you might ever want in the future - and then only get mapped once.
When my manifold went i hit the lot in one go: to mean only mapping once as i just mentioned.
I believe i paid £440 for Scorpion system, £180 for the manifold, approx £125 for bushes and fitting, £225 ish for manifold fitting, £60 exhaust system fitting, £300 for mapping = £1350 odd all in.
But my thought process being - thats now stainless right through, along with uprated mounts so doesn't happen again and remapped to suit. Basically a system for life. Fingers crossed
Not the cheapest exercise in the World.
Best of luck - you deserve a little surely !!!!
