BC5RA

I'd go grab a genuine air filter and some CRC afm cleaner and give it a spray.

Are you running an oiled filter like a K&N OEM replacement? Would the cars ECU re learn for 98 that quickly?

WRC headers run no flexi, and neither did a set of Racefab $1500 headers a friend has either. So saying that you should run a flexi is also misinformation - which to be fair Loner didn't say, he said prone to cracking if you didn't.

Sure Loner/Loren, I think I'll trust my own experiences and the R&D of Perrin or HKS over some sardonic web dweller.

I've run a 1 piece stock diameter HKS up pipe for over 100k - no issues with thermal expansion and contraction.

Not sure what car this is - but the up pipe should have bellows not a flexi - just leave the heat shields on. If you ever go to an aftermarket up-pipe then you would need to wrap it, or do what loner did and source some flexible heatshielding.

You should be able to remove it as a whole piece as others have suggested. Best to go this route - get under the car and assess. Once it's all off - you could rotate the up pipe and loosen it without further barbarism. Not that i'm saying there isn't a time and place for it

These headers should be shamed at every opportunity, and made known of their lack of quality and potential damage to Turbos in the wider community. This is the next in a long list of times these headers have F***ed up that i know of. Sorry to see.

You should unplug the fuel pump and crank the engine to depressurize the rails.

Garrett should have the tolerances for radial and axial play online. But then you would need a dial indicator. What sort of intake are you running to the Turbo, any chance it maybe being sucked in at all? Your exhaust manifold has - at least in the past - failed at the up-pipe coupling from my own experience. But perhaps you should look at the flex join for any kind of collapse, if you have not found a leak.

That's exactly what the manual recommends and thats what I did just recently. You can go online and download the actual procedure.

I meant your own rails after install. Sometimes the O-rings pinch, and when you get rail pressure if the leak is bad enough you will hose the combustion chamber, potentially flooding the cylinder. Could be the reason you have wet plugs? Or maybe I'm just not understanding, in any case goodluck.

Good to know - I've been out of the loop for a long time. Injector removal and cleaning is a periodic maintenance check for me, I'll go that route next time.

Its about 130 with GST at Edgell Performance to have your injectors cleaned and flowed. Did you lift the rails to see if you have fuel leaking past the bottom O-ring?

Great news - nothing like an easy fix.