So does that crush ring face the exhaust or the turbo?

 

Due to CA. smog test every two years, I have R & R the exhaust several times. Looks like you are doing it right. Take your time and try to enjoy and learn when working on your work of art.

You may want to try using some copper alloy exhaust nuts. I found some at my favorite industrial supply house, they are in those "specialty hardware" drawers that slide out of a cabinet and have a bunch of dviders in each drawer. No idea of OEM type / matl of nut used or cost?

These were made by Wurth, a pretty popular supplier of Euro car parts. I have always had good luck w the quality of their products.

The nuts are crimped out of round to make it a lock nut. That is why some flats may be 12mm and others 13mm.They are $ 3.50 each so bust out another $ 30 bill. May want to check the exhaust flanges ( NOT flanges on turbo) for flatness using a straight edge. If there are high spots you can hit them with a fine mill file. Unless the gaskets are beat up, they are usually good for a few installations.

Todd