bluebullet10

iTrader: (1)

Mine blew a gasket or warped about a month ago. Either way it's leaking. Really loud on start up for about 30 seconds then quiet until I'm accelerating/engine is under a load. And I can see the leak with soapy water bubble test.

I've been dreading doing this project after all I've read. Still working up the courage but I've been spraying the bolts every few days in the hopes it will help. I'll do it for longer than a week though with hopes it will eventually break up some of the crud and rust.

Let me ask you, how did you spray the bottom bolts? The tops are easy enough but is there an easier way other than climbing under the truck to spray the bottoms?

uzikaduzi

i've been SOAKING the tops... not just the bolts but where the gasket/head/manifold meet and i can see with a flash light from under neath that the lower bolts are getting a bit of kroil on them

bluebullet10

iTrader: (1)

Uzi I also saw that study on the different penetrating oils but besides how insanely difficult it would be to have an even control they also soaked (submerged) the bolts and nuts in a bucket of the oil for 8 hours then tested. A quick spray can't replicate that test other than it shows somewhat the strength between the brands. I think for the most part if it's going to break it's going to break. Kinda like the spark plug deal on these trucks. There have been people who sea foamed, careful to loosen, soaked for hours and still broke plugs. Conversely some people just went right in and didn't break a single one.

The only concer I have is if the stud breaks and I find myself having to drill/tap it out. The space to work with just isn't there. I'm wondering if one breaks down in the head if it's just worth the trouble to pull the engine and get it where you can see and work on it. It's more work and time but less frustration having the engine on a stand and the room to work with. I can't imagine bending over in the wheel well trying to line up a drill just right.

Also what's the long term damage by not repairing the manifold leak? Other than the sound to my ears

uzikaduzi

the exhaust gases are corrosive and I've seen pics of where it has eaten a bit of the head... my plan for broken studs that are flush with the head is to buy either a right angle air drill (seen them where they are less than 5/8 at the chuck but they require special drill bits that thread in but they are expensive... others seem to be right around 2 inches from the back to the chuck) or the Milwaukee close quarter http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee...=5yc1vZc27fZzv and use left thread drill bits. talked to my dad (who has a car hauling business and a 6 bay shop but lives 1600 miles away) and he said to try and tighten them slightly before loosening them and don't use the screw type extractors... use the square ones ( like these http://www.homedepot.com/p/URREA-1-8...500A/202797903 ) and also many times when you're drilling with a left hand bit, they will come out.

i've never had to extract bolts where i didn't have a lot of room and i've had a lot of luck with just drilling them with a normal bit and pounding a torx bit in them as an extractor.

edit: i also think i'm gonna try to warm the head around the studs with map gas (not hot just warm) and re-spray the studs a few times... don't know if it will work the way i think it will but i'm thinking it will be like soldering a fitting. you heat the back of the coupling and the solder wicks (not sure if that's the right term) all the way back. gonna try it Saturday so we'll see how it turns out.

I agree that even if kriol or atf/acetone are that much better, it's still not the same as soaking it in a bucket of the stuff... just trying to do everything i can to avoid breaking them. even if there isn't much chance of it making a huge difference, it's a small investment

putermech

I crawled under with safety glasses on, and sprayed up with a red straw attached to the can. Probably a good time to switch out the two O2 sensors. The stock sensors are very short and dirty. After completed this project, the truck initially died after start up...I'm guessing it was learning new sensors.

x40oz

Okay, well I have confirmed the ticking I have been hearing is not inside the motor is leaking exhaust. I will be ordering manifolds from Rockauto.

My question is if I order left and right side manifolds, do I need to order the hardware and the gaskets or are they included?

FEL-PRO Part # MS96679 what you guys think about these gaskets?

luvf150

Uzi..update with some pics if u can..hope It isn't so hard. Good luck.

putermech

The gasket and extra studs came with the package. I ordered thru Summit Racing though.

Especial86

iTrader: (1)

I agree with your dad Uzi. Give them a light tightening before you try to loosen them.. Even when its loosened, tighten and loosen them a bit to keep the threads from clogging and causing a stuck bolt that will shear..

Yes solder does wick, but only because of the flux. No flux and you get a lot of grapes and a bad joint. Too much heat and the solder will run right out.

Sheared studs are tuff in that area. Sometimes its easier to weld a nut to the stud and put a wrench back on it, but not when its a flush break..

A flush break with the squared extractor is a good choice. You might find it easier to drill it out slowly with a ratchet and long extensions by hand, so you can keep pressure on it so it starts to cut into the stud quickly.

Why not go for long tubes Uzi? They will net you some decent gains, and may have the same if not a better chance of not leaking again (with quality headers).. I got a very slight leak on my passenger side at a cold start, but its quiet when warm. I'm not even gonna try to put the OEM mani back in. So when it starts to really leak bad, I'm going for long tubes.

08silverbullet

While on the subject of headers does anyone know where I can get a set for the 4.6 2wd