cdlamb

I have a 2007 with the 5.4 engine, & it has an exhaust manifold leak on the passenger side. It appears that the top front stud is either missing or broke off. I am unable to see the lower studs.
Do I need to remove the motor mount bolts and lift the engine to remove the manifold. Do the studs need to be removed before the manifold will come out? If I happen to break a stud off will I be able to get a drill in to make a hole for an easy out? or will I need to pull the engine right out?
Just wondering if anyone has done this & has any info. Studs appear to be in pretty good shape for the 3 that I can see.

lewissa81

I will start by telling you that you're going to have a heck of a time on this project. It's not easy the first time you do it, especially if you have broken studs. If you do a search, there are numerous threads on this subject, all with different methods and advice. Here's what I did.

Remove the inner fender well, then the starter. You can disconnect the exhaust y-pipe now for more room, but it's technically not necessary. Twist and turn your body into all kinds of configurations to reach the studs, and take them out. Using a 13mm boxend wrench on the nuts will cause the least stress on the studs so they hopefully don't break. Then work the manifold out from the bottom through where the starter was. Remove the large and small nuts on the motor mount. Jack up the truck, support it with jack stands, and remove the wheel for more room. Raise the motor on that side until the transmission dipstick tube touches the firewall. Use a block of wood where the oil pan meets the engine block. Do not try to use the bottom of the oil pan to raise the motor. You should be able to see the broken stud better now.
If the broken stud is sticking out of the head, you can probably weld a nut to it to remove. If it is flush, or under flush, then it gets harder. You can put a 90° angle attachment on a Dremel and drill a hole to use an easyout.
Good luck. I was unfortunate enough have two broken studs underflush. One top, one bottom, both on #1 cylinder. I tried for three days to get them out. Gave up, took it to two shops, and each one couldn't get them out. They were too corroded and too deep inside the head. I think someone had done this before and cross thread the studs years before I bought the truck. Anyway, I had to pull the head off and take it to a machine shop.
Like I said, there are different methods to do this. Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did.

dos0711

Best info about it is in this thread...

https://www.f150forum.com/f4/5-4-exh...ld-leak-64466/

Good luck!