[Zachatola]

So ive been reading a bunch, and im getting mixed reviews. I have a stock 351 pass side manifold leak, and i have read that there are no gaskets on stock manifolds but then ive read that there are. Ive also read that you should and shouldn't put one back in its place so im trying to get what i need to get this manifold off and stop my leak so i can get this thing back to emissions testing. LOL

I have taken the inner wheel liner out (huge amounts of more space to work with it out) im also on day 2 of PB Blaster soaks for all bolts. They are rusty, however this is an AZ rig so im keeping my fingers crossed there are no broken bolts in my future.

Do i pull it and add or replace a gasket? Im not really too interested at this point in going with headers (maybe down the road but not at this point)

 

[jermil01]

There are no gaskets on the cast iron stock manifolds. At the time the engines are were assembled they would have put a light coat of oil on the manifold flanges and then bolted it to the block. that provided a perfect seal..if you have a leak, chances are more likely that one of them is cracked..after 100's upon 100's of heat cycles it's bound to happen..You can source a set of factory style manifold for relatively cheap, but if it were me, I'd go ahead and replace with a set of BBK ceramic coated headers. good luck.

 

[Stevo440]

Remove, examine and then access. If there are no cracks or broken pieces then plane flange surface at a machine shop or get a VERY FLAT surface (large piece of thick glass or steel, etc and a large sheet of emery cloth/sandpaper and work till flat. Clean Head mounting surface then Reinstall with Grease or Copper RTV or etc. If you use gaskets under the Cast Exhaust manifolds you will have a greater chance of cracking the manifold, just some FYI. If cracked or broken then replace with New Exhaust manifolds or Shorty Headers (with good gaskets for the headers only). Good luck

 

[Zachatola]

You guys keep saying good luck. LOL it’s making me nervous! Is it common for the EGR tube to break and cause a leak? Is it worth just buying a new one to replace it since I’m going to have it all apart?

 

[jermil01]

Yes, EGR tubes will rust and leak over time..but it's hard to say what condition yours is in without seeing any pics..If it were me, I'd buy a replacement..

 

[Zachatola]

I can’t really tell if it’s broke or not. Doesn’t look terribly bad but I’m getting a tick towards the front of the motor so I was curious more than anything.

 

[jermil01]

yeah, it's tough to say..with the manifolds, you could have a hairline crack that you can't really see..

 

[Zachatola]

Thats kinda what im worried about. Ill get it all removed and see what i can see. I might just buy a new EGR tube and be done with it.

 

[Warthog4]

I would put a hose or stethoscope on it before taking anything out. You might just be able to tighten it all up and cure it. Check out Kroil for worry free removal of bolts. Just get them hot and then a couple drops of Kroil. Do that 2 or 3 times over that may days, and they should come out really easy. Kroil is designed to creep into micro cracks and lubricate deep.

 

[Zachatola]

I would put a hose or stethoscope on it before taking anything out. You might just be able to tighten it all up and cure it. Check out Kroil for worry free removal of bolts. Just get them hot and then a couple drops of Kroil. Do that 2 or 3 times over that may days, and they should come out really easy. Kroil is designed to creep into micro cracks and lubricate deep.

maybe Ill hit up HF and grab a cheap stethiscope and give that a try and see if i can pin point where the prob might be. If i dont have to take off the exhaust manifold i would prefer not to. LOL

 

[67galax]

I’d try moving that woven heat shield. I’ve seen several EGR tubes cracked behind that. Look for black ‘sooty’ deposits. If you see any, the leak is close.

 

[Native_Viking]

The egr tube will likely twist apart when you put a wrench on the nut to remove it from the exhaust manifold.
The SKP replacement egr tube is the only one I found that is worth a darn.

When I replaced my 351w I took the exhaust manifolds and placed them on my medium sized stationary belt sander, checking for flatness constantly. It doesn't need to be a machine finish, only a nice flat and even surface. I used spray paint as a "guide" coat to make sure I was removing material evenly.

The only downfall to removing any material from the exhaust manifold is that when you go to connect the factory Y pipe there may be a very slight misalignment on the collector bolts. In my case I just drilled the bolt holes in collector flanges one size larger and threw washers under the nuts (and used anti-seize on it).

I have used chassis grease as a gasket and it works great but is a little smokey upon initial startup. The grease solidifies and seals any small imperfections upon the heat up cycle.

 

[miesk5]

Yo Zach,
Removal in 92-06; "...If you plan on replacing yours go buy a 1 1/16 wrench you'll need it to get the egr pipe off the egr itself..." by blue

PCI has very good tube and connectors

SHOP BY CATEGORY | pollutioncontrol2

www.pciinc.com

Pollution Control Industries, Inc.
2535 Pilot Knob Road Suite 116
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
Ph: 800-447-8760
Local: 651-482-9821
Fax: 651-482-9849
[email protected]

 

[Zachatola]

Well i had to buy a new wrench but i was able to get the EGR Tube off, and sure enough that is exactly where my leak was coming from. Im sure that was not helping my Emissions issues.

Thank the lord above for AZ vehicles, the nuts and tube came off VERY easy. I was expecting much more of a fight to get it off, but other than tough access to the lower nut it came off quite nicely. Now to get a hold of a new tube.

The old tube still had that cloth heat wrap on it which made it impossible to see the crack right at the bottom of the bellow section. I couldn't get the fabric up to see the bellows but it came off in two parts and was all black around it.

Thank you guys for the info and help.

 

[Zachatola]

Well long story short after some running in the garage I still had an exhaust leak. Much less since I replaced the egr tube but still had one. After some thought I decided to just bite the bullet and pull the manifold. Sure enough I found my tick. The front of the manifold seems to be ever so slightly warped as I can see daylight under a straight edge in the forward most port.
Is it possible to lay sand paper down and slide the manifold back and forth on a thick steel table I have to straighten it back out? I’m hopeful it can be done this way. I’m hoping to put the manifold back on with just a thin layer of grease and no gasket.

 

[Stevo440]

Didn't I address that in post #3? I think so!

 

[Zachatola]

Didn't I address that in post #3? I think so!

Perfect thanks Stevo. I’ve been looking it over and I don’t see any cracks so I’m thinking this will work with a lot of elbow grease I’m sure…
thanks for the info on the post above. I didn’t realize you had mentioned it already. Thanks again.

 

[Zachatola]

I took Stevo’s advice and started sanding on a very flat surface. It took a lot of elbow grease and patience, but I got it reinstalled with a bit of grease and new exhaust bolts. I torqued everything down and fired it up and I can’t hear any ticks or exhaust leaks.

thanks Stevo for the advice it worked great

here is a mid sanding shot of what i was working with

 

[Stevo440]

Not all problems require Expensive and or Complicated fixes, always start with the Basics and work your way up to the Complicated and or Expensive fixes, sometimes the Freebies bring along with them the best satisfaction...

 

[jermil01]

I'm amazed those weren't cracked..you lucked out.