I have a cracked exhaust manifold (Left side/Fornt of car, closest to the radiator). Its a V6 and I was wondering if anyone knew how to get access to the exhaust manifold. Do I need to pull the engine up in the engine compartment to gain access to the manifold, drop it down through the bottom and get to it that way or take the whole front of the car off (bumper, grill, radiator, condensor, fans....).

 

I do not have the factory manual, so this is my personal take. Drain and remove the radiator, and protect the condenser with a piece of plywood or stiff cardboard. Disconnect the "Y" pipe from both front and rear manifolds. You may be able to get away with loosening the rear clamp and letting the "Y" hang, but don't bet on it.
I'd then remove the bolts retaining the manifold to the cylinder head.
That is the short of it, but I'm sure there is a 'long' waiting out there to tell me the error of my ways. When I did the pan gasket on my Vulcan, complete removal of the "Y" pipe was the only way to get access, and the starter had to come out for the same reason. I am assuming that the exhaust manifold would be dropped out the bottom. I suppose I should crawl under and do an inspection, but I have hopes that I won't get a cracked manifold.
tom

 

2005 Ford Escape V6 3.0 2WD

First I'd like to say that i wish i had this post before i attempted the job, and that's why im taking 5 min to help all you out there!

ok so i did this job, it was definitely a difficult job (hands are sore)... HAD to remove front radiator, also another SPECIAL TIp, MUST remove drive belt and loosen AC compressor, I would recommend loosening top all the way than remove bottom 2 bolts, THIS IS A MUST to access bottom manifold bolts for tightening... some tools to make the job easier would be as follows....

impact gun,
breaker bar
swivel joint for sockets,
deep sockets
clamps for all the transmission and radiator lines
special clamp pliers for hard to reach clamps.


Also...

definitely be careful with condensor,

special tips you need to remove the center bracket that holds the hood latch, also radiator, remove battery to access clamps and hoses on the driver side of vehicle.

Tried to attempt job without removing radiator... nearly impossible.


Could someone who has done the RIGHT exhaust Manifold, Closest to firewall give us tips... DO WE NEED TO REMOVE TOP INTAKE MANIFOLD????

Thanks

 

many thanks to tomw !!!!!
applause applause !!!!
the exhaust gasket is toast but the manifold/cat is fine.
please recommend the best gasket replacement
also should the studs and nuts be replaced?
thanks

 

In my opinion, FelPro and FoMoCo would be the top two sources for gaskets. Just from using them over the years. I don't remember ever having a problem with any of their gaskets or seals.
Personally, I would use some 'anti-sieze' compound on the threads of the studs as it should make any subsequent removal easier. I do not look forward to having to loosen the fasteners on my exhaust manifolds as they are all coated with rust, so I expect they will be unwilling to loosen without protest.
To insure you don't have a leak, check that the manifold gasket surface is flat. If it has any dips or bulges, you should try to even out the surface or your new gasket will leak also. Some will take the manifolds to a machine shop to get the surface milled flat, and others will depend on having a flat concrete sidewalk or basement/garage floor that they can scour the surfaces by rubbing on the concrete so they are even.
tom

 

One tip, spray all the nut's, bolts, studs with PB Blaster before removing them. May be a little anti-seize on the threads before removing them too.

 

thanks tomw.
i went with the felpro and the dorman 03419b exhaust manifold hardware kit (fancy words for studs and nuts). i used a 2nd cut file and then super fine for the exhaust manifold. damn hard with the ports facing gravity so the filings stay out of the cat. stroked it till it was smooth and flat. resurfacing the head exhaust port was a pain, but used a sanding sponge which worked amazingly well. the test running went poorly, could not the the darling over 2k rpm. also it sounded like a ruptured compressed air line. after taking the y pipe, rear cat and muffler off i found filings and fluff ahead of the rear cat. (the last repair jock welded everything together). just finished putting the y pipe back on and a free flow muffler. its reving very nicely, but, now it is idling rough like it has bad gas. i popped some duralube upper cylinder conditioner in just cuz it seemed like a good idea. the readings from easyobdii seem ok but i am new. oh ya, heads up to everyone, the frame where the y pipe travels over was rotten. cleaned, heavy zinc weld-thru primer, patches and mig'd it back to new. ideas on the running rough??? thanks

 

If you had the COPs off, it is VERY easy to criss cross two on the front cylinder head. The loom made the wires dress incorrectly, hinting one should go on the wrong COP, leaving the other to go on another wrong COP.
If the miss is at idle, the above applies as higher rpm will/can mask the miss. Also intake manfold leaks, EGR not seating, fouled or widely gapped plugs, normal stuff.
Any OBD-II codes readable?
tom

 

thanks tomw.
well i did not clear the keep alive memory after the repairs.
after disconnecting the battery and running a jumper wire from the ground wire to the positive terminal, before breakfast, then removing the jumper wire and connecting the battery after breakfast. the old girl started up fine and purred like a happy kitten.
thanks again for the great advice.