1st question is what is the real difference between the stock up-pipes and the bellowed up-pipes from riffraff? I have not looked at my stock ones so I dont know what the difference is. But why should I go with the bellowed ones over the stock ones? Theres quite a price difference.

2nd question is do the up-pipes leak around the gasket, or actually in the pipe itself? Or does it vary ?

I need to replace mine and am debating on buying the felpro gaskets and new stock up-pipes or just breaking down and buying the bellowed up-pipes.

 

The bellowed uppipes uses a flat steel gasket and has expansion joints versus the compressed donut gasket and more rigid design of the stock ones. The stock pipes tend to errode at the donut contact point around the pipe and leak there. IMHO, buy the bellowed ones. Do it once, and for all! I replaced mine with the stock set up (new pipes and all), before learning of the bellowed ones, and had them start leaking 1-1/2 yrs later.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Would I need 2 gaskets for a temporary fix or 4 if both pipes are leaking? do they have gaskets at both ends or just the top ends?

thanks

 

Just 2 for the top ends. The bottom is flared for a "metal to metal" seal at the manifolds.

 

Thats an oxymoron to me.. In my mind there is no such thing. But I'm not an engineer.

 

Think compression fitting. Your home likely has this kind of seal on some of your plumbing. They work OK on a permanently fixed pipe, but they don't hold up so well on a vibrating engine unless there's "give" in one side or the other. The bellowed ups supply the "give" on this system.

 

I replaced mine last year, about 193k. Both stock pipes had grooves worn in them where the donut rides. By the time I replaced the pipes, bolts, and bought a new collector because of bolts(and easy out) breaking, spent over 300 bucks. New from Ford.
I would do the bellows if doing again. They are a pita, you only want to do once.

 

Here is a video I did showing the bellowed up-pipe design.

Bellowed Up-Pipes - YouTube


Here are pictures of my OEM up-pipes. The truck only had 75k on it and wasn't leaking badly, just traces of soot.

 

Just playing devils advocate here so dont take it wrong but if the stock uppipes lasted almost 200000 miles I would say thats pretty good.Replace with stock for another 200,000? I dont know the price difference but just questioning the logic of bellowed up pipes. I dont see any soot around mine when I replaced my pedestal but im at 98,000...In my case another 100,000 is gonna last me 15 yrs more,lol.Only tow and haul with it.I guess I would ask the OP how many miles he has gotten out of the oem pipes and will he have the truck in another 200,000 miles?But if moneys no object then forget everything I said.

 

Very good point and we all have to consider this. What are the odds we won't all be priced out of buying diesel in the next 5 years? Not good, I'm afraid. My "master" plan is to keep this truck until one of us is completely dead. Fuel? Biodiesel might be around for a while.

It might cost more for every repair, but I want each repair done once - and I want it to last a very long time. I have the money now and one never knows about future events, I just want to know my vehicle is as reliable as I can make it. Stock is great, but why bypass improvements discovered since the manufacture date? For some of us, the cost of the part is not the thing, the labor is - and a flexible bellowed Up will be crazy easy/fast to mate up with all the other parts.

The previous owner of my rig bought nice vented rotors for the front, but just swapped pads and didn't maintain/replace the calipers. The calipers seized and wiped out watever life the rotors/pads had left. It's not the same thing as stock parts vs. mod parts, but the mentality of cheaper repairs can lead one down a well-traveled yet uncomfortable road.

Every time you pull something off the engine, you risk damaging seals, introducing leaks, or stripping a bolt. One and done is my philosophy - but I put 20,000 miles per year on mine.

Still, I agree with rtazz17 that others should weigh their situation before just saying "I want the best". Everybody "wants" the best, but how man can afford and justify the best?

 

my thinking is with rtazz as well. Motors banging 135k and (knock on wood) no soot sign. If it does show its face, the 5 buks in Felpro seemed to been the fix for others.

Hey Ken, for one that goes the bellowed route, which way does the metal gasket get installed..concaved side to collector or to bellowed?

 

To help answer this. Another member (4inchlovin) had a ford reman motor put in a couple of years ago. Complete reman motor from turbo to oil pan. At 2 years and about 30K miles, his up-pipes are leaking and covered in soot. They don't last 200K. Its just that a lot of trucks are now at 200K and in the hands of guys who know what to look for.

I had a picture that unfortunately got deleted from my phone of up-pipes on a motor that had 210K. Not only were they leaking but most of the pipe where it sits in the collector had worn away. Not some little groove from the donut gasket, a good half inch of the pipe was gone. It would suck to decide to replace the donuts and get it there only to find that you'd have to replace the pipes too. Then your truck is down longer and you end up spending near what the bellowed would have cost anyway

You will notice as you read about up-pipes that grand majority of people who suggest just replacing the donuts are people who have not done the job before. It's a lot of work for a temporary fix. Heck, installing the bellowed up-pipes is a lot of work for a permanent fix. But if you are going to do the work. Do it once.

 

As the others have mentioned. It is not a job that most people want to do more than once. If you plan on doing the job with gaskets, I will offer this up. Have all new pipes at the ready. The last thing you want to do is have to run or wait for new tubes. The cost on them isn't terrible and you can probably get away with replacement stock pipes and Fel-Pro's for a 1/4 of the cost of bellowed pipes.

If you don't want to worry about it again, install the bellowed pipes.

Timmyboy 76: The stamped metal gasket can be installed either way. It crushes down when tightened and seals up the interface between the pipe flange and the collector.

 

Which is why I share my experience. I thought I could get away with just donuts and maybe up pipes. The tough part is getting into the whole deal and finding out things aren't going like I hoped. I was lucky at the time we had an extra car, so truck being down was no big deal. It was easier to wade in a little at a time, but IF one has 450 or so bucks, go for the sure cure. I still think I hear exhaust ticking, but no soot, yet.