Well everybody, it's time. Got a Titan stud extractor, PB Blaster and some time. All I can say is...wish me luck. Don't have a welder, but access to quite a few tools. 13 studs out of 20 are broken, so maybe that's why my hydrocarbons are so high? The leaking is affecting the O2 sensors, which messes up the air/gas ratio? Idk. But anyway, the time upon me. I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe some pics too, if I can figure out how to upload them. Any tips/tricks?? For manifolds AND pics.

 

Good Luck!

Can't help with the manifold, but I can help with the pics.

Pics need to be "hosted" on another site. I like Photobucket since it is free.

Take the pic, move it to your computer, then open Photobucket.com, establish an account, and upload the photos. That moves them from your computer to Photobucket's server. (A server is a computer that is specialized for handling lots of requests for data, like "give me back my picture!")

After your pics are on Photobucket, you will have a collection of them. Click on an individual picture, and it will fill most of your screen. On the right hand side it will list a few different "codes" for various ways of referencing the picture. You want the one that starts with [img], which is a code that vBulletin (the software this site runs on) to call an image from a remote server.

When you click on the [img] link, it will automatically copy to your clipboard. I like to have Photobucket and FTE open in different windows so I just click back and forth. Click the link on Photobucket to copy, switch to FTE and paste it into your post.


If this is not clear, let me know and I can try to explain it in more detail, or with examples.

Gotta help out a guy who not only is fellow Ford owner, but also a fellow diver (just recreation for me!). And especially a guy who is serving our country - thanks for that!

 

I am doing the exact same thing. The titan extractor works great on the exposed broken studs. I have two that are about a 1/4" inside the head. I have the drivers side back together and am waiting to see if I get a mig welder for Christmas this year so I can get the other studs out..

 

good luck! hope it works out well for ya

 

I did mine a while back. Studs sticking out of head, I tacked a nut on them, then unscrewed them with a wrench. Ones inside the head, I spotted tacks on them till I had enough to tack a nut on. Then I unscrewed them with a wrench as well. It worked out rather well. Oh- BTW- I am very experienced with a welding machine, and no way in hell would I attempt to do this with a stick welder, as has been suggested in other threads.

 

I hate to admit defeat, but all I got accomplished was getting the wheel well cover out of the way, breaking the EGR tube nut off and possibly a hernia. Everything is so corroded I can't get anything to move. The manifold to Y pipe bolts are so bad that when I scraped all the crud off my initial reaction was "They welded the d*****d things on??". You can't tell where the nut ends and the flange begins. So I'm going to have to put this off for a while and have a pro do it. I did, however, get everything put back together (not that much actually came apart ). I'm not worried about the EGR tube either, that thing isn't going anywhere. It's become one with the manifold and will have to be cut off.
As much as my initial quotes are for having someone else do this ($1700 from the Ford dealership down the road and about $1K from 3-4 other places), I think I'll save my pennies and get headers instead going through this again in a year or two after it's finally done.

 

From what I have seen those egr tubes are a nightmare. Mine doesnt have one so I am happy for that. My truck has never seen salt so all my bolts are pretty new looking still. I couldnt imagine doing this job if it was rusty. Its probably a good Idea if its that bad to let someone else do it and save your body for the next one..

 

A lot of the work is getting the truck down to where you can do the work.

My manifold to Y-pipe bolts I just cut off, and bought new ones.

I am not familiar with the Titan extractor. The welder really is the magic. Not only does it weld a new nut on that you can use, it sends heat right down into the problem.

Its your money and time. It is do-able. It sucks big time without a doubt.

 

Ive read alot about broken studs on our trucks. I've owned a couple modulars before this but always in cars (Crown Vics and Mustangs) and never had these issues. Whats the deal?

 

I cut the manifold to Y pipe studs, and also cut off the EGR tube and replaced the pipe and nut. So much easier than trying to save.