So I've been a bronco fan since I got my first vehicle at 15. It was an 87 Broncos that proved to "almost" be indestructible. In 2005 I had to replace it and have had this 94 ever since. My problem now is the truck has over 230,000 miles on it, and it cranks every time I turn the key, except now I cringe when I get on the gas because of a leaky exhaust manifold. I've been quoted $1500 + to pull the motor and have this issue fixed. Have any of you pulled your own 5.8 out? They tell me it's a pain. Can the head itself be removed instead to address broken bolts?

 

Are the exhaust manifold bolts broken or is the exhaust manifold cracked?

Either way $1500 is too much in my opinion for fixing something like this.

If the manifold is cracked you can remove it by itself and replace it with either a new manifold or a good used one from a donor vehicle. New ones can be pricey at the dealership so I recommend used if you have a good used parts supplier near you.

Take pictures of the manifold before you start especially any of the brackets that mount to the studs so that you can get it all assembled correctly.

There are only a couple of nuts holding the manifold to the exhaust pipes and 8 more hold it to the head. Pro-tip here - hit all of them with penetrating oil a couple of hours before you start to remove them and you'll be less likely to twist them off and cause more grief.

If the vehicle is really rusty you may break some of them off. That will make it necessary to replace studs, nuts and for you to either drill out or have a machine shop remove the broken studs. If this happens you'll want to remove the head. Machine shop work is reasonably priced especially for small jobs like this.

If the studs are already broken and the manifold leaks because of that you will want to remove the manifold and the head and take the head to a machine shop for them to remove the broken studs. (Or use information in other posts - a couple of which are below -to help you decide how to handle the broken stud since how it breaks can make a big difference in how easy it is to remove.)

Once again, get a manual (chilton's or similar) and read the entire process before starting so you understand how and when everything comes off. Once you have read the manual and located the things you'll be removing from your vehicle you're ready to start.

Be sure to take pictures before and during disassembly so you know how it all goes together. Keep your bolts and other things you remove organized to make reassembly easier. Label with taped on tags or similar all of the hoses you remove. Most hoses and wire harnesses have unique connectors so that it is pretty obvious where they attach but it won't hurt to label those too.

If you have to remove the heads this will be a good time to replace head gaskets and intake manifold gaskets and to get a general view of the engine condition so enjoy and make the most of the opportunity. With >200K miles you are likely to find other things that you want to address like simple gasket replacement and vacuum tubing replacement so that when you put it all back together you can operate for a while with no nagging problems. Also consider having the machinist check the flatness of the heads and correct any warpage.

Removing the head on a 351 can be a big job but it is something you can do in your driveway. If it's the first time you've done something like it then just take it slow and you'll be fine.

These are a couple of the posts on the forum for dealing with broken manifold studs.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...fold-bolt.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-dummies.html

These are just two examples. Overall it is not something that should cost you $1500.

Good luck.

 

Yes the bolts are broken, two were previously broken before, but where on opposite ends and the manifold could be tightened enough to last for awhile, but while changing the gasket a while back I broke another one, so it's a constant leak now. The quote I received seemed really high to me also, but its because his quote included removing the engine completely, which he said was necessary, but I was unsure if the head could be removed without the engine.......like I said, this guy told me it couldn't.....thanks for your reply.

 

Hope I helped. It definitely can be done without removing the engine. If you've never done a head removal then it could take most of a day working slowly to get it all out and down to the machinist. Then you're just waiting on him.

While he's removing the bolts you can get your parts together and clean up the engine bay and locate anything else that needs attention that may be hard to reach with the engine assembled.

Get a good manual to help figure how much you want to tackle and how to go about it. Especially consider the condition of vacuum lines and look closely at your battery cables to see whether you should replace them. It's a whole lot easier to route things with the upper engine removed and out of the way. Make sure your heat shields are in good shape and that any nagging leaks are fixed so that you can enjoy driving it once you geets the top back on the engine.

Good luck to you.

 

You may be able to save yourself alot of $$ by buying a set of stripped bolt and stud removers. If you can get to them with an impact its really not that hard of a job. Soak them with some PB blaster for a few days spraying daily. If you have a propane torch heat them when you are ready to try removing them. Not red hot but hot. Then spray them with water. Heat again. Spray them with water again. Then hit them with the stud remover on an impact. Easy does it. I have had very good luck using this method. I just did this about 2 months ago on my old 78. Removed 3 broken bolts and all the rusted bolts. If I remember correct the stud removers were about $20 and bolt removers were about the same. Way cheaper and easier than pulling the heads.