Driver side manifold
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Driver side manifold
I have seen a lot on the web about removing the passenger side manifold but not much on the drivers side. What needs to be moved to get to all the studs? Also do you guys recommend cutting the nuts, removing the manifold, than trying to get what's left of the studs? This seems like the most straightforward way to me. Any tools recommended for removing studs?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,825
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From: Land of Taxes
Broken exhaust studs, either side, and how to fix, 2008 F250, 5.4.
1. Go to Stealership and purchase all the studs, nuts and gaskets.
The hardware has been upgraded from the original hardware. The studs look copper coated.
2. Stock fridge with a case of your favorite working fluid. Do it in a well-lit shop or dry day in daylight. You may want to remove the fender well(s).
3. Soak the rusted studs for a few days to include the head pipe to manifold nuts with PB-Blaster or Castles “Thrust”, or Kroil or all 3.
4. Optional: remove wheel well.
5. Using an array of air and hand tools gently try to remove the nuts on the head pipe flanges first. I didn’t have to do both sides but I did loosen the 3 head pipe nuts on the good side enough to allow wiggle room to move the Y pipe enough to make room for exhaust manifold removal on the one side. You need the room to get past the 3 head pipe studs. You could try a regular ratchet and or vice grips first as you will get lucky with a few. You’re gonna break a few, but only a few if you have the touch and can feel when it’s about to break. Sometimes by stopping applying heat and or penetrant working in and out you could win that one w/o breakage. It’s a “feel” from experience.
6. Once you have the nuts off, slide the manifold off what remains if anything. With luck you have enough stud left on the broken ones to either grip with a fresh new set of USA made Vice grips (which are not made in the USA anymore thanks Erwin!) or like I did… I welded a nut on the end of the stud and then used the 3/8 impact… set real low so the hammers in the wrench did the work. Sometimes just the heat from the MIG weld provided enough oomph to loosen. This was true with two out of the 3. They broke loose by hand. The other one I needed a 3/8 air hammer. On this stubborn one I had to go back n forth several times while soaking with PB Blaster as well as a little gentle heat from the Oxy/Acetylene. Be careful as your working with an aluminum head.
7. Once you have the studs out you need to blow out the threads. …(hopefully you didn’t need to e-z out any that might have broken flush, that’s a whole ‘nother story, follow the below link).
8. Then send a well lubed “thread restorer”(chase) into each hole followed with compressed air. Do not use a tapered tap or bottoming tap. You don’t want to cut new threads. If the chase hangs up work it out easy just like you did with the studs. Blow out holes again.
9. Clean the gasket surface on the head. I used a die grinder with 3M Scotchbrite discs and other various abrasive tools by hand where the die grinder couldn’t reach. Be gentle just remove the crud.
10. The exhaust manifold needs to be cleaned as well. Mine was good enough to die grind with Scotchbrite pads and 100 grit sanding discs followed by a crude attempt to mill a flat surface evenly across the whole manifold gasket surface. I finished with a large 15”mill file. You may need to get yours machined flat (milled) or replace it if it’s rotted.
11. Next I coated both sides of the studs with copper anti-seize and installed them into the head. I snugged them up, not too tight, just snug, say 10-15lb/ft. Install 2 nuts on the stud “oppose tightened” to the end of the stud. Now use this set up to tighten the studs.
12. Next I hung the gasket set.
13. Next I installed the manifold. You may need to play around with the gaskets and slip them in between the mani and head with 2 nuts holding the mani for you. I had to alternate between reaching in the wheel well and the engine bay. You WILL play contortionist. Consider wheel well removal.
14. Next, snug the mani to the head by installing the remaining nuts finger tight.
15. Next evenly torque the nuts starting at the two inside nuts working your way to the outside nuts. Bring it down in 3-4 even steps. I believe the final torque for mine was 19-22lb/ft. I went with 19. No I didn’t take into account the 10-15% torque reduction you should back off on due to the anti-seize. That felt too loose for me.
16. Install the head pipe using liberal amounts of copper anti-seize.
17. You’re not done yet. Drive it for a couple of days then re-torque the nuts. Recheck again after a few thousand miles. Mine went 25K and never leaked. Then I traded it for a 6.2. Well see if this one needs the same treatment…hope not.
Tip of the day…everything gets coated liberally with copper anti-seize. Make for easy disassembly should you need to do this job down the road. I put it on everything as I know I will likely be at it again over the course of ownership.
Follow these threads too:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/13...old+nut+torque
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/12...old+nut+torque
1. Go to Stealership and purchase all the studs, nuts and gaskets.
The hardware has been upgraded from the original hardware. The studs look copper coated.
2. Stock fridge with a case of your favorite working fluid. Do it in a well-lit shop or dry day in daylight. You may want to remove the fender well(s).
3. Soak the rusted studs for a few days to include the head pipe to manifold nuts with PB-Blaster or Castles “Thrust”, or Kroil or all 3.
4. Optional: remove wheel well.
5. Using an array of air and hand tools gently try to remove the nuts on the head pipe flanges first. I didn’t have to do both sides but I did loosen the 3 head pipe nuts on the good side enough to allow wiggle room to move the Y pipe enough to make room for exhaust manifold removal on the one side. You need the room to get past the 3 head pipe studs. You could try a regular ratchet and or vice grips first as you will get lucky with a few. You’re gonna break a few, but only a few if you have the touch and can feel when it’s about to break. Sometimes by stopping applying heat and or penetrant working in and out you could win that one w/o breakage. It’s a “feel” from experience.
6. Once you have the nuts off, slide the manifold off what remains if anything. With luck you have enough stud left on the broken ones to either grip with a fresh new set of USA made Vice grips (which are not made in the USA anymore thanks Erwin!) or like I did… I welded a nut on the end of the stud and then used the 3/8 impact… set real low so the hammers in the wrench did the work. Sometimes just the heat from the MIG weld provided enough oomph to loosen. This was true with two out of the 3. They broke loose by hand. The other one I needed a 3/8 air hammer. On this stubborn one I had to go back n forth several times while soaking with PB Blaster as well as a little gentle heat from the Oxy/Acetylene. Be careful as your working with an aluminum head.
7. Once you have the studs out you need to blow out the threads. …(hopefully you didn’t need to e-z out any that might have broken flush, that’s a whole ‘nother story, follow the below link).
8. Then send a well lubed “thread restorer”(chase) into each hole followed with compressed air. Do not use a tapered tap or bottoming tap. You don’t want to cut new threads. If the chase hangs up work it out easy just like you did with the studs. Blow out holes again.
9. Clean the gasket surface on the head. I used a die grinder with 3M Scotchbrite discs and other various abrasive tools by hand where the die grinder couldn’t reach. Be gentle just remove the crud.
10. The exhaust manifold needs to be cleaned as well. Mine was good enough to die grind with Scotchbrite pads and 100 grit sanding discs followed by a crude attempt to mill a flat surface evenly across the whole manifold gasket surface. I finished with a large 15”mill file. You may need to get yours machined flat (milled) or replace it if it’s rotted.
11. Next I coated both sides of the studs with copper anti-seize and installed them into the head. I snugged them up, not too tight, just snug, say 10-15lb/ft. Install 2 nuts on the stud “oppose tightened” to the end of the stud. Now use this set up to tighten the studs.
12. Next I hung the gasket set.
13. Next I installed the manifold. You may need to play around with the gaskets and slip them in between the mani and head with 2 nuts holding the mani for you. I had to alternate between reaching in the wheel well and the engine bay. You WILL play contortionist. Consider wheel well removal.
14. Next, snug the mani to the head by installing the remaining nuts finger tight.
15. Next evenly torque the nuts starting at the two inside nuts working your way to the outside nuts. Bring it down in 3-4 even steps. I believe the final torque for mine was 19-22lb/ft. I went with 19. No I didn’t take into account the 10-15% torque reduction you should back off on due to the anti-seize. That felt too loose for me.
16. Install the head pipe using liberal amounts of copper anti-seize.
17. You’re not done yet. Drive it for a couple of days then re-torque the nuts. Recheck again after a few thousand miles. Mine went 25K and never leaked. Then I traded it for a 6.2. Well see if this one needs the same treatment…hope not.
Tip of the day…everything gets coated liberally with copper anti-seize. Make for easy disassembly should you need to do this job down the road. I put it on everything as I know I will likely be at it again over the course of ownership.
Follow these threads too:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/13...old+nut+torque
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/12...old+nut+torque
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