EDIT: This truck has the 5.4. Sorry I originally neglected to specify!

So, I picked up a '98 E350 box truck last year. 165k miles. Runs well.

Cutting to the chase, it has an exhaust manifold leak on the left side.

I put a wrench on one of the studs and it snapped off under very little pressure. The picture below show that it was hanging on by a thread already.

I live in Virginia and we have safety inspections each year. A leaky exhaust is something they can and do fail for, so I am going to try and knock this out before we fail an inspection (due in June) and absolutely need the truck. It will be sitting until April.

I had a buddy go through this with his F250 V10. He bought the ProMaxx tool to drill these studs out, so I'll have that at my disposal. I'm pretty well setup, tool wise, but this heifer won't fit in my garage. I have a nice large concrete apron out front where I'll do the work on nice days.

I think my plan is to just pull the motor and do the work on a stand. It just looks like a miserable job in-chassis. No access from the side. Little from the top, and a little from the rear & under. Maybe I'm stupid. Let me know if I am.

I know that to use an engine crane, you'd need to pull the intake. But, I have this thing called a pallet stacker. It's like a mini forklift. I was thinking that if there's enough room, I can come in with it and lift the engine by the manifolds using the forks. I had that epiphany a few days ago. No idea if there's enough room to get in there to do that, but it's a current hope.

Once I get the engine out, I plan to cut the nuts off the studs, remove the manifolds and then work on the studs. Heat, Kroil, and stud extractors. I know I've got one stud to drill. Hopefully that'll be it. Wishful thinking.

I'm going to order new Dorman manifolds (may as well do both sides...). I have new gaskets and stainless studs to go back on.

I was thinking of doing all the coils and plugs while I'm at it. Maybe intake manifold gaskets? Anything else to do while it's "easy"?

Hanging by a thread.


This will be my setup. This was last summer, replacing ball joints.


My buddy using the ProMAXX tool on his V10. No where near that kind of access on a van...

 

theres LOTS of discussion information on this forum about exhaust stud issues.

Also check the V10 forum.

I highly recommend you do a lot of searching and reading before you jump in.

Everything is covered-
1. remove engine or not,

2. how to remove the bad studs,
2a. welder
2b. drill
2c. left hand drill
2d. what type of penetrating oil and how long to let it soak

3. what type of fastener to replace them with,
3a. whether or not to lube the new fasteners
3b. what type of lube
3c. studs or bolts
3d. what length bolts
3e. whether or not to use washers

4. whether to reinstall old manifolds or headers

5. what brand of headers

6. discussion on machining the old manifolds before reinstallling

7. clean the threads with a "bottoming tap" and then solvent and then compressed air



You have a lot to consider. As do I- my V10 had a few studs missing when I got it (June 2013; 176,000 miles ago). And now it has more missing.

 

I've done lots of reading here. There is a ton of info on doing this in the trucks, but only two threads I can find that have any meaningful info with the Es.

 

Might be easier to remove the cab than the engine, too. Something to consider.

 

I've done a similar job on a 2001 E350 V8 successfully without removing the engine. It is a PITA took roughly 12 hours from start to finish with the help of a relatively experienced mechanic friend. Look on the forum under "Exhaust manifold lessons learned" for my write up.

Did your stud snap off flush with the block or the manifold? I had three that snapped of flush with the manifold and they came out easily with a stud remover once I got the manifold off.

Even if it's flush with the block you can probably get it out with a mig welder.

If you have the equipment and time to put it on the stand though, go for it. Your neck will thank you.

 

I got some broken exhaust studs on the 4.6 in my van and it'll go to the scrap yard like that. I have no intention of ever tackling the job. I don't see how it would even be possible without removing the motor and that would require lifting the body off the frame so.. it's never gonna happen. I can't imagine how tight some of the bigger motors are in these vans.

 

It can be done. You just need a fully equipped shop with every imaginable extension, swivel, adapter and a really really good friend. The key is to remove the starter and wheel and go in through the wheel well. You can loosen the motor mounts and jack up the engine a couple inches for more room.

It's a the worst job I've ever done hands down. I was sore for days.

 

Hats off to you on that job. I tried this on a little V6 Ranger we have here over the holidays, I had to remove the complete exhaust system due to rusted out flanges on the Y pipe, and of course a couple of the manifold bolts broke off in the heads. One left a nice stud sticking out and I got that out with a stud remover pretty easily, but 2 others broke off flush. I made several attempts to get these out with everything from easy outs to a left handed drill bit to welding on an extension with a mig and nothing worked, so I gave up on it and bolted te manifolds back on. And in this case I had room to work with the inner fender pulled out, I'm not afraid of getting dirty but the older I get the less patience I have for cramped working spaces, and it doesn't help that I'm 6'4" and built like a sasquatch.. all arms and legs.

 

Hey Rooster. We chatted in your thread last month.

You worked through the wheel well? I can't imagine how that was accomplished.

 

Remove the wheel and tire, remove the starter, and use small ratchets and wrenches is all I can say. The hardest ones to get are the ones that sit behind the spring seat. You are working blind most of the time. I would seat a wrench or socket on a stud using just touch and then my friend would come in from the other side and apply torque to it.

If I was going to do it over again I would buy a plasma cutter and zip the studs off flush with the manifold and worry with the studs once it was out. So much easier to work once the manifold is gone.

 

I've found that a mini pipe wrench works well if there's a little bit of stud sticking out to latch onto.

 

The forecast was great for this weekend, so I decided to start the job. I've got about 6 hours in it right now. I have electrical, fuel, torque converter nuts, bellhousing bolts, and engine mounts left to go before I can pull it out.

Pretty sure my pallet stacker idea is dead in the water, though. I need 31" of clearance to get it in there, and there is only 29" of clearance between the bumper mounts on the nose of the frame. So, I'm going to have to pull the intake as well in order to get my engine hoist in there with enough room to raise the engine.

This pic is after day one. 2-3 hours of work. The cross members, condenser, and radiator are now out of the way (day 2 - 3 or 4 hours). I also disconnected the exhaust from the manifolds and removed the starter today.

 

A couple more hours today (today was a holiday - so I was off work). It's pretty much ready to come out. Probably will have to wait til Friday or Saturday.

 

Off to a good start, looking forward to seeing your updates.

 

I'm looking forward to my updates, too.

Putting together a parts list of things to replace while its out. Gaskets, plugs, etc

Also thinking of pulling the timing covers to check out the chains, tensioners, and guides.