SORRY AHEAD OF TIME...this post will have some twists & turns before I get to the subject...but I wanted to relay the sequence of events. I've been concerned about my exhaust manifolds for years...but due to life circumstances arising from military service in the sand box, I've been unable to do much physical work (on anything). I recently purchased Centramatic Wheel Balancers and was in the process of installing them when I discovered they wouldn't fit over the Dynatrac Free-Spin Hubs, flush with the rotor head. Since the hubs had bad surface rust, and I'd driven thru high water (approx 2 feet for 100 yards) a few years ago (I know see above)...I wanted to "FINALLY" go thru the hubs & wheel bearings etc. Thank goodness I used Schaeffer's Moly Ultra Extreme Pressure Grease and had packed the hubs almost full. The grease looked good as knew, but the outer wheel bearing & race were worn some. The inner bearing & cup looked new. I decided to go all the way thru both sides...new inner & outer bearings, seals and u-joints in the outer axle shafts. Everything is extremely rusted including the outer axle shaft's yoke. The rust was a problem long before I drove thru the water, but the outer axle shafts were new. Half of the needle bearings inside the both spindles were missing...I found them inside the hubs...some were broke in half. Surprising, since the wheels spun true and very easily (could've been due to the weight of the raised tires). My frame has always been rusty since moving back to ILLINOIS (15 years ago)...terribly rusty. Last July I started on the rear axle's bearings, disc brakes, parking brakes and cyro'd rotors etc. This is when I decided to POR-15 everything I could, frame outer axle housing and calipers...anything rusted. I didn't finish until mid-November because (see above). So now I'm up front and I've taken both inner fender panels off so I could POR-15 everything rusted. I can easily see the right side exhaust manifold...I knew they looked bad and now would be the time to replace them before I put everything back together. SO LONG STORY SHORT...does anyone have experience with aftermarket manifolds? I believe Clay from RIFFRAFF has a good price on factory manifolds. I WILL ceramic coat both manifolds. When I did quite a bit of upgrades at Brian's Truck Stop, they installed my ceramic up pipes (they look good as new). I've invested a lot of money in this truck and enjoy using it when I'm up to it...it's our main firewood hauler with my flatbed trailer. We love our El Fuego fireplace; it's used almost daily in the winter. Thanks for any inputs!

 

Chief, I sent you a PM with some details, but OEM replacement manifolds from @Riffraff Performance are your best bet based on the use indicated.

 

Thanks Sous! I'm trying to send you one back!

 

That thing is ugly, what is your plan of attack to get it off?

 

I got a set of OE manifolds from RiffRaff as well. Had them ceramic coated to at least make myself feel good that it will help delay early rust onset like the first (and original) set of OE manifolds. Even had an Inconel blanket made for them which at best will help control heat / improve performance a bit and at worst hide evidence of rust for a while. Will install them shortly as part of a larger rust-o-ration project.

 

I'll use whatever I have too...to include grinding wheel them off. This must be taken care of now, or I'll regret it for sure! I'm going to stay OEM and have them treated...either by Jet-Hot, or Cerakote. Whichever ceramic coating I deem the best for my application & affordable!

 

Apologies as I should have been more clear on one detail . . . I both bought the manifolds *and* had them coated by RiffRaff. Reasoning was that shipping cost factored into the decision as those things are heavy!

Although, I wound up with extra shipping anyway as I was slow to get the attention of the blanket maker and had already bought the coated manifolds.

 

My experience is with an engine removed but cutting the bolts with an acetylene torch behind the manifold proved to be the ticket, then they came out with vise grips. That's if you can get in there with the torch.

 

I think Riff-Raff can put their black coating on a new pair. Save yourself the time and hassle and just let them do it. New hardware and gaskets obviously. I would spray the heck out of those bolts with penetrating oil for a few days before even trying to move any of that stuff. Some heat from running the engine might help. Then I would dress a bolt with copper anti-seize and carefully run it into all the holes all the way. That is the last thing you want getting in the way with the manifold back in is a boogered up hole that needs fixed.

 

Brandon, why use a bolt when they make thread chasers (not a tap) just for that purpose.

 

On that subject I have a question...I have a pretty good line of taps but only partial on the thread chasers (they came in a lot buy one time). Is there any disadvantage to just using taps to chase the threads?

 

I would only resort to that stuff if you find a hole or two that doesn't thread smoothly with the bolt. With the threads dressed with anti-seize you will know. I like the locktite sticks that napa sells. (Looks like a big tube of chapstick and has about the same consistency.) The stuff the comes in the squeeze tubes is a little thin and messy.

 

Mark, taps can remove to much material and make for sloppy fit where the chase won't hog the hole. For some holes a tap would work but for the torque and strain on an exhaust manifold I would use a chaser.

 

I would up to stainless hardware, for "future planning"

 

When Seth and I pulled the engine from my parts truck the exhaust manifolds looked almost that bad. A couple of them came out after heating the manifold red hot but it didn't take long to abandon that idea as the bolt heads were no longer hex. I found that all of the bolts could be cut off behind the manifold with the torch close to the manifold, leaving plenty of bolt to grab with vise-grips. It looks like you can get in there with a torch and I would recommend that process. The bolts are frozen in the manifold, not the head.