Old time user that changed e mail account and had to re register.

2004 Had to replace the power steering pump. While I have it apart decided to replace drivers side leaking exhaust manifold. Manifold has a crack. Can’t get any of the rusted bolts out. Started to grind off the bolt heads. Only got one done. Is the bolt spacer under the bolt head? Should I be able to then pop the spacers off and then the manifolds? I feel I am in past point of no return. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bill

 

That looks a little crusty.

Its a long bolt with a spacer under it. People have had to drill out the bolts in the head, and sometimes that means pulling the heads.

Someone who has had problems with these before may be of better help.

 

Dang, is it even possible to just pull the heads without taking the manifold off, or is he going to have to take out the engine? I'm thinking it might be easier to just lift the cab off. But I'm with Jack, not sure you're going to be able to get to all those bolts without taking it out. Maybe just remove the fender and wheel well? I'd be trying JB Weld first.

 

Once he gets the tops of the bolts off, the spacers and the manifold, the remains may come out easily. Or not. No way to know.

Heads can come off with the manifolds if needed. Many pull the wheel well liners to get easier access.

 

Hate to ask this question, but how hard to pull the head? What exactly is involved? I'm just a back yard mechanic. Maybe I should just put it back together while I still can. At least think I can. If I knew for sure that after cutting those bolts off I could get the manifold off, I would continue, but not so sure now. Any other advice before I quit or continue is highly appreciated.
Thanks

 

theres 2 answers to that question... Answer 1. If you have a lift.. Easy peasy mr. sneezy... as you can walk right up next to them and lift them straight off once the bodys lifted outta the way... Answer 2 if you dont have a lift.. Can be done.. but its a little more of a pain as the fire wall blocks a couple of the bolts from being "removed".. there were 3 of them i had to leave in the heads but "spaced" up with tape so the ends of the bolts didnt catch in the holes... its alot of work to pull them with the cab on... regardless of which way you go your stripping everything off the top half of the engine.. turbo, intake pipes, intake manifold, oil/fuel filter block, fuel lines, wireharnesses.... some people go so far as to strip everything off the front of the truck like the radiators, grill but i left those on when i did mine...

once the heads of those bolts are off you should be able to just pull the manifolds off.. but like jack said.. if you remove the wheel well liners it gets much easier to access those bolts.. you will have trouble getting to 2 of them on the passenger side though as they point right into the engine cross member... so hopefully that side comes out easy for you and wont have to cut those ones..

 

Just to make sure you read that correctly - it's best to pull the cab, which by itself is beyond most backyard mechanics. I believe some have done it with cab on though. Plenty of threads here on the process.

 

Heads can come off in-cab, according to Pete and others you need to remove the driver's side motor mount to get easier access when doing the pass side.

 

i didnt remove any of the motor mounts when i pulled the heads... (but did replace them after everything was apart and the block was just sitting in there) most the reason people say to pull the motor mounts is to get the engine to twist so the very rear bolts can come all the way out... the same 3 "bolts" i had stuck in the heads blocked by the firewall i ended up putting the studs in with the heads for the same 3 locations... the rest of them i did after the heads were in place... if i had thought about it i should have installed the front 1 or 2 studs to kinda guide the head down into place... but didnt think about it at the time...

 

I say “easier access”

 

When I did my head gaskets I didn't touch the motor mounts but I did remove the heater box on the firewall which helped a lot for passenger side access. Heads lift out not too bad, just heavy.

Rob

 

Well I think taking the heads out is way beyond me.... That job is more than a science teacher can handle. Anyone else think I can grind off the rest of the bolts and get the manifold out. Break it up?? Air Chisel?? I think I can reach all of the bolts. It appears that they are just rusted to the manifold. The manifold has a pretty good hole in it that I located. Any one think that will work before I just give in and unload it. I love my truck, wife wants it gone....
Thanks
Bill

 

If you are going to destructively remove, then any means possible. Cutting torch, straight and angle air grinder with a cutting wheel (not grinding disc), Dremmel with reinforced cutoff wheels, chisel, whatever it takes.

The next challenge will be getting the bolt remains out of the heads.

 

"wife wants it gone"

You've just changed the entire scope of this project. But, on a positive note, grinding/chiseling/torching those bolts, breaking the manifold free, pulling the remains out of the block, and putting it all back together are the easy part. If it helps, I'll trade you one of my marriage-saving Prii for that junky truck - https://www.facebook.com/jinwanmotors/

 

Well I finally got the manifold off. What helped me was I air chiseled the spacers until they broke free from the rusted manifold. I then used a set of those fluted bolt extractors on six of the bolts. One I cut off and had to really air chisel and it finally broke loose and I use vise grips to get it off. One just the air chisel and a regular socket. The bolts once broke free came out fairly easy. I had to cut the two bolts off flush on the down pipe. Now on to trying to get them out. Any ideas shoot them my way. The other manifold is not full of holes like this one, so not sure what happened here.I hope I don't develop a leak there anytime soon. Thanks for all the help and I hope to get her back together soon.. Looks like I may get to keep her a little longer...