My driver's side exhaust manifold is cracked. Can it be repaired? I'd like to put headers on it someday, but not right now.

thanks,

 

I have never had any luck in repairing manifolds. I just replace them with headers now.

 

I'm with Aaron--Get the headers now, you won't be sorry--But they won't do you much good if the rest of your exhaust is restrictive.

 

 

The only fix for this is to take it off and have it welded, or replace the manifold. HOWEVER, with that said, I once had to fix a cracked exhaust manifold on a '74 Dodge Ramcharger. I was selling it and was not about to replace the manifold or even take it off. I tried that crappy muffler tape and also the gray stuff that you squeeze from a tube. What garbage. That stuff does not work at all so don't waste your money or your time. But here is how I rigged up a pretty decent fix. I got one of those heat riser tubes, the kind that go from a stock exhaust manifold to the air cleaner. They are made of a flexible metal-like material and can withstand heat. I cut it in such a way that I could wrap it around the cracked part of the manifold. I was able to pretty much mold it to the shape of the manifold. Next, I got a plumbing part called a "no hub coupling." It is a rubber piece surrounded by a metal band with 2 attached worm-drive clamps. It is just the metal band and clamps that you will need. You will probably want a 2" coupling. Discard the rubber, and open up the band. Put that around your heat riser patch and tighten it up. My patch worked fine, and if this works for you it would probably hold until you get your headers. Of course this will only work if your crack is on a part of the manifold where you could wrap something around it, like mine was, but it's worth a try.