Replace exhaust studs before problem?
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Freshman User
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Replace exhaust studs before problem?
So I've now learned about the infamous exhaust manifold stud problem and just bought a 2005 V-10 with 49K miles on it. Looked at them last night and they all appear to be intact and the studs don't look rusted yet but most of the nuts are. Not sure how long I'll own the truck as I usually don't have rigs more than 3 years. Should I just drive it or replace the studs/nuts now while they appear to be in decent shape? I'm in Oregon so not rust-belt issues here ...just lots of rain.
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Joined: Jul 2006
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right now you have no poblem. If you take it apart, some studs will probably break in the head even if they look good externally now. When they do break, the truck is still drivable so why go through the pain and expense before you have to? I vote, leave it alone until you have to mess with it.
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Freshman User
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10-4. Thanks, I feel better when you put it that way 
I've always been a proactive person and have spent lots of $$$ as a result of my analism
I've always been a proactive person and have spent lots of $$$ as a result of my analism If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Right now you have no poblem. If you take it apart, some studs will probably break in the head even if they look good externally now. When they do break, the truck is still drivable so why go through the pain and expense before you have to? I vote, leave it alone until you have to mess with it.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Pa
Stainless studs do not fix the problem. I had stainless studs on mine and one was broke even with around 20k on it. I put headers on because I wanted them and so I wouldn't have to deal with broken studs.
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Farms of Duplin County
If you only keep rigs for three years I wouldn't bother with them at all. I had some broken studs going on five years before I decided to mess with mine. Since I waited that long it is probably the reason the heads need to be pulled and go to a machine shop to be removed. However even with many of them broken the truck ran fine, I just couldn't take the ticking noise and also wanted to go the new exhaust system route.
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Hotshot
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From: Pa
The problem is they got a real thick heavy manifold that gets really friggin hot. When it heats up it expands, when it cools down it contracts. Go through those heat cool cycles a thousand times and its darn hard on those little studs.
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Long Island USA
Even my '01 had stainless studs.
The problem is, the exhaust manifold heats up and expands, and contracts when it cools.
When the nuts rust to the manifold, the manifold drags the nuts around with it as it heats and cools. This fatigues the studs and they eventually break.
Stainless would normally be better at moving around quite a bit before breaking, but it still happens.
The "solution" was to copper-plate the nuts so they didn't stick to the manifolds. I don't think this really solved the problem.
With the 2005+ 3-valvers, the manifolds are more of a "header" design instead of a "log" so the manifold doesn't push the studs around as much. So, the 2005+ has less problems with studs than the 2-valvers.
It does still happen though, we had one guy on here saying it happened to him.
I suspect it's a bigger problem in the "rust belt" than other areas.
The problem is, the exhaust manifold heats up and expands, and contracts when it cools.
When the nuts rust to the manifold, the manifold drags the nuts around with it as it heats and cools. This fatigues the studs and they eventually break.
Stainless would normally be better at moving around quite a bit before breaking, but it still happens.
The "solution" was to copper-plate the nuts so they didn't stick to the manifolds. I don't think this really solved the problem.
With the 2005+ 3-valvers, the manifolds are more of a "header" design instead of a "log" so the manifold doesn't push the studs around as much. So, the 2005+ has less problems with studs than the 2-valvers.
It does still happen though, we had one guy on here saying it happened to him.
I suspect it's a bigger problem in the "rust belt" than other areas.
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