Ford 226 Oil Exhaust leak at manifold, heat riser?
 

Hi Guys,

Well I finally corrected the oil pressure and small coolant leak that I had with the motor.

I ran the motor yesterday and everything looked fine except that I noticed an exhaust leak where the heat riser is located on the exhaust manifold. Sounds and feels like its located directly where the heat riser shaft comes out of the exhaust manifold.

I really do not want to remove the exhaust manifold to fix it, ANY ideas on how to best fix the problem without removing the manifold?

Thanks

Best way? Remove the manifold.

Is it leaking around the shaft? or at the center cylinders' head connection?

Its Leaking around the shaft.

The heat riser does not have the coil spring attached.

It was removed so I can clear feel and see the leak around the shaft.

High temp gasket gel???

I am watching this thread because mine leaks there too, it doesn't seem to hurt anything. Is there any reason to be concerned with it?
Ed
near Philadelphia

I misread that.....mine leaks air around the shaft not oil

I don't know how oil could get there?

Now I am confused, the title says oil exhaust leak,,,,,,,is it an oil leak or exhaust air leak?

Sorry guys I ment to say exhaust leak.

It's an exhaust leak, NOT an oil leak.

there are a set of bushings, one on each side of the manifold that the shaft pivots on, I just replaced mine. Yours are probably rusted a little creating clearance.

If the valve has been removed you can tap the holes and install screws, bolts or brass pipe plugs.

Thanks for ideas! Any tips on easiest way to cut out that heat riser?

Those heat riser parts are impossible to find as FYI. I would try to save what you have. You can grind down the welds on the flapper and the shaft will slide out. Check to see if it's the shaft or bushings. Maybe have a machine shop make you some new bushings? I do think the engine runs better cold or warm with a working heat riser but I am a purest and want everything original which I know is rare.

Twinridges is right, parts are impossible to find!

Here's what I did/am in the process of. I cut the valve out using a hack saw blade very carefully on each side of the valve.

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/...psifwcgth1.jpg

I cleaned up the valve on a wire wheel, and then used a dremel to very carefully grind/cut the welds holding the valve to the shaft, then drove it out with a punch.

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/...pskax7mrnk.jpg

I purchased a heat riser repair kit for a 41-53 Willys jeep, basically this one, just off ebay.

Manifolds & Parts - Exhaust Manifold Heat Riser Repair Kit Fits 41-53 Jeep & Willys with 4-134 L engine

The shaft is the correct diameter, but O.D. of the bushings is too big. The shaft is also about 3/4 in too long, no prob just cut to correct lenght.

So I mic'd the bushings and found the appx size on amazon, here's the comparison:

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5qlcsuj4.jpg

counterweight on the far left is for the jeep, first bushing is the original, second is the one off amazon, and third is the too big bushing from the jeep kit.

The spring that came in the jeep kit wasn't correct for the ford, so I did some searching and it seems the 55 chevy 6 used the same spring for the heat riser. Ordered off epay and here's the comparision:

http://i1346.photobucket.com/albums/...sygevqb3l.jpeg

Left spring original, upper right spring for the jeep, and bottom right the chevy spring.

This should be everything but the counterweight, WHICH I NEED if anyone has one please PM me! I have not re-installed everything yet, have a broken stud on the manifold I've been draggin my feet on geting out; but it should all go together fine. Once the new bushings are pressed into the manifold they may need a slight reaming but not too much or you'll have a leak again:-X19

Also I think you can find just the shaft from the jeep kit on ebay as there's no need for the whole kit. Hope that helps!

Brian, excellent tutorial on repairing the heat riser.