Broken exhaust stud....any issue with driving it?
 

I have one broken stud...first one on the driver's side. Makes a little tick when the engine is cold then stops unless it is really under load. I had it scheduled to be repaired today, but the shop called me and said it's too big of a job for them with the coil springs in the way....great...so my question is...Is it likely to damage anything if I drive it like this? I only use this truck to tow our fifth wheel camper and I need to go get the new camper the first week of April (NY to MD). If I can't get someone to correct the problem before then is there any issue in towing with it like this?

Thanks

wow....no one has any input on this?

there are tons of SD's driving around every day with at least 1 broken exhaust stud..

i wouldnt be worried about it.

drive ittil you can manage to get it in and fixed.

Well... OK, I'll offer an opinion.

If it ticked when cold but stopped completely when warm, I'd say almost no risk of any serious issues.

But the ticking while really under load is a bit more of a concern. The tick is the sound of exhaust gasses escaping. Exhaust gasses when really under load are quite hot - like well over 1000 degrees hot. And while under heavy load, there are a LOT of gasses, and a moderate to big leak will be like a serious blowjet....
If the hot gasses are jetting onto anything that can be damaged when heated to 1000+ degrees (like anything rubber or plastic), you will have a problem.
If you can see where they are escaping and can fit some kind of steel "blast shield" to protect any wiring/tubing/hoses/rubber/plastic, you will likely get away with it. But it is also slightly possible this will induce cracking or breakage of the manifold.

If you go for it and notice the sound getting dramatically worse (they never get better on their own!) and fear damage, unplug the fuel injector on that cylinder. You will lose some power and will get a check engine light, but you can limp on. With no fuel, no combustion, no heat.

My only concern is that the escaping exhaust may damage the head...the manifold I couldn't care less about and as this is the first one on the DS the exhaust is blowing out onto nothing plastic or otherwise easily damaged. Just didn't know if there was something I was missing.

thanks

I drove mine for 2 years with a broken exhaust stud.

I knew I had at least 2 broken when I went in to have them fixed last December... I had been driving it for 2 years like that. Turned out 6 of them were broken. :( My bad.

That is a valid concern... If the leak is and stays small enough, you will most likely get away with it.... I'd say at least 95% chance of getting away with it. But there is always risk.
At the end of the day, it's gotta be your call.

Me? If it was just a minor pop-pop-pop at heavy loads and I really needed to make the trip, I would:
1) Try to keep the popping as minimal as possible.
2) Pull the fuel injector wiring if it starts getting louder or popping all the time.
3) Chew my fingernails a bit...

And with the intent of giving you a little peace of mind, if you go for it and the head is damaged, send me a PM. I have a perfect set of 3V heads in the garage with 6K miles on them.

Drove mine for about two years with the tick and more ticks. When it was finally fixed a couple of months ago, it had three studs left on one side and four on the other. Now it sounds like a brand new truck. No issues whatsoever. I do drive a lot so I do not think you have anything to worry about if what you are missing is one.

just my $0.02