I'm getting ready to put an engine in a family members truck after the original fried from a plugged oil pickup. I'm getting the engine ready to install and I find the 2 rear passenger side exhaust manifold studs broken. One is broken flush with the manifold and one is flush with the head... UGH! I'm obviously replacing the studs on the passenger side but wander if I should tackle replacing the drivers side as well while the engine is out of the truck.

 

I would do them both while the engine is out or you will just be doing the other side in the not too distant future but it will be 3 times as hard do to lack of room to move.

 

This is a no brainer. I would also do spark plugs maybe intake gaskets while your at it.

The studs will be super easy with engine out. Good luck

 

The intake is removed and the intake off the old engine is a dorman. The dorman intake uses its own integral gaskets. The plugs are being replaced with Motorcraft plugs.

I don't know if it will be easy even with the engine out. I haven't touched the engine yet and one of the studs is already broken flush with the head. But yea, it's way better this way than with the engine in the truck.

 

I've done both sides on my truck with the engine in. I had 4 broke off flush to the head. Take your time and get a set of LH drill bits. They really help

 

Well, they're all out. One stud was broken well below the surface, 2 broke a half inch or so out from the head, and 3 actually stayed in the head while the nuts came off. I removed the stud deep below the surface with a 7/64" bit then a #3 (I think) bolt extractor. On the studs that broke just below the manifold and the ones that stayed I backed to nuts hard against each other and wrenched on the first nut to pull the stud out. Work well. This would have been a nightmare with the engine in the truck, with it on the pallet it took like 10 minutes.

I would personally use OEM ford studs, nuts, and gaskets if it were my truck but the owner has spent a lot of money on it already so I went the aftermarket route. I like the OEM studs as they are stainless. I went with Dorman zinc played studs with their nuts and Fel-Pro gaskets. I got out the door less than $30 this way. The OEM studs and nuts them selves are $75 from Tasca.