I have a cracked manifold on the passengers side of my truck, i bought a new manifold and realized that i couldn't get the bottom 4 bolts off. I tried using a swivel on the end of the end of a long extension but i lost to much torgue that way.

 

lol welcome to the exhaust manifold nightmare. take out the starter. makes it easier. probably gonna have to get on your back and get to those from underneath.had the same problem on my 97 4.6. my manifold was ok but my studs were all busted off.

 

what are the chances i will break a stud off... we got all the nuts off the top ones okay...

 

just dont force any of them. are they really rusty???soak them with pb blaster real good. apply steady pressure on the ratchet. dont just jerk the ratchet thats how you break them right off. might have to use some heat.

 

their not real rusty... how long will it take? that pb blaster really helps, i put alot on the top ones and they were pretty easy to get off... could the manifold have caused my o2 sensor to have burned up?

 

One other thing is that if you do break any studs and have to replace them, make sure you replace them with the newer stainless studs that wont rust out.

 

The mechanics that I talked to said if a stud breaks, then it will turn into a several thousand dollar job because of having to remove the heads to put new studs in. I've seen others on here talk about welding a screw on the broken stud and trying to get it out. Can anyone clarify this for me. Never dealt with the manifolds and not sure how the studs go into the block. About to take mine in to get one replaced. Dont want them to just go in and be careless and then tell me that a stud broke and now you have to spend thousands instead of a few hundred.

 

any decent shop will know about the welding the nut on the stud trick. that works most of the time.

 

Exactly, and this doesn't cost thousands either.

BTW: Check the other manifold. Bet it's almost shot too!

 

well i m going to try to get it off tommorrow... a buddy of mine told me he took the motor support bolts out and jacked up the side that he was replacing... would that work and would it be worth all that trouble...

 

that probably wont help that much beacuse youd have to tilt the motor away from you as well. those bottom bolts will still be hard to get to. take out the starter. that helps to get to the rear most studs. getting the wrench on them isnt really the problem. its how seized they are to the head thats the problem.

 

aight man... well i m going to attempt getting it out right now... wish me luck.. and that i don't break a stud off...

 

I had several broken studs on my truck a couple years ago and it didnt cost me several thousand dollars.
I merely put a pair of Visegrips on them and twisted them out. If they are broken-off flush with the heads I could see it maybe costing you that much, but I dont see why you could just drill them out and then clean up the threads with a tap.