I've been getting a ticking sound under load for quite a while now..I thought I fixed it but apparently not. I checked my plugs and they were all tight so no problems there.. I jacked my truck up today and on the passenger side manifold I see where the header bolt to the manifold has broken off.. I can see a 1/4 of an inch of the bolt sticking out the header w/out a nut. This is the first header top bolt closest to the flange. Would this cause the ticking i've been hearing? Also what is the likelihood of the stock header gasket being blown? I see it's a metal gasket which is a good thing..

It seems that the only fix for this would be to take the header off and drill out the bolt to replace a new one.. How hard is this to do and what all needs to be removed? Just need some pointers on how to do this.. My next step is to spray my exhaust down with soap and water to see if there are any more leaks..

Thanks for your help

 

If you remove the plastic inner wheel arch you should find access a lot better.
Remove header / manifold and you may be able to use some vise grips and apply a little heat from a brazing torch.

Hopefully the remainder of the stud will come out.
PITA to drill it insitu.

Just take care with flame torch, tie back wiring & hoses, and have a fire extinguisher handy just in case.

 

yeah, this is not an easy fix. Not a hard one either, just labor intensive.

Here is what I would do.

Take the tire and plastic wheel well out. Unbolt the collector, remove the o2 sensor and remove the header bolts. Now, if you have enough of the bolt sticking out of the head, this is the best way to try to get it out.

Grind a flat spot on opposite sides of the remaining bolt. This will enable you to try to use , say , and adjustable wrench to try to back the rest of the bolt out.

If not, the best thing to do is to grind the bolt down right to the deck of the exhaust flange on the head itself, be carefull not to grind the head at all.

Center punch the bolt. Drill it and use an extractor. A number 3 maybe??

Good luck. It won't be fun , that's for sure, but not a major issue.

 

Thanks guys for your replies! I'll try each suggestion until one of them works.. Push come to shove i'll take it to my local performance exhaust shop.. I guess I may as well purchase a header gasket also ??


Thanks again !!!

Lightning owners

 

I Had A Exhaust Leak On My Truck. Sounded Like A Ticking Noise Too. I Striped One Of The Bolts, So I Pulled T Out & Put A Slightly Thicker One So It Would Grabb. If You Have To Drill It Out, It Might Be Tricky. Good Luck.

 

Is this a stock manifold? Or withthe headers did you use stock mounting hardware? reason being is that the stock ones are actually studs, and mine came out relatively easily.