I have an issue w/ my F250 that is bothering me...My 4.6 has developed an exhaust leak at the heads...the studs that the exhaust manifold is bolted to have rusted and broke, thus the manifold pulling away from the head.
I have taken this to several places and nobody will tackle this repair of drilling & tapping for new studs.
I've been told to go to the dealership and trade by 4 shops, the others say replace the heads and/or the entire engine...

I really don't want to trade, I really like the truck and it only has 151k, lots more life left in it.

I did price out new heads and headers, but at about $ 1200 just for parts, plus my time yanking the old ones (and replacement parts for the stuff I would break and needs replacement, I am close to the 2 grand range...) to fix an ehaust leak @ the heads. I just can't believe no exhaust shops or repair places will tackle the job.

So, does anyone have any ideas of a fix, should I swap out engines, or just trade?

Very frustrated. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

My '01 F150 5.4L has the same problem on the passenger side exhaust at only 77k. Since it's still under my extended warranty the dealer has the privilege of dealing with Ford's poor material design choice.

They are struggling with it but have removed the head and are taking it to a local place that uses a laser to remove the broken studs. Hopefully I get the truck back later this week.

 

hard to believe there isn't a shop near you that will tackle it. I have done numerous broken stud replacements and never had to replace a head. it's really not that hard. just aggravating

 

I have a 97 F150 with the 4.6. It was out of warranty by age and mileage and I went to Ford to get an estimate and the service manager came back and said Ford would fully cover it, I didn't argue. The exhaust manifold had cracked and it was a covered in a fix-as-fail program that they won't tell you about until you have the problem. This was repaired several years ago and this program has probably expired by now. They put on new manifolds and studs.

 

Well, after much thought, I'm going to try and get those studs out myself. We will see what will happen. I will post an update once I start, maybe next weekend. Gonna be fun! Stay tunned.
Thanks for the help, I apprecite it.

 

heating the studs up with a torch will help with removing them. there should be enough left on them after removing the manifolds to grab onto with vise grips.

i now have four broken studs on my 4.6, 2 on each side. it ticks for a mintue when cold or after coasting down hill for 10 minutes but is not noticable after that. i'll eventually get around to doing the job.

do a search on google for "exhaust manifold studs broken" and you'll come up with alot of helpful tips.

one of the most common tips i hear is to heat the studs up before removing them or they will all break off during removal. when they do break you can weld a piece of stainless steel to the broken stud to try and remove it. stainless steel won't bond to head when welding it to the stud.

here is a tsb on it. the emissions warranty should 7 years if i remember right.

FORD: 1997-2004 Expedition, F-150
1999-2004 F-Super Duty
1999-2005 E-Series
LINCOLN: 1998-1999 Navigator



ISSUE:
Some vehicles equipped with the 5.4L 2-valve (non supercharged) engine, may exhibit broken exhaust manifold studs.

ACTION:
On the affected bank only, replace the exhaust manifold, manifold gasket(s), and install all new stainless steel exhaust manifold studs and nuts. Torque the studs in the cylinder head to 71-115 lb-in (8-13 N-m). Torque nuts on studs to 204-239 lb-in (23-27 N-m). Refer to Workshop Manual Section 313-01A for exhaust manifold removal and installation.


PART NUMBER PART NAME
W703902-S403 Stainless Steel Stud
W701706-S2 Stainless Steel Nut


WARRANTY STATUS:
Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage And Emissions Warranty Coverage

DEALER CODING
BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE
9430 24