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View Full Version : My advice is DON'T! UNLESS... (A cracked exhaust manifold story)


XJ4IV
10-01-2011, 03:45 PM
so I recently got a exhaust manifold that was cracked so I welded it up ... NICE AND BOOGERY welds but at the SAME time I also replaced the motor mount on that side as well since I believe thats what caused it all to go to hell anyhow.
so back to the title... if your thinking of just swapping out the exhaust manifold and thinking just a couple bolts and out and a couple bolts and back in... WRONG... I was able to see that the intake HAD to come out first in order to remove the exhaust first of all the exhaust wont drop down from the bottom as youd think secondly you HAVE to remove the power steering pump bracket which is attached to the intake manifold UGH again right!?!?!
so that being discovered I went ahead and just bit the bullet and started removing the power steering bracket THEN the injector plugs then the vacuum lines then the wiring harnes to the intake... kinda a detailed project.
anyhow after i removed the power steering pump that little dam plastic intake hose for the reservoir on the pump broke off POS.
SO i have to NOW replace that reservoir but I think its high time to replace the whole pump anyhow so I suppose Im gonna go that route.
so again here are the things that MUST be done
intake removal
steering pump removal
harness and injector plug removal
throttle cable removal
vacuum line removal
so the UNLESS portion is this
my manifold was REALLY bad, worse than I had suspected at first and probably the worst ive ever seen thus why my jeep sounded like total crap
here you go

yeah I can see STRAIGHT through this crack
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m590/XJ4IV/IMG_1774.jpg
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m590/XJ4IV/IMG_1775.jpg

and this from the inside... DAYLIGHT
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m590/XJ4IV/IMG_1780.jpg

just a heads up also I did this with the front axle out ... so theres no telling how much more difficult it would have been with it in place... I know that I was laying on the ground right where the wheel would have been and reaching up directly in line with where the axle tube would have been
and heres a teaser shot of how wide the jeep will sit once the 60's are in
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m590/XJ4IV/IMG_1784.jpg
TeXJ
10-01-2011, 04:06 PM
Sweet tires yo!!!!
KH96XJ
10-01-2011, 04:25 PM
When I had to replace mine I saw what had to be done and I decided that I wouldn't mine letting the local shop take care of that for me with a manifold I purchased.
cherokeewrecker
10-01-2011, 04:34 PM
Im gonna be doing mine come winter time once I get the jeep taken off the road and get my other vehicle back on. Alls I gotta say is glad i got the woodstove in the garage because the jeeps gonna be apart for a while. And my exhaust manifold is just as bad if not worse than yours.
XJ4IV
10-01-2011, 06:47 PM
Im gonna be doing mine come winter time once I get the jeep taken off the road and get my other vehicle back on. Alls I gotta say is glad i got the woodstove in the garage because the jeeps gonna be apart for a while. And my exhaust manifold is just as bad if not worse than yours.

I noticed this one after i took it out...
http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m590/XJ4IV/IMG_1777.jpg
cherokeewrecker
10-01-2011, 07:28 PM
That sucks. I ended up buying a Rugged Ridge header for $230/shipped to my house. Thought while I do it I never wanna deal with it again so I just went for a new one.
Converted96XJ
10-01-2011, 08:32 PM
Thanks for listing the steps of the manifold, I have a leak somewhere up there and have for a couple years now, hoping to get it taken care of this year, but seeing what all is involved I think Ill be going to my local shop that gets my jeep on rare occasions that I dont do the work.
Dirt Dogg Rydas
10-01-2011, 08:48 PM
Wow! that's the worst I've seen. When I fixed mine I already had the engine out and decided to do it then rather than take it apart later.
I was hoping the other jy jeeps had a good one but nope , all cracked.
cherokeewrecker
10-01-2011, 08:53 PM
Its a very common thing on the 4 and 6 cyl. jeeps. :bang:
DETOURS
10-01-2011, 09:08 PM
I've welded many a 4.0 manifold, inplace............but the ammount of mud crust on yours explains how it cracked so bad.......and, if you continue, it will happen again..........you can only heat & cool metal sooo many times before it fails....the mud is evident, which equals instant cooling.........keep riding the same path, it'll happen again and again....
prcjeep
10-01-2011, 09:10 PM
i know mine has a significant leak... hope its not like yours above. Also hope that when I get inspected in december they wont care.
cherokeewrecker
10-01-2011, 09:26 PM
Only way to find out is take a flashlight and check it out yourself...to see how bad it actually is.
XJ4IV
10-01-2011, 10:15 PM
I've welded many a 4.0 manifold, inplace............but the ammount of mud crust on yours explains how it cracked so bad.......and, if you continue, it will happen again..........you can only heat & cool metal sooo many times before it fails....the mud is evident, which equals instant cooling.........keep riding the same path, it'll happen again and again....

no more mud for me unless Im in a rut... wait... uhhhh well just no more mud for me anyhow... but im sure the fact that my motor mount was completely hollowed out doesnt help either
XJ4IV
10-01-2011, 10:18 PM
That sucks. I ended up buying a Rugged Ridge header for $230/shipped to my house. Thought while I do it I never wanna deal with it again so I just went for a new one.

Im rebuilding the motor next year for this so Ill see how it looks then and make a decision but a steel one will crack again Im gonna go ceramic
LizardRunner
10-01-2011, 10:50 PM
now that looks like a good argument for some custom double tube headers.
cantab27
10-01-2011, 11:47 PM
cheers scotters, have same sorter crack in mine.. got half the shit off anyways so will replace with new one...
bigjim350
10-02-2011, 02:08 AM
I have never seen an xj that didnt have a cracked header. If yours ain't cracked....it will be.
bluedragon436
10-02-2011, 02:37 AM
I don't think mine is too cracked... I know it does have a minor crack though.. Think I'm going to pick up a new header when I do I'll my IM to do the 99+ IM swap.. I def hope mine isn't as bad as that one was!
bigjim350
10-02-2011, 02:41 AM
I dont care how badly cracked mine is. Its the same fix whether it be a hair line crack, or broke in half.
saar
10-02-2011, 02:44 AM
What is the price of a new one?
If it cracked once, won't it crack again soon?
It seems that it is a lot of work just to fix it to the next time...
Saar
bluedragon436
10-02-2011, 02:44 AM
Oh if I find that it is for sure cracked when i get home I will def be replacing it.. Regardless of how bad the crack is..
bluedragon436
10-02-2011, 02:51 AM
What is the price of a new one?
If it cracked once, won't it crack again soon?
It seems that it is a lot of work just to fix it to the next time...
Saar

Depends on what brand you get and where you look to purchased from.. Had a co-worker pick one up from eBay, and has been pleased with it.. I was looking at picking up a Rugged Ridge header through AJ's off road (http://www.ajsoffroadarmor.com/product.php?productid=23319&cat=275&page=1) it is $194
DETOURS
10-02-2011, 08:21 AM
My 94's not cracked......:drinking:
Wife's 95 has cracked, welded in place, has'nt recracked....;)
XJ4IV
10-02-2011, 09:15 AM
I built up the weld all the way around both pipesand went a few inches back as well... basically I used almost a whole roll of .035 welding wire on my lil mig
and yes as stated there was NO mud caked on the new one
Dirt Dogg Rydas
10-02-2011, 10:24 AM
Is this what the motor mount looked like?
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/228809_247752311914725_100000398745315_798358_8200 498_n.jpg
XJ4IV
10-02-2011, 03:22 PM
oh WOW yours had rubber in there... does that answer your question LOL mine was completely GONE just the metal bushing and then the housing