1500 Sport 4wd manifold stud replacement sucks!

[Hemi450hp]

I have always just cut the lower dipstick tube bracket off. The tube isnt going anywhere once you secure the upper bolt, so that has never been a problem to cut the lower mount off. Saves a ton of time during the install.

 

[dmt98239.dt]

Welding a nut on top of the bolts worked - the passenger side manifold is warped. Ordered new headers from American Trucks....don't want to go through this again. Just not sure why Ram hasn't fix this problem- seems like it's been a problem for quite some time.

Yep, happened to my 2013 Ram 1500 Sport - 2 studs on the passenger side. Got the broken studs out and all but 3 manifold bolts - tried everything to get them to budge with no avail. Last ditch effort is to weld a nut on top of the bolts tomorrow and hopefully with a breaker bar get them off.

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[Tach_tech]

Welding a nut on top of the bolts worked - the passenger side manifold is warped. Ordered new headers from American Trucks....don't want to go through this again. Just not sure why Ram hasn't fix this problem- seems like it's been a problem for quite some time.

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Broken exhaust bolts and warped manifolds is unfortunately par for the course with cast iron manifolds on a aluminum head. The bolts have gone through a few revisions already to try to fix the issue but it’s still happening, not as common on newer trucks though. Both ford and GM have had the same issues at one time or another as well.

 

[dmt98239.dt]

I echo your comment - been working on my truck for a couple of weekends now. 2 broken studs on passenger side forced me to ditch stock manifold and replace with shortys. At 54 years old I have realized I don't get in and out from underneath vehicles like I used to - strangely enough the gap between the bottom of vehicles and the garage floor is getting smaller. Just finished the passenger side and working on the driver's side - cringe everytime i read "the passenger side is easier". Have all the bolts on the driver's side out with the exception of one - have to use the nut welded on bolt trick. When I finish this project I am going to write a letter to future me to just go ahead and bite the bullet and pay someone to do it. Thanks for the tips of those who tackled this project - the info has been great.

I used to own the 2wd version of this truck, and replacing the manifold studs wasn't that bad. I did it twice on that truck.

Put it up on jackstands, remove wheels, remove wheel liners, remove engine oil dipstick tube, then remove heat shields and manifolds.

About 15 minutes center punching, drilling and ez-outing the broke studs.

Re-assemble.


Well, i did my 4x4 today. The passenger side was just like the 2wd truck. No prob

The driver side was fu@king horrible. The dipstick tube is impossible to remove without either cutting off the lower bracket, torching a chunk out of the motor/front diff mount or removing the motor.

The d/s engine mount doubles as the front diff mount, and covers the dipstick tube mounting screw. The screw, if you nimble enough to fish a wrench through a gauntlet of wires and tiny spaces to reach it, will thread out about 2 turns before it hits the bracket. The dipstick aint coming out!!

I had to remove the exhast y-pipe, which means removing 4 rust seized in oxygen sensors, and 2 rust seized u-bolt nuts. Then fighting, banging and ******* cursing to get the thing out of the way so thst i could fish the d/s exhaust manifold and heat shield out, rearward and down, alongside the transmission.

Anyone find a better way on the 4wd trucks?

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[Civicmanjack]

Wow! I wished I read this article before I took everything apart! This is complete garbage! 4wd sport 2 were broken on passenger side fairly easy drilling and tapping. For the drivers side 1 bolt broken in the most horrible spot ever! Don’t do this at home you will regret it!

 

[Ken226]

Sorry you struggled so much but you did way more work then you needed to. I do these all the time.

Driver side I just move the dipstick back as far as I can, and disconnect the steering shaft from the gear, then fish the manifold and gasket back and down past the converter. Also we stopped drilling those out years ago. Just weld a nut on to the broken stud.

Usually takes an hour or less, passenger side I can get done in about 30min.

I just did the job again, today.


It was only the rearmost stud, on the passenger side this time, but I replaced them all anyway. This time I took your advice and just muscled the dipstick tube out of the way, and got it out down alongside the catalytic converter.

Also, this time I painted the mating surfaces with DyeChem and belt sanded them flat.

So, last time was in 2018, when I started this thread, at about 58,000 miles. The last job lasted 6 years and 30,000 miles. Maybe I'll do better now that I sanded them flat.

 

[Wild one]

I just did the job again, today.


It was only the rearmost stud, on the passenger side this time, but I replaced them all anyway. This time I took your advice and just muscled the dipstick tube out of the way, and got it out down alongside the catalytic converter.

Also, this time I painted the mating surfaces with DyeChem and belt sanded them flat.

So, last time was in 2018, when I started this thread, at about 58,000 miles. The last job lasted 6 years and 30,000 miles. Maybe I'll do better now that I sanded them flat.

Remflex 6022 gaskets will help with miniumizing bolt breakage.They're a thick graphite gasket,that has the ability to absorb expansion/contraction better then a composite metal gasket does.

 

[Ken226]

It's already done, using the Dorman 57073 hardware/gasket kit, but i'll keep that in mind for next time.

The last job lasted 6 years, so hopefully this time it last as long or longer.