buying used exhaust manifolds

[WildcatHemi]

im fixin to have to do the exhaust manifolds. i was going to buy the bd diesel kit. but ive been seeing several sets of bbk shorty’s on marketplace for 1/3 the price of new. is buying used bbk’s a mistake or would it be no problem as long as they aren’t warped or damaged?

my engine is stock and have no plans to do anything more than normal maintenance.

 

[seems fishy]

BBK shorty headers are at he lower end of reliable longterm.They seem to develop cracks before too long.They cost less money when new as well.(compared to quality headers).IVE had BBK shorty headers,I purchased new for a Mustang.I do not recommend them .BD DIESEL manifolds, are robust and last,but a few have said they warped,if you read the other posts.Most people ,I have read ,here on the forum,recommend these,however.You could buy better headers that cost more than BBK,however.They cost a lot more.
Used BBK headers are being sold as used because people took them off in the first place for a reason,and replaced them with something better.They are a pain to install and a pain to remove.Get something that lasts,and you will be very happy.

 

[WildcatHemi]

thanks. i will hold out for better parts

 

[mdc1990zr1]

thanks. i will hold out for better parts

I have a pair of 100k mile seasoned OEM manifolds that could be machined. I also have a machine shop that machined my first pair flat if anyone is interested.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Yeah ...a pre-warped (but fixed) pr might be a good solution for a guy who wants to go back to 'stock', or has cracked ones.

 

[Brjowierk]

I've installed used BBKs before without any issues. While working on a Dodge Ram engine, I always inspect for stripped O2 sensor threads, cracked welds, and signs of overheating. If everything checks out, I'd have no concerns running them.

 

[Fast69Mopar]

im fixin to have to do the exhaust manifolds. i was going to buy the bd diesel kit. but ive been seeing several sets of bbk shorty’s on marketplace for 1/3 the price of new. is buying used bbk’s a mistake or would it be no problem as long as they aren’t warped or damaged?

my engine is stock and have no plans to do anything more than normal maintenance.

A seasoned pair of OE exhaust manifolds are a safe bet after they have been machined for flatness. If you cannot afford the machine shop go to O'Reilly's and get two of the 12" long brake pad sandpaper sheets. Put them together longways for a 24" sheet of sandpaper and put them on a 2x6 or a flat table.

Then, run them suckers back and forth to machine them yourself. You will be surprised at how well this works. After you get them flat with the rough grit paper you can do what I do and run them on a much finer paper to smooth out the rough edges. Don't scrimp on the gaskets either. A pair of Remflex gaskets will work well but the stock gaskets work just fine after machining.

I have been using this method for several years now and I have never had any issues afterwards. Once the stock manifolds have been stress relieved they will not warp again causing exhaust leaks.

 

[Wild one]

Just to add to Fast's post above,you want 6022 Remflex haskets for a 5.7 Hemi.