Does the powertrain warranty cover the manifold bolts?

[Ken226]

It doesn't surprise me that a guy working at s dealer wouldn't see many cases of broken exhaust manifold bolts, depending on his job at the dealership.

I mean, really, when a new truck arrives at the dealer, it has approximately 0 miles on it. Then, by the time its sold, its up to approximately 8 miles.

Unless maybe when receiving a used truck in trade, thats when the dealer isn't seeing any broken manifold bolts.
Id be very surprised if this dealer never received a used trade-in Ram that was ticking.

Now, if a mechanic at the Ram dealer says he hardly ever sees it, id immediately know that hes either full of ****, or not a mechanic. Either way, id keep driving to the next dealer.

 

[Gero]

I had mine replaced three times then the dealer said they wouldn't do it a 4 th if it happened again so I told them to stuff it and swapped over to headers Havnt has any issues since. From then on I've refused to let any dealer touch my truck even if it was warranty. Just a good excuse to upgrade and get better parts in it in my opinion.

That's reassuring to hear there is a fix (albeit aftermarket). If you dont mind me asking, which manifold and bolts are you running? And how many years/miles are on them? I'd like to get this done eventually and then never have to worry about it ever again.

 

[Brandon-w]

I bought the afe long tube headers a d I'm using the hardware that came with it. Previously I had bbk headers (avoid at all costs) and their hardware was good. I have had no broken bolts or bad gaskets since I've been running headers and that's probly a year and a half now.

 

[scott lass 18]

I work at a dealership. I have seen 2 trucks with the lifter issues. And none with the bolt issue. The lifter issues were on truck with a lack of maintenance.

I ve have seen a lot last guy did early oil changes truck like mine brain new shape but at 115,000 lifters broke down so I m wondering u know if cus of mds lifters he said were locked up and broke ? what do u think ?

 

[Gero]

I bought the afe long tube headers a d I'm using the hardware that came with it. Previously I had bbk headers (avoid at all costs) and their hardware was good. I have had no broken bolts or bad gaskets since I've been running headers and that's probly a year and a half now.

Good to know thanks! I will stick with shortys for emission purposes. I know some guys have been upgrading the hardware but no one has really specified the brand. Will definitely look into afe and I'll check with you to see how they hold.

 

[Brandon-w]

Sounds good. I'm in the salt belt. 6 months of snow and nasty stuff. They're stainless so im not so worried though.

 

[Blkhemi]

Has anybody had any problems with the 2019 manifold bolts breaking?

 

[Marshall]

Hey all,

Is this something that happens to all trucks? This is my first Ram truck and I had no idea about the bolts tendency to break.

Thanks for your help and information.

I have had 3 or 4 , not counting the old hemi, never had a bolt break, or a cam , lifter go out.
I sometimes wonder if it could be people with lift kits and bouncing around in the hills? Don't know

 

[Ken226]

I have had 3 or 4 , not counting the old hemi, never had a bolt break, or a cam , lifter go out.
I sometimes wonder if it could be people with lift kits and bouncing around in the hills? Don't know

All my 4th gen hemi powered trucks were stock. All had exhaust manifold bolts break.

Were all of your 3 or perhaps it was 4, that didn't have this issue, specifically, gen 4 (2009 thru 2018) 5.7 hemi equipped ram trucks?

This issue is a common, well known issue to anyone who works on these trucks for a living.

The salesman may not know about it. The guy who buys it may not know. The guy making your burgers at McGreasys may not know about it.

The Mechanics who work on them know about it. Just ask one.

This is such a common issue that mechanics have their own personal methods for fixing it.

A simple google search or youtube search will result in thousands of results, including diy videos on the repair procedure.






https://youtu.be/oLTwESStr4U

There are literally, pages and pages of these search results.

 

[Ribtipram]

It doesn't surprise me that a guy working at s dealer wouldn't see many cases of broken exhaust manifold bolts, depending on his job at the dealership.

I mean, really, when a new truck arrives at the dealer, it has approximately 0 miles on it. Then, by the time its sold, its up to approximately 8 miles.

Unless maybe when receiving a used truck in trade, thats when the dealer isn't seeing any broken manifold bolts.
Id be very surprised if this dealer never received a used trade-in Ram that was ticking.

Now, if a mechanic at the Ram dealer says he hardly ever sees it, id immediately know that hes either full of ****, or not a mechanic. Either way, id keep driving to the next dealer.

Had my 14 1500 passenger side replaced under warranty. When i traded it in the driver side was ticking.

 

[Ribtipram]

They also had to replace the head. They caused a coolant leak when they tried to fix it. Thats the problem. If that happens with no warranty you screwed for a new head.

 

[Ken226]

Had my 14 1500 passenger side replaced under warranty. When i traded it in the driver side was ticking.

I was buying a new mattress last year, and the salesman had to move his 2014ish Ram so i could back my trailer up to the dock.

When he started his truck, i could clearly hear his exhaust leak.

I asked him "whys your truck ticking?", And he replied "its the hemi tick. They all do it". Mine was very quietly idling next to his.

I wonder how many cases of "its the hemi tick, they all do it" are just oblivious owners.

 

[Ken226]

They also had to replace the head. They caused a coolant leak when they tried to fix it. Thats the problem. If that happens with no warranty you screwed for a new head.

Theres no reason anyone should ever drill into a cooling jacket during this repair. The 2nd video i posted in the previous page shows how to extract them with no damage.

The only people who are afraid of this method are people who assume they know how welders work, while not actually knowing how welders work.

The coefficient of thermal conductivity of aluminum is so much higher than steel, that this method is by far, the safest.

If that stud is broken off a half inch deep in the screw hole, you can still squirt steel mig wire into the bolt hole untill its full of steel and level with the top of the hole. Then put a nut over the exposed steel, and weld into the center of the nut, welding the nut to the steel.

Wrench the nut out, and that half inch of steel mig wire you squirted in will thread out along with the broken stud.

The weld portion of the extracted slug will even be threaded. The steel fills in the hole without sticking. It fills in the aluminum well enough that it even has the threads embossed in the steel.

 

[Marshall]

All my 4th gen hemi powered trucks were stock. All had exhaust manifold bolts break.

Were all of your 3 or perhaps it was 4, that didn't have this issue, specifically, gen 4 (2009 thru 2018) 5.7 hemi equipped ram trucks?

This issue is a common, well known issue to anyone who works on these trucks for a living.

The salesman may not know about it. The guy who buys it may not know. The guy making your burgers at McGreasys may not know about it.

The Mechanics who work on them know about it. Just ask one.

This is such a common issue that mechanics have their own personal methods for fixing it.

A simple google search or youtube search will result in thousands of results, including diy videos on the repair procedure.






https://youtu.be/oLTwESStr4U

There are literally, pages and pages of these search results.

Ken, I am not saying it is not a issue, hell, I have change oodles of manifolds and bolts in my day, some where you had to pull the motors to do it. But I have never had that on my Rams (so far)
I did watch some of that video, he lost me when he said he bought extractors at harbor freight, which I am thinking like princess auto up here, great store , cheap china crap, the only extractors I have ever seen that work as they should are some Snap-On ones , straight, no taper to them. They have a sharp spline and a nut-sleave that you put you wrench on.
Most of the I have worked on had a lot bigger bolts, and usally locks , and I always used anti size.
But that is old school stuff, been away from it for a few yrs now.
And for drilling hard steel , cobalt drill bit are good. trucks with 5.7 where 2005, 2009, '14, and charger

 

[Ken226]

Ken, I am not saying it is not a issue, hell, I have change oodles of manifolds and bolts in my day, some where you had to pull the motors to do it. But I have never had that on my Rams (so far)
I did watch some of that video, he lost me when he said he bought extractors at harbor freight, which I am thinking like princess auto up here, great store , cheap china crap, the only extractors I have ever seen that work as they should are some Snap-On ones , straight, no taper to them. They have a sharp spline and a nut-sleave that you put you wrench on.
Most of the I have worked on had a lot bigger bolts, and usally locks , and I always used anti size.
But that is old school stuff, been away from it for a few yrs now.
And for drilling hard steel , cobalt drill bit are good. trucks with 5.7 where 2005, 2009, '14, and charger

I used extractors a few times, but after trying the welding method ill never go back to drilling.

The method in the 2nd video is what i use now on all aluminum head engines. I have a Lincoln Powermig 256 that makes extracting broken studs a snap.

 

[slam 425]

So I just had this problem 2015 big horn Crew cab hemi 79014 miles had been having the hemi tick for a while made an appointment for a few months out so I could be guaranteed a loaner (happened to get 2019 classic w/hemi pretty happy I didn’t get a car or Cherokee as a loaner). Anyways tech found broken rear fasteners on right exhaust manifold do they removed manifold extracted 2 fasteners reinstalled with new hardware and shield. 00.00$ cost to me didn’t even have to pay a deductible when I dropped off the truck advisor said I would have a $100 deductible not sure why I didn’t have to pay wasn’t sure if they forgot to charge me or if it was actually covered but I didn’t ask.
Signed for truck and left. It is all quiet now so I’m a happy camper
Forgot to mention work was done December 11th and truck was purchased CPO with approximately 25k miles in June 2017

 

[Ribtipram]

I was buying a new mattress last year, and the salesman had to move his 2014ish Ram so i could back my trailer up to the dock.

When he started his truck, i could clearly hear his exhaust leak.

I asked him "whys your truck ticking?", And he replied "its the hemi tick. They all do it". Mine was very quietly idling next to his.

I wonder how many cases of "its the hemi tick, they all do it" are just oblivious owners.

I think the term hemi tick has been lost. I always thought of hemi tick as warm idle tick that eats cams.

 

[Ribtipram]

Theres no reason anyone should ever drill into a cooling jacket during this repair. The 2nd video i posted in the previous page shows how to extract them with no damage.

The only people who are afraid of this method are people who assume they know how welders work, while not actually knowing how welders work.

The coefficient of thermal conductivity of aluminum is so much higher than steel, that this method is by far, the safest.

If that stud is broken off a half inch deep in the screw hole, you can still squirt steel mig wire into the bolt hole untill its full of steel and level with the top of the hole. Then put a nut over the exposed steel, and weld into the center of the nut, welding the nut to the steel.

Wrench the nut out, and that half inch of steel mig wire you squirted in will thread out along with the broken stud.

The weld portion of the extracted slug will even be threaded. The steel fills in the hole without sticking. It fills in the aluminum well enough that it even has the threads embossed in the steel.

I agree. But it was under warranty and thats what they did. But for people not under warranty they should be warned and do there research on how to remove it safely or they might be in for a head.

 

[Ken226]

Of course. When they're doing the work free, they get to do it however they want. If they drill into the head, they have to pay to replace it.

When its out of warranty, due diligence is prudent.

Consider the cost comparison. Youll likely be replacing those manifold screws every 65,000 miles. For me, that means about 3 time during the time i own the truck, since i tend to buy them used and drive them till theyre junk.

$600 per stud replacement job at the dealer x 3 replacement jobs = $1800

So, i can budget up to $1800 for the tools to do the job and the training/time to learn it.

Then, i get to use the tools and training for other ****

Like building my Smoker...

$6000 of steel plate, tube, axles and tires. 100 hrs of labor and another 40ish hours CAD drafting, solid modeling about a hundred parts.

 

[gofishn]

I work at a dealership. I have seen 2 trucks with the lifter issues. And none with the bolt issue. The lifter issues were on truck with a lack of maintenance.

Happened to me.
Pretty **** about maintenance