Exhaust Manifolds | Warped

[BlownGP]

Update on my situation:

I took the truck to the dealership on the advice of Ram Cares in case they can help with the situation and costs. They said make an appointment and go from there. The appointment was for this morning and the dealer just called and said both sides, left and right, had broken bolts. Not surprising. I asked if the bolts had snapped or corroded and they said corroded, and OK lets see the bolts. So I asked if I have them put stainless steel bolts on and they said 'we don't have those here.' Seems like a logical fix to me if they were in fact corroded.

The dealer quote was 1,500 which is consistent with others on here. I am waiting to hear back from Ram Cares and see if there is something to be done, but I have not heard anything back.

My rationale for going to the dealer is basically gambling that Ram Cares will come up with something to help on the costs, and that there is a 2 year warranty on the repair, and I don't really plan to have the truck past 2 years. The old bolts lasted 65K miles, so I suppose I could reasonably expect at least 50K anyway with the replacements (not super logical but my thoughts aren't always so). I was hoping to get 150K out of the truck but I fear there are other time bombs that are ticking as well as this known time bomb. Might be well short of 150k before it becomes someone else's.

So it's probably not going to be the best repair money can buy, but it will be the economical one for me given my situation and plans.

It's not like you can't drive with broken manifold bolts.
I did it for 5 years and over 70K on my orange truck.

It would sound like **** on a cold start, but after a minute the manifolds warmed up and expanded and it was quiet.

 

[Redfox458]

It's not like you can't drive with broken manifold bolts.
I did it for 5 years and over 70K on my orange truck.

It would sound like **** on a cold start, but after a minute the manifolds warmed up and expanded and it was quiet.

Exactly what I plan to do if my warrantied repair breaks again....at least until I can afford the new fancy shorty headers.

 

[AE5548]

Just had my 18' 5.7 at the dealer for an inspection with 80k miles. Passenger side is cracked. Covered under my extended warranty they said. So i guess next month ill get it in for replacement.

 

[HEMIMANN]

So stupid. Don't redesign the part, keep replacing a known failed part with the same part that will fail yet again, don't approve a part that won't fail (long tube headers), even when customer pays for them.
Corporate bureaucracy at it's best.

 

[BlownGP]

So stupid. Don't redesign the part, keep replacing a known failed part with the same part that will fail yet again, don't approve a part that won't fail (long tube headers), even when customer pays for them.
Corporate bureaucracy at it's best.

You would think they would have made a stainless factory header by now. Hell they do it on SRT cars .

 

[Hemi395]

If mine pops a bolt with the new OEM manifolds I may bite the bullet on the Kooks shorties. I'd love to do longtubes but I live in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts...

 

[HEMIMANN]

You would think they would have made a stainless factory header by now. Hell they do it on SRT cars .

Cheap is good! Except for hot rodders, of course.

 

[HEMIMANN]

If mine pops a bolt with the new OEM manifolds I may bite the bullet on the Kooks shorties. I'd love to do longtubes but I live in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts...

You got mandatory inspections there?

 

[Hemi395]

You got mandatory inspections there?

Yup. Has to have either OEM cats or CARB certied cats. To my knowledge no LTs come with CARB certified cats....

Love this state.

 

[David_Jacobs]

After my manifold bolts went on the OE stock units, I replaced with Kooks LT headers. Can't understand why they don't fix this issue.

 

[Reddington]

So I am joining the broker manifold bolt crowd at 41,000 miles on my 2017. Passenger side, rear. I can take it to the dealer (under warranty I believe) or do headers and am a bit torn on what to do. I know warrantied it would cost $0 but I do plan on keeping this at least 4 more years and I know they will just break again.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Well, if you're deaf enough and don't run it in an enclosed space, you can just ignore it like me.

Unless the exhaust leak is impinging on a burnable item. I was gonna put LT headers on, but then I'd have to tune (already have a Pulsar canned tune) and unknown if I could sell when the time comes. My state doesn't inspect, but holds you liable for signing a mandatory non-tamper certificate at sale. Technically the buyer could call the cops on you.

 

[CrasherAsher]

I replaced my exhaust manifolds after months of hearing the "tick" and my truck at the time had 145k miles. I replaced them BBK shorty headers. and like many others the back bolts were broken off. my truck now is starting to have some other kind of "tick" but it definitely sounds higher up on the motor. i don't know if this helps

 

[Dan Topp]

I know this probably isn’t helpful but my engine builder told me it’s a problem with the heads of the bolts shared by GM engines.I’m going for stainless works headers if I can get them coated even though I don’t consider the 8 hp70 dependable for more torque then its getting now. What I sh do if I didn’t have the change,is ARP bolts

 

[augiedoggy]

Ive read in other ram forum threads that some GM engines had this a while back and GM made the holes in the manifold larger which allowed for more expansion and contraction of the manifold without shearing the bolts... not sure how accurate that is. I have an ecodiesel and they have their own share of engineering faults to deal with.

 

[Nerveex]

So I am joining the broker manifold bolt crowd at 41,000 miles on my 2017. Passenger side, rear. I can take it to the dealer (under warranty I believe) or do headers and am a bit torn on what to do. I know warrantied it would cost $0 but I do plan on keeping this at least 4 more years and I know they will just break again.

Is there some kind of extended warranty on manifolds? Mine is starting to tick on the passenger side same year and about same miles aswell, i was going to order the bbk headers but came here to see what others were doing first

 

[MartyZ]

Using the Warranty (If still applicable) will get you OEM replacement Bolts. Possibly new manifolds, however, neither of these will be a permanent fix. You will end up in the same spot at some point.

Option 1: Cheapest. Resurface your current manifolds, Buy new gaskets and bolts and install.

Option 2: Buy New aftermarket Headers, Gaskets and bolts (LT or shorts, each come with their own setbacks and/or positives, ie. tunes, fitment, etc)

For Gaskets the best IMO is Remflex. They are thicker, dont require retightening, and arent brittle like the OEM ones.
Model # 6022 Fits the 5.7l Hemi

For Bolts The Best are ARP,
Model #140-1101 fits the 5.7l Hemi

If you end up doing the work yourself, here is a quick write up on removing snapped bolts with a welder:

Project Exhaust & Headers w/ snapped bolts in block

So i had picked up the American Racing Headers Long Tube Kit for my 2014 5.7 I finally had some time to start it so I parked the old girl and disconnected the negative from the battery. The rest is a mess of injuries, panic attacks, swearing, and a few beers. I documented what I could to help...

www.ramforum.com

 

[Nerveex]

Using the Warranty (If still applicable) will get you OEM replacement Bolts. Possibly new manifolds, however, neither of these will be a permanent fix. You will end up in the same spot at some point.

Option 1: Cheapest. Resurface your current manifolds, Buy new gaskets and bolts and install.

Option 2: Buy New aftermarket Headers, Gaskets and bolts (LT or shorts, each come with their own setbacks and/or positives, ie. tunes, fitment, etc)

For Gaskets the best IMO is Remflex. They are thicker, dont require retightening, and arent brittle like the OEM ones.
Model # 6022 Fits the 5.7l Hemi

For Bolts The Best are ARP,
Model #140-1101 fits the 5.7l Hemi

If you end up doing the work yourself, here is a quick write up on removing snapped bolts with a welder:

Project Exhaust & Headers w/ snapped bolts in block

So i had picked up the American Racing Headers Long Tube Kit for my 2014 5.7 I finally had some time to start it so I parked the old girl and disconnected the negative from the battery. The rest is a mess of injuries, panic attacks, swearing, and a few beers. I documented what I could to help...

www.ramforum.com

Appreciate it, I work at a dealership so I planned on buying the parts and having service install them. Just was looking at shorty bbks for headers.

 

[BWL]

Well if you work at the dealer try to get them planed if they're not cracked or otherwise damaged. The existing ones have already worked into their final shape from heat cycling so will be a better fix than new ones. Still not 100% forever fix, but better odds of long term solution.

 

[Wild one]

Appreciate it, I work at a dealership so I planned on buying the parts and having service install them. Just was looking at shorty bbks for headers.

You might want to do some research on the BBK shorties,they don't have a great rep on the trucks,JBA's are generally considered to be better then the BBK's,as the BBK's are famous for cracking at the welds