Manifold bolts 2nd time, plus manifolds

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

RamHemi18

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Posts
167
Reaction score
131
Location
48328
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7L Hemi
Had manifold bolts done on the passenger side of my truck back in January. Truck is an 18' with 60000 miles on it with extended powertrain WTY so I'm covered. Took the truck to a different dealer this time after the bolts broke again 2 weeks ago on what I thought was the drivers side. Dealer just called and said they are replacing both sides as well as both manifolds because they are warped. Seemed odd to me that they are doing both sides as well as the manifolds, the other dealer only did the bolts on the one side. Anyone have their manifolds replaced under warranty? Wouldn't they warp again? I would think they would just mill them and replace the gaskets and bolts. The manager claims after doing the manifold replacement they typically don't warp again but I'm a bit skeptical, but if they're covered I guess I shouldn't complain right?
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,107
Reaction score
44,440
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
All depends, do you tow heavy, go on long trips and shut down engine in cold climate, have the truck garaged, did you buy the truck used? There are things you can do to minimize warping exhaust pieces. Watch temps when towing, idle down after a trip, keep truck in garage if possible, and other stuff in that ilk. Warping in a large issue with used trucks for sure.
 
OP
OP
RamHemi18

RamHemi18

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Posts
167
Reaction score
131
Location
48328
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7L Hemi
Truck is used. I keep it in the garage, I kind of baby it. I rarely tow anymore, If I do its not heavy, my old camper was 6000 lbs and its sold now. Didn't think about idling down but that's a good idea. I can watch these things now that they'll be brand new.
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,107
Reaction score
44,440
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
Yeah, the question is was the warping there when you bought the truck, and there is a good chance of that. To answer your question, now that it is fixed you do stand a good chance of it not warping imo. If you are towing especially upgrade, pull over if engine oil is 250f and idle that down.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Posts
0
Reaction score
63
Location
Riverside California
Ram Year
2018 2wd
Engine
HEMI 5.7 Revolution 4.88s
Yeah, the question is was the warping there when you bought the truck, and there is a good chance of that. To answer your question, now that it is fixed you do stand a good chance of it not warping imo. If you are towing especially upgrade, pull over if engine oil is 250f and idle that down.
But he mentioned that they replaced the manifolds, don't they replace the manifolds with brand new ones that are susceptible to warning like the olds ones were? They don't mill the new ones from what I understand ... so they will end up warning ... no?
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Posts
0
Reaction score
63
Location
Riverside California
Ram Year
2018 2wd
Engine
HEMI 5.7 Revolution 4.88s
The dealers won't plain the manifolds. They will only replace them which means it will happen again. I thinking about just sucking up the cost and putting headers onit myself just to eliminate this future hassle
That is what I understood happens, they just replace them with brand new ones from factory that are still going to end up warping at some point
 

Rlaf75

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
1,488
Reaction score
1,504
Location
East Hartford CT
Ram Year
2011
Engine
Hemi 5.7
But he mentioned that they replaced the manifolds, don't they replace the manifolds with brand new ones that are susceptible to warning like the olds ones were? They don't mill the new ones from what I understand ... so they will end up warning ... no?
If they milled the old ones and reinstalled them there more than likely would never be another problem because the manifolds have already gone through the heat soaking. Milling the news ones would be useless
 

Burn2k12Ram

Senior Member
Military
Joined
May 17, 2022
Posts
582
Reaction score
839
Location
Reno, Nevada
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
The dealer will just replace with new and they will just warp again. Dealer will not mill them which would be the fix since they have been heat cycled and will not again. Either keep getting them done under warranty or get your heat cycled ones milled and installed, or get some aftermarket that have been heat treated.
 

Rlaf75

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
1,488
Reaction score
1,504
Location
East Hartford CT
Ram Year
2011
Engine
Hemi 5.7
That is what I understood happens, they just replace them with brand new ones from factory that are still going to end up warping at some point
From what I understand, they redesigned the manifolds. Instead of the bolts breaking, now the manifolds are cracking.
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,107
Reaction score
44,440
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
But he mentioned that they replaced the manifolds, don't they replace the manifolds with brand new ones that are susceptible to warning like the olds ones were? They don't mill the new ones from what I understand ... so they will end up warning ... no?
I doubt the block warped, the reasons thing warp is different metal in different sizing, the block warping would be the death nail of that engine. Just my thought on it, without knowing why things warped in the first place hard to say. Guys using gas engines especially 1500's as HD vehicles just wont be a good ending. Too many stories here over the years here with used trucks and warping. Time will tell this story, you may be right.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Posts
0
Reaction score
63
Location
Riverside California
Ram Year
2018 2wd
Engine
HEMI 5.7 Revolution 4.88s
From what I understand, they redesigned the manifolds. Instead of the bolts breaking, now the manifolds are cracking.
Yeeep lol ... just talked to a guy who said the manifolds the deal replaced them with cracked and is now getting shorty headers instead ... either way they are just in it to make money off of us lol ...
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Posts
0
Reaction score
63
Location
Riverside California
Ram Year
2018 2wd
Engine
HEMI 5.7 Revolution 4.88s
I doubt the block warped, the reasons thing warp is different metal in different sizing, the block warping would be the death nail of that engine. Just my thought on it, without knowing why things warped in the first place hard to say. Guys using gas engines especially 1500's as HD vehicles just wont be a good ending. Too many stories here over the years here with used trucks and warping. Time will tell this story, you may be right.
But he's not talking about the block ..he's talking about the manifolds, two different things ..

The manifolds that are being used to "fix" this are still warping or cracking like @Rlaf75 just mentioned, so if they replaced the manifolds unless they are using old ones or milling them, they are still going to warp and snap those bolts again and again ...

I don't understand why you mentioned the block ...
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,107
Reaction score
44,440
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
That was my point, blocks dont warp, but nobody knows how the used truck was used. If the truck was used to tow heavy and cool quickly, could have easily caused warping. I thought I was clear, maybe not. The block cools at one level, mani's cool at another, when both items are different temps because the manis cooled way quicker, the metal is truly a different size as temperature changes metal size. Something has to give = warping.
 

Burla

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Posts
23,107
Reaction score
44,440
Ram Year
2010 Hemi Reg Cab 4x4
Engine
Hemi
here

The exhaust manifold is exposed to the extremes – it’s heating and cooling, which causes constant expansion and contraction. Manifolds can crack over time due to the stress from constant, extreme temperature changes.

Even the heads can succumb to warping due to the blocks different cooling rate. Number one cause of heads warping is over heating.


.
 
OP
OP
RamHemi18

RamHemi18

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Posts
167
Reaction score
131
Location
48328
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7L Hemi
All good info, as far as to what the truck underwent with its previous owner I am not sure. Carfax is clean. Truck computer shows the the truck towed about 7500 miles prior to me owning it (under the brake controller on the EVIC). As far as how heavy it towed is unknown. I know as for me if I get another camper it wont be massive and will be well under what the truck can handle. I have the 3.92s but will never test their breaking point. I am curious what the first dealer did though, They didn't replace the manifold to my knowledge, they replaced the bolts and gasket. I imagine these will warp again. Might have an upgrade or milling of the new manifolds in my future, but for now its covered at no additional cost to me. For now I will watch temps and idle down a bit.
 

CanuckRam1313

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
Posts
1,033
Reaction score
2,075
Location
Ontario Canada
Ram Year
2019
Engine
5.7
Exactly why I just installed a set of JBA costed shorty's on my 19' that had 96,000KM's on it when the drivers side stock manifold cracked and the passenger side popped some bolts.

I used new SRT 3-layer gaskets and new SRT bolts and all is great, plus I gained a noticeable increase in torque and much better flow with the shorty's.

The stock manifolds are horribly restrictive. Hell, the manifold ports are smaller than the head ports, plus the casting of the manifolds is so raw and jagged inside that the exhaust flow would be so bad and turbulent.

Then you have the ridiculous stock Y-Pipe that bottle-necks the system so badly with a pair of 2.5" pipes smashed together and stuffed into a single pipe... I too had that replaced with a custom made 3" mandrel bent stainless Y-Pipe, and holy HEMI.... did my engine ever wake up and flow like a dream. I also gained a noticeable increase in fuel economy too, as well as some more torque.
 
OP
OP
RamHemi18

RamHemi18

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Posts
167
Reaction score
131
Location
48328
Ram Year
2018
Engine
5.7L Hemi
Exactly why I just installed a set of JBA costed shorty's on my 19' that had 96,000KM's on it when the drivers side stock manifold cracked and the passenger side popped some bolts.

I used new SRT 3-layer gaskets and new SRT bolts and all is great, plus I gained a noticeable increase in torque and much better flow with the shorty's.

The stock manifolds are horribly restrictive. Hell, the manifold ports are smaller than the head ports, plus the casting of the manifolds is so raw and jagged inside that the exhaust flow would be so bad and turbulent.

Then you have the ridiculous stock Y-Pipe that bottle-necks the system so badly with a pair of 2.5" pipes smashed together and stuffed into a single pipe... I too had that replaced with a custom made 3" mandrel bent stainless Y-Pipe, and holy HEMI.... did my engine ever wake up and flow like a dream. I also gained a noticeable increase in fuel economy too, as well as some more torque.
Probably going to need to do this in the future. Just picked the truck up from the dealer. Quite the parts list, cost me $100. I had 4 broken bolts on each side. Both manifolds were warped, drivers .15 and passenger .14. I think the previous dealer just threw some bolts in back in January and called it a day.
 

EdGs

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2020
Posts
2,477
Reaction score
3,554
Location
FL
Ram Year
2015
Engine
Hemi 5.7L
If they milled the old ones and reinstalled them there more than likely would never be another problem because the manifolds have already gone through the heat soaking. Milling the news ones would be useless

Such a simple and lasting fix. I wonder what percentage of Hemi owners have gone through the warpage/bolt issue? I would wager 70+ %.

Probably going to need to do this in the future. Just picked the truck up from the dealer. Quite the parts list, cost me $100. I had 4 broken bolts on each side. Both manifolds were warped, drivers .15 and passenger .14. I think the previous dealer just threw some bolts in back in January and called it a day.

Sounds like yours warped like a banana. That is alot of warpage. Not surprising, though.

Glad you got it sorted out, Good that you have the warranty.
 
Top