Exhaust manifold gasket?

[87_crown_vic]

i had 3 bolt/studs holding my air box bracket. 1 on front and back of bracket and one hidden on back in middle of bracket. i still say check the smog pump lines since i have had more issues with that than with exhaust problems.

[1987cp]

Got a good propane torch? I'd try to crack the bolts off with a 9/16" deepewell socket on a 1/2" breaker bar - they should break loose fairly easiliy. If not, it's way worthwhile to heat each bolt with the torch, one at a time, and then quench it with a spray of penetrating oil (WD-40 often works fine). If one bolt should break off, do not force it! make sure to do the heat/oil routine very thoroughly before attempting to remove it with Vise-Grips (you probably already know to do that, but I nearly trashed a block once by not following this advice on a broken water pump bolt).

This would be a good time to obtain a set of Mustang headers and Mr. Gasket Copperseal exhaust gaskets.

[1987cp]

I don't know what I ever did without my Bernzomtic TS-4000. The TS-7000 would be better, and the new TS-8000 looks like quite the item!!! I used to try to make do with a $15 Bernz torch kit that featured randomly varying flow rates and frequently wouldn't even stay lit.

[1987cp]

Yes, but they're a great alternative when you can't reroute the $$ for a proper oxyacetylene setup. Especially with Mapp gas, this TS-4000 has gotten me out of several binds.

[1987cp]

Ooooh. Yes, definitely not hot enough ... especially at the times when they randomly die out entirely! Then it's as good as having no torch at all! :p

[86VickyLX]

Yep

[CheeseSteakJim]

If those bolts are stuck you're screwed tho, I was never able to take off my driver-side manifold for just that reason - IIRC the socket rounded off the bolt's rusty head, but bolt still wouldn't let go. Also I agree with the suggestion that it's likely the smog plumbing leaking, and not the manifold itself.

Pun entirely unintended, I hope.

Got a good propane torch? I'd try to crack the bolts off with a 9/16" deepewell socket on a 1/2" breaker bar - they should break loose fairly easiliy. If not, it's way worthwhile to heat each bolt with the torch, one at a time, and then quench it with a spray of penetrating oil (WD-40 often works fine). If one bolt should break off, do not force it! make sure to do the heat/oil routine very thoroughly before attempting to remove it with Vise-Grips (you probably already know to do that, but I nearly trashed a block once by not following this advice on a broken water pump bolt).

This would be a good time to obtain a set of Mustang headers and Mr. Gasket Copperseal exhaust gaskets.

I've got a propane torch... will definitely attack them with it and the PB Blaster before hitting em with the breaker bar. I shouldn't have very much trouble either way - the car has been babied (for the most part) for the entire 109,000 miles of its life.

I wanted to go with some new headers while I was in there, but IIRC Mustang headers won't bolt up to my stock cats... will they? If they will then I'll hold off until I can procure something pretty.


The reason I think that it's the manifold either at the head or at the cat is because of an attempt at, uh, redneck timesaving... y'see... I was trying to get one of my mufflers off my dual exhaust without cutting it because I wanted it to be in good shape in case someone wanted to buy it. I spent nearly two hours trying to get it off gently and without mangling it when finally I got pissed off enough to wrap a chain around the muffler and try to pull it off with my truck. Believe it or not it started pulling the entire car before the bracket on the muffler finally ripped off and left a couple nice holes in the back of the muffler...

...and that's when I unsheathed the handy dandy die grinder.

Plug it's a very unrefined chug-a-lug-lug type sound of the kind that usually accompanies a car with straight pipes and no cats.

It leaked a small amount, and then last week during a nasty ice storm I went off the highway and the banks of snow I plowed over/through gave my entire exhaust system a very nasty yank which made the leak quite a bit worse.

[1987cp]

The Mustang headers will bolt up fine to a larger-than-stock ball flange. My thought is to get a pair of Walker female ball flanges PN 41725 (2-1/4") and adapt them to the stock cat pipes (clamp or weld). Nicer aftermarket headers are, well, nicer, but factory headers are an improvement on a Vic and can usually be had really, really cheap, plus they're super-easy to live with (in particular, easy to install), so I think they're well worth doing.

[86VickyLX]

It leaked a small amount, and then last week during a nasty ice storm I went off the highway and the banks of snow I plowed over/through gave my entire exhaust system a very nasty yank which made the leak quite a bit worse.

Yeah that's why I said to take the manifold off to see if it's cracked. If you're going to do headers, you'll have to pull the other one off too. And I don't know if there's any way to avoid this but, the dipstick tube is in the way, I've had to take mine out to remove the manifold. If you do just be careful not to bend or twist the tube in any way when you're removing it or you'll have to replace it. I did that by accident, but I was able to untwist it and I could reuse it. Good luck with the manifold job.

And just a word of advise drop the down pipes first. And when you do that, don't be right under the exhaust or you might get hit by it. ouch.

[cld783]

Pun entirely unintended, I hope.



I've got a propane torch... will definitely attack them with it and the PB Blaster before hitting em with the breaker bar. I shouldn't have very much trouble either way - the car has been babied (for the most part) for the entire 109,000 miles of its life.

I wanted to go with some new headers while I was in there, but IIRC Mustang headers won't bolt up to my stock cats... will they? If they will then I'll hold off until I can procure something pretty.


The reason I think that it's the manifold either at the head or at the cat is because of an attempt at, uh, redneck timesaving... y'see... I was trying to get one of my mufflers off my dual exhaust without cutting it because I wanted it to be in good shape in case someone wanted to buy it. I spent nearly two hours trying to get it off gently and without mangling it when finally I got pissed off enough to wrap a chain around the muffler and try to pull it off with my truck. Believe it or not it started pulling the entire car before the bracket on the muffler finally ripped off and left a couple nice holes in the back of the muffler...

...and that's when I unsheathed the handy dandy die grinder.

Plug it's a very unrefined chug-a-lug-lug type sound of the kind that usually accompanies a car with straight pipes and no cats.

It leaked a small amount, and then last week during a nasty ice storm I went off the highway and the banks of snow I plowed over/through gave my entire exhaust system a very nasty yank which made the leak quite a bit worse.

just take pb blaster to the bolts a few times a day or two before you fix it and you'll be alright. i wouldnt resort to heat until you know you need it.

I also dont recommend removing exhaust tubing with a truck and chain hehe

[1987cp]

And just a word of advise drop the down pipes first. And when you do that, don't be right under the exhaust or you might get hit by it. ouch.

Laying on your back with your head toward the front of the car and having your knees right up under the piping can help with that. I like minor discomfort to the knees better than watching heavy-ish stuff fall in the general direction of my face!