Need a good exhaust manifold for my Truck

[SwampSurvivor]

2001 F350 with a 2 valve 5.4 in it So April of last year and 3000 miles ago I had the passenger side exhaust manifold on my F350 replaced. I managed to blow it out again with a pretty big crack. I will admit that I was running the truck pretty hard, but it seems a bit odd that with 3000 miles (probably 1500 of them towing) it would blow out. I didn't even drive the truck in the winter! When I had this one put on, there weren't any big name or good manifolds for it. I ended up getting Dorman because that was the most expensive. I figured quality would be better than the cheapies. Not the case ... I don't want to go stainless headers for a few reasons. First, this truck is not worth that. Second I believe the loss of scavenging would be counter productive to towing.

 

[Timmastertech]

Ford manifolds are less than 100 bucks each. Thats what we install in our shop. The aftermarket manifolds dont last. We also use genuine ford gaskets because I dont like the aftermarket designs. Need 2 gaskets per manifold from Ford

 

[andyd]

Cast iron? Would brazing the crack work?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by Timmastertech

Ford manifolds are less than 100 bucks each. Thats what we install in our shop. The aftermarket manifolds dont last. We also use genuine ford gaskets because I dont like the aftermarket designs. Need 2 gaskets per manifold from Ford

Is the Ford dealer the only place to get those? I had tried to find a Ford manifold but couldn't.

Originally Posted by andyd

Cast iron? Would brazing the crack work?

It's cracked on the inside so it would have to be taken off. Tempted to try furnace cement.

 

[Zaedock]

When I had my shop we replaced a bunch of these. Always used dealer manifolds and never had a return. The 5.4 2V engines are fine (if you have more than 3 spark plug threads) but the manifolds remind me of 4.0L Jeep manifolds with the cracking. If it were mine and I could access the crack, I would prep, pre-heat and use high nickle rod and zap the crack up.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Mine is a 1997 F150 engine, so it definitely only has 3 threads! Luckily my Jeep 4.0 is a 2000 so it has two exhaust manifolds. That and the distributaries ignition are the main reasons I got a 2000

 

[supton]

I think you should unbolt the manifold and slide a different truck under it. At some point you need to stick a fork in it and call it done. Maybe buy the OEM manifold (I'm surprised it's so cheap) and sell it while you can...

 

[Schmoe]

Wow. Had the exact same problem on my F150 with the 5.4 about two years ago. The stud cracked inside the heads. Had to have that drilled out...that was no fun. Not sure which manifold I put back on. Seems to be quite common on that engine.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by Schmoe

Wow. Had the exact same problem on my F150 with the 5.4 about two years ago. The stud cracked inside the heads. Had to have that drilled out...that was no fun. Not sure which manifold I put back on. Seems to be quite common on that engine.

Might be a broken stud. I can feel pretty bad rot / blow out around the back side but a broken stud wouldn't be out of question. Especially with no transmission mount things really bounce around

Originally Posted by supton

I think you should unbolt the manifold and slide a different truck under it. At some point you need to stick a fork in it and call it done. Maybe buy the OEM manifold (I'm surprised it's so cheap) and sell it while you can...

I'd like to unbolt the tags and slide another truck other. I've been trying pretty hard to get a different truck, but everyone is bored and buying every used vehicle out there.

 

[Timmastertech]

Yeah, call down to the local FOrd dealer with the VIN and they should have it in stock. Around here, every dealer has at least one of each manifold in stock