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So I just got my 69 coupe mustang back from ATO Transmission in Rancho Cordova, close to Sacramento/NorCal. Drove the car, sounds great, very helpful, great suggestion by other members here. Obviously I've only driven the car like 40 miles today, but so far so good. Also great at keeping me updated and just overall a good experience.
Anyway, before I took it in about a month and a half ago I asked my neighbor who helped jump it, battery died from sitting too long due to bad radiator, I asked him what he thought a put put/clicking sound was when the engine ran. He narrowed it down to the passenger side near the engine. When I got my mustang back today Jim at ATO told me there might be a crack in my passenger side exhaust manifold. We looked at it while it ran and he thought the gasket (piece of metal between the manifold and engine) might be off. Sorry if that's not the right word, I think that's what he called it. It appears a bit bent.
Didn't think to snap a photo, I'll get one asap, but my question is how difficult would installing new exhaust manifolds be? Installing the gasket? I would like to get this fixed asap, and just want to know if it's something I can do myself or with help from someone, or if it's a huge process and I would probably need a mechanic to do it. If so, any idea on the labor cost?
Thanks to everyone who always helps my nonmechanical self, and the recommendation of ATO. It was definitely very pricey, but from what I can tell it is basically a brand new transmission.
*edit - photos of broken passenger side gasket. First photo shows the bend gasket towards the back, and the second photo shows that the gasket has already been broken in the middle, between 2nd and 3rd hole
Last edited by CharminBear; 12-29-2017 at 11:06 AM.
Reason: Adding photos
ah yeah nawh its ****... (im assuming is a 8cyl) just pull bolts they should unscrew easy slide the headder or manifold off to the side. Clear out the old gasket. Dump in a fresh gasket and torque to spec (you can find that online).
The main risk here is that a manifold bolt could be frozen and could break off in the head. This is a big issue with the I6 engines less with the v8s. Normally they just come right out...My main issue is keeping them from backing out on their own most of the time.
-Gun
When you say if none of the bolts twist off, does that mean they twist off and fall into the engine? If so is that super dangerous/harmful, or just a pain to fish out? I have a V8 so you think that will be less of an issue? I'll look up the toruq online as you say. Also would I need to drain the oil or anything before taking off the manifolds and swapping them out?
I just want to make sure that there's a much higher chance that I can do this successfully than there is that I do damage to my car. Appreciate the advice so far, definitely sounds like a job I should be able to handle next weekend!
Last edited by CharminBear; 12-29-2017 at 11:42 AM.
Wow I dont even know how that happens to a gasket that NOT a failure point...that is not where or how they fail in normal conditions.
What it mean is the threaded end of the bolt goes into the cylinder head and that gets hot then cool then hot ... That can cause threads to ummm bind or fuse to each other and the bolt becomes "Frozen" or unwilling to turn. You go and take a wrench to it in hopes of removing you keep applying force and the shank of the bolt breaks first before the threads unfreeze themselves and the bolt shears in two with half of it still stuck in the cylinder head.
I think you will be okay because it looks like that gasket isnt that old which means the bolts have been out in the recent past and should come out again plus the whole frozen bolt issue is a bigger concern on the 6 cyl mustangs but you should be aware of it before taking them out.
That gasket is the #1 reason you do your own work...well that and the cost savings. A typical gasket failure is between bolts between the two pieces of metal (head and manifold) not that ripped up disaster...and its possible that the pieces between the two metal faces are still good but thats quite suspicious.
Not a clue haha. Regardless I'm just glad I was able to figure out what was making that noise/puff sound.
Gotcha. Okay yeah I hope they don't but like you said sounds unlikely. I ordered a ton of parts including new manifolds and gaskets so I'll tackle this project when they come in.
I don't think I asked but I meant to, do I need to drain the oil or anything? Or am I good to go to just take the old parts off and install the new ones? Glad this is something I should be able to do myself, despite not knowing a thing about cars I do really enjoy being able to work on the old girl myself!
12-28-2017, 08:24 PM
Exhaust Manifold, gasket, difficult to install?
