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jon
Dodge Dakota
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4/01/2002
15:28:33
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 Subject: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Hi I have a 98 3.9 mag w/ factory tow pkg.
I towed for the first time (2hr ride)
When I started the truck later it sounded like I had a leak near the exhaust manifold.
The sound went away after a little while.
Is this normal?
Thanks
Jon
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Jon
Dodge Dakota
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4/01/2002
19:09:25
|  RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Sometimes towing heavy loads will heat up the exhaust system, even turning the manifold cherry red, but i don't know about an exhaust noise appearing, then going away.
-Jon
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Darren
Dodge Dakota
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3/08/2003
10:28:24
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Hey. I realize that it has been eons since you have written this, but did you ever figure out what the problem was?? The reason I ask is because my 98 3.9 did the EXACT SAME THING. Now it just has the leak all of the time. My question is this- is it a cracked manifold, or bad doughnuts on the exhaust. A 40 or 50 series Flowmaster? I am looking to go single in single out. I want better performace and a rumble- not a window breaker.
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adam182003
Dodge Dakota
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3/08/2003
11:03:13
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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i had the same problem on my truck and one of the bolts fell out and the manifold warped.
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Darren
Dodge Dakota
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3/08/2003
11:27:21
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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So you're saying that the manifold has a tendancy to warp on, say 97-99 3.9s? I have heard others in that same year group with the same motor making the same annoying ticking. It has only gotten worse as time has gone by. Originally, it would heat up and stop. I am assuming this was because the metal was expanding to stop the leak when it was hot. Did you end up getting new manifolds and if so, how much did they cost, and did it fix the problem?
Darren
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Troy
Dodge Dakota
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3/08/2003
14:46:34
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Every time I start my truck when the engine is completly cold, there is a whistle coming from some where under the hood only when i put it into gear. If the truck is in park or nuetral no noise, but Drive or reverse i hear a slight whistle and hear it a little bit louder when I give the truck a little gas. The noise only lasts for about a minute then everything is cool, until the engine is completly cold again. Any ideas of what this could be?
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adam182003
Dodge Dakota
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3/08/2003
21:51:36
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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well im geting new ones this week and its on a 99 dakota sport 3.9 im not saying every im just saying mine it could be just blew the gasket out on yours if u put it under alot of stress. and it did get progessivly worse. and no idea about the wistleing it hasnt happend to me troy sory wish i could help. ill let u know what happends when they put the exaust manifold on this week
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SloDak39
Dodge Dakota
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3/08/2003
22:08:51
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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First of all, there IS NO GASKET at the exhaust manifold to cylinder head mating surface, believe it, or not. My 99 did the same thing you guys are describing, after towing two snowmobiles for a few hours. Dodge is just cheap, they can't even put a gasket in there. I ended up getting headers (which comes with gaskets by the way), and now its fine. But it never should of leaked in the first place. Ask these things to do a little work and they blow trannys, develop oil leaks and leak exhaust gasses.
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Latifah - 3.9
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
01:38:38
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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I towed the largest Uhaul available, completely full of furniture, truck bed full of furniture, approx. 1100 miles in August heat with no problems. I even towed the trailer over the mountains of Colorado before reaching my destination. I had the air conditioner running the whole time and overdrive off driving at speeds of 65-75. Very tiring trip but the Dakota performed flawlessly.
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Darren
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
04:57:05
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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I did something very similar to that about a year ago. I, too had the largest available u-haul and a bed full of stuff and pulled from Michigan to NC. It pulled great. The truck has 146000 miles on it too. So if I do need new manifolds, should I just go with headers? What is the general experience with headers? Any suggestions? How much do they cost? Will they make a difference? I love my truck and a performace upgrade would be a plus in addition to eliminating that annoying exhaust leak.
Thanks
Darren
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adam182003
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
07:17:38
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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actually SloDak39 im geting sick of u coming on here and bashing and crap thats not what this discussion bored is for. if the exuast manifold is bad i would get headers if u can find then i havnt seen any for the v6 3.9 but people say they make them. ihavnt looked for them really either. they will add horse power to it. u could look for them on ebay or ultimatedodge.com they might have them.
and the the truck preformed flawless besides the exust manifold. and im gona look into that having a gaket this is my first dodge so um not sure but i imagin it must have one.
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adam182003
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
07:35:58
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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yah im a 100 percent sure it has a exuast manifold gasket. so u might want to check them before u replace it unless u want headers wich will add hp. dont listen to SloDak39 he is an idiot he constantly talks about crap on here and has no idea what he is talking about
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Darren
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
09:16:12
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Hey, I don't really what the bashers say. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I am aware of the fact that there are higher quality vehicles on the road and so on. The bottom line is, I have this truck, I like this truck, and if there is something wrong, I would like to fix it and improve performance at the same time if possible. Someone earlier said that the 98s don't have a gasket which I find hard to believe- but it may be true. If headers are hard to find and I do have to get a new manifold, any idea on price of those? Another question- if I am doing this exhaust work, while I am at it, what is the best way to go on exhaust. Want it to still be quiet in the cab on the freeway, but with a nice rumble around town. Would like a little power boost too, if possible. I have had the truck for 3+ years and I feel like it is a good time to start putting some mods on it.
Thanks for your help
Darren
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adam182003
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
11:26:50
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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trust me it does have gaskets. but im not sure on prices cuase the dealer is replacing it for free.and i dont know about the exuast mabe flowmaster?
and sorry about what i said earlyer but that guy is so anoying all he does is complain about his truck and i sick of hearing about it.
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SloDak39
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
12:30:18
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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What are you gonna do about it? I own a dakota so i'm entitled to bash it all i want. If you can't distinguish what a cheap vehicle is, thats not my problem. My truck is crap and by the looks of many other posts, lots of other dakotas are crap as well. If you don't like what i have to say, DON'T READ MY POSTS. I know i'm not the only one unhappy with my truck. DARREN: adam doesn't know what he's talking about, as usual. There IS NOT a manifold gasket, as i said above. They use a machine fit at the factory but it doesn't hold up under harsh conditions, as in heavy towing. 99's don't have em, anyways. Yes, they make headers, i put them on my truck. They're made by JBA. Check on truckperformance.com Thats where i got em from. They didn't really make much of a difference in performance but they look better and actually use gaskets. See adam?? I may bash my truck but i'm still trying to help people out.
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adam182003
Dodge Dakota
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3/09/2003
15:59:35
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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yah your gona have problems with any vehical if u beat on it. and y even if u dont they have problem here and there its life and once in a while u will find a well built one but the reson u rarly hear about people that dont have problems is they have no reson to come on here so u dont here about all the people that are happy and have no probs with there dakotas. and no one wants to hear u bitch about your truck we all relize u have problems with it not known from abuse or just bad craftsman ship. and i never said u didnt help people.
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SloDak39
Dodge Dakota
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3/10/2003
00:18:44
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Once again, i'm not the only person that bitches about thier truck on here. I saw this post about an exhuast leak and found it was the exact same thing that happened to mine(and probably a few thousand other people), so i offered my advice and commentary on the subject. My commentary is my own and if you don't agree with it, i don't care. I only report on stuff that goes wrong with my truck, i don't make this stuff up. Anyways, my truck shall soon be traded in for something else(GM product), and then you'll never have to hear from me again. :C) My (failed) experimentation with owning a Chyrlser product is at an end.
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Darren
Dodge Dakota
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3/10/2003
00:45:10
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Thanks SloDak39. I appreciate the unbiased opinion. I know that other people (as you) have had this exhaust manifold problem. Now that it has been established that it exists, what is the best way to resolve. You seem very knowledgable so I will ask you- Headers or new manifold and how much does each cost? It is really an annoying thing and I admittedly have had my share of issues with the truck, but for some strange reason still like it and would like to keep it healthy for a while. My wife is next up for a new car so I need 3 or 4 more years out of the Dakota. How many miles did your leak start? Mine was at about 70K and why the Heck didn't they put a damn gasket on that thing? And someone mentioned that the dealer would fix for free... was that a recall or what? Will they still fix for free with 146000 miles on it??
Thanks
Darren
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SloDak39
Dodge Dakota
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3/10/2003
01:59:01
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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lol......i know what you mean, after all the BS i've been through with this thing, i still hate to git rid of it. I gotta break with it, though, i'm sick of fretting about it everytime i drive it.
Anyways,no, unfortunatly there is no recall or bulletin for that on 1999's.Might be on what you got but i doubt it. They may be referring to the manifold problem on the 4 banger Dakotas. With that many miles, no warranty work either.(146,000 on a 98??!!.....jeez....its a 98, right?). My 99 began to leak at around 50,000 miles after towing two snowmobiles about 400 miles round trip.Don't ask me why they didn't put gaskets on the manifolds on a truck. It seems that a machine fit would never hold up to the heat and pressures of towing and hauling over time.I think there were gaskets up till 1996. I asked if they would work on a 99 but someone said the exhaust ports are a different shape. Who knows, Dodge is not my area of expertise. I suppose there might be a place to get gaskets to use with the stock manifolds but i'm not sure. Make sure they're not cracked or severly warped if you find gaskets to use. Mine wasn't cracked but i figured they were warped so i threw em in the garbage and threw the headers on. They looked and felt cheap anyways.
I had wanted to try the headers out anyways, so i figured it was a good time to try em. I didn't even check the price of a new manifold. Besides, you get gaskets with the headers. I just got the nickel plated headers from JBA. Much cheaper then the ceramic coated ones but the coated ones help keep the heat in the header and out of the engine compartment. Its not much of an issue if you're not building your engine up big time. Look on truckperformance.com
After half a year, the header gaskets haven't leaked. I drive this truck quite sedately except for the once a year trip i make, towing two snowmbiles and trying to keep up with my two leadfooted buddies' silverados on the interstate. The headers look much better under the hood as well. Performance wise, i gained nothing. With other mods, they might come into play more, though. Sorry for the long post.
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Darren
Dodge Dakota
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3/10/2003
10:34:01
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Thanks, Man. I appreciate all of the good info. I will check out that website and see what I can get into as far as headers are concerned. I have pretty much abandoned the new manifold thing- without the gasket, why go through it all again? Makes no sense. I guess when I think about it, it isn't a suprise then- I have towed quite a bit of stuff, cars, u-hauls, boats, snomobiles, people out of snow and mud- the truck has been pretty damn reliable and still is- just little annoying things like this exhaust leak, passenger door lock broke, and that front bumper (Sport model) rusting from stone chips. Other than that, have driven through deep mud and snow with regularity and a lot of tough miles. It has been pretty good to me. Even pulled a 2000 Z-71 out of the Michigan snow once- thought you'd get a kick out of that since I know you're going the GM route!
Thanks
Darren
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rtdkota
R/T
3/10/2003
10:51:31
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Just and FYI--- There's not gasket because it's a machined cast iron manifold going to a machined cast iron head. Putting a gasket in there would be a waste of time, because it blow out very quickly. If you have an exhaust leak on your stock manifolds--- one or more things have happened--
1) Your cat is probably plugged, and the added backpressure/heat has cracked the manifold, and now have an exhaust leak.
2) Your manifold wasn't 100% tightened down, a leak 'started' and you won't be able to just tighten the manifold down to reseal it due to exhaust deposits (you'll need to remove it and re-deck the manifold
3) Your truck is running too lean (incorrect heat range plugs, bad O2 sensor(s), lots of high speed driving, and or/lots of engine load at low speed-- lots of heat, combined with a heavy engine load can crack you exhaust manifold-- even small hard to see cracks can equal a big exhaust leak.
I just replaced manifolds on my wife's LA-318 this weekend. A set that had been sitting outside for years--- took a wire wheel and cleaned up the deposits on the mounting surface-- and put them on the car -- no gaskets.
NO leaks--- Not bad for a 31 year old car w/29 year old manifolds.
Sam
www.socaldakota.com
RTDKOTA
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SloDak39
Dodge Dakota
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3/10/2003
15:26:41
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Just go the header route, dude. The manifolds on the 3.9 are obviously cheap and warp easily. The headers look so much better anyways. The stock manifolds seem kinda on the thin and brittle side.
I thought the 3.9's had aluminum heads?? I've never ran into a car that didn't have the gaskets untill i owned a dodge. All my friends(who all own GM's) laughed at me and were suprised there wasn't gaskets on mine. I had an older buick and oldsmobile with cast heads and gaskets and they never leaked.
Darren.....it doesn't take much power to pull a big truck out of the mud if you have 4 wheel drive. Traction is what counts the most. The 3.9 actually seems like it would be at home bogging in the mud and stuff, i have to admit. It just sucks pulling out into traffic and merging on the interstate with mine. Mine's a 4x2.
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JamesRF
Dodge Dakota
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6/26/2003
19:53:59
|  RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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Well guys it has to be a Dakota defect! I have a 98 2wd 3.9L and never pulled anything but my own weight. Had a radiator hose leak and went to fix it. Looked down and there was my heat shield with the manifold bolts attached, Two of the bolts just broke off in the head. This was on the driver side closest to the transmission. I removed the manifold and no gasket was used.
Well now I've really gone and done it trying to get the bolts out and an ease out broke off in one of the holes. Well I'll have to get a new head now I guess!! I have the remaining two bolts holding it on now along with some hose clamps to help reduce the tention untill I can get it repaired. Its a loud ticking noise now that I removed it and put it back on. Can anyone tell me if it will hurt to drive it like this for awhile? I need to make a trip 480 miles each way in a couple of weeks. I blame this all on Dodge. I'm sorry but this is something that should have never broken. I say its poor design. Looking at the way the exhaust is made it needs more support under the truck. The long spand of exhaust pipe under the truck goes from the driver side to passenger side with no support. Is there a recall on this?? Anyone ever get Dodge to pay for this?? My warrenty is expired but this should be a lifetime warrenty in my opion. Its become very costly to me.
James
j_r_fld@hotmail.com
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stingray15200
Dodge Dakota
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6/26/2003
20:45:18
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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u might be able to have machine shop drill and tap the heads for u i have never had that happen or had that done but it might be possible i dont see y it wouldnt be
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JamesRF
Dodge Dakota
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6/26/2003
22:32:20
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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I have been thinking it over. I have one of the two bolts drilled out. The other bolt hole I have an easy out broke off in it which is very hard to deal with or remove. The original bolt was a 5/16" I believe. I've tried taping it 5/16" but I've made the hole to big moving the bit around durring drilling. I'm going to try and drill one hole bigger and tap it 3/8". Then make the hole in the manifold the same size. This larger bolt should be stronger and I'm hoping three bolts will seal and hold the manifold on for now.
Wish me luck :)
James
j_r_fld@hotmail.com
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JamesRF
Dodge Dakota
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7/21/2003
20:09:32
| RE: Exhaust leak after towing?
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My bolts broke off on the drivers side. The bolt that is in the block it a 5/16-24 (fine thread). It was the two bolts close to the cab (back of the engine) that hold the manifold on. Believe it or not I got the drill in there but it was a tight fit. Be careful of the break lines and reservoir for the break fluid. NOTE: center the drill in the middle of the broken bolt (use center punch)! I drilled both studs out with a "" Cobalt "" steel drill bit. Drill at slow speed and with cutting oil. Do rush it and take breaks. Let the bit and yourself cool off. It may seem like your not getting anywhere but it takes awhile. I tried carbon bits and they burned up and broke. Start with a small bit first then go to a 3/16 bit. The first hole I tried to drill I did not get the bit directly center of the bolt. This cause the 5/16 hole to be slightly larger on one edge. After drilling this hole out I drilled it larger with a 5/16 bit. Then tapped it out with a 3/8-16 starter tap and then a 3/8-16 bottom tap. The 3/8 hardened coarse bolt will be stronger than the 5/16 fine thread that was in there. I used an easy out on the second hole and it broke off in the head (its still there). The three bolts, now that one is a 3/8-16 coarse thread, will hold the manifold on without the forth one. I have put a hardened bolt and washer 5/16 in the back of the block (there is already a factory unused thread there for reverse mounting of the engine-V6), close to the cab. Then I took a hose clamp snugged it on the bolt shaft and around the manifold. Lets see that happen again! :). Don't use a gasket to seal the leak. Your just asking for more trouble if it leaks. The factory never put a gasket there to begin with. You'll find this out if you remove the manifold. Took me forever to find a sealant for a manifold because the temp gets so hot. Well don't ask some of the guys at AutoZone for it all they say is we don't have it But they do. Guess some that work there may know what they have on their shelves. Napa (and AutoZone) have a Copper spray in a can made for manifold sealing. It is made by Locktite and also Permatex and handles temp up to 500 degrees. Spray it lightly and put a rag in the manifold and block to keep the sealant out. Then put a second coat on both sections.
Now if I ever wanted to sell my truck I would have to remove that easy out and take the hose clamp off. But my truck runs great. Like it plan on keeping it until it becomes a work truck. It is very clean and low mileage. For now that $1.00 hose clamp (that I don't need only there for stress relief) is better than the price for pulling the block. I hope the bolts on the passenger side never break that would be a monster. You won't get a drill in there to fix it. I would like to try tightening the bolts up on the passenger side but those SMALL CHEAP (yes I said that DODGE!) 5/16 FINE THREAD bolts might break off if they are weak.
I have taken an 800 mile round trip on July 4th and the manifold has shown no problems.
Check your extended warranty! Mine would have covered the broken bolts in a manifold but it expired 3 months ago Arrrg!!!
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