Exhaust manifold gasket question

Just unbolt the manifold and pull it back to get enough room to remove the old gasket and clean up the mating surfaces. If it won't pull back far enough, you can undo an exhaust hanger or two to get the slack you need. You probably want to get some new nuts for the manifold as the old ones are usually pretty rusty and may round off during removal.

. . ======== ======== snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Strollingbones)

My 1981 Toyota pickup with a carbureted 22r failed the Virginia safety inspection for an exhaust manifold leak.

The inspectors were not very forthcoming with additional details so I checked it myself out using the "Rubber Hose" test. Holding one end of the hose to my ear and placing the other against the manifold at various points, I located a hissing sound between the cylinder head and the top of the manifold towards the rear. I'm hopeful that I can just replace the gasket myself and be on my way but there is one catch that I would appreciate some feedback on.

The bolts that attach the manifold to the cylinder head -- where the leak is -- appear to be fine (rusty, for sure), but two of the bolts that attach the manifold to the tailpipe have broken heads. I am not detecting an exhaust leak there. Since repairing those broken bolts is WAY beyond me, I am facing a dilemna: Can I unbolt the manifold from the cylinder head, slip in a new gasket, bolt it back together and head on down to get reinspected? OR do I need to find a mechanic with access to a machine shop to address the manifold/tailpipe connection before I can address the leak between the manifold and the cylinder head?

Thanks in advance for any advice you might share!

Eric ========== ==========

BEFORE........you do anything, I would suggest that you go get a free opinion from an exhaust shop.

If you had to use a rubber hose to find the slight "hiss" coming from the manifold area, I don't think the inspectors would have found THAT particuler leak. They ain't use'n no hose pipe to inspect em, and if it was that slight then the likely hood is that the leak the inspectors found was more likely one they were hearing somewhere else.

any whooo.....

it wouldn't cost a dime to go to one of those overzealous, hard sell, exhaust shops and get yourself a FREE estimate on where leaks might be coming from...BEFORE you go changing a gasket that you might not need to change to past the inspection.

The exhaust shop will put it on a lift for you and, normally, walk you underneath to point out the failed areas. It would be more sound diagnostics to do this, than go diving into the manifold gasket hoping that you fixed the area the inspectors were concerned with.

hopefully helpfull,

MarshMonster ~:~ ======== ========

Marsh Monster is right and I'd like to add one thing to it. If it turns out to be the manifold gasket it may not be an easy fix. The early 20r/22r motors are known for developing stripped manifold studs over time just due to heat. It's not a difficult repair for most, but it sounds like it might be beyond your tools/skills. The manifold would need to be removed, the stud removed, the hole drilled, tapped and an helicoil insert installed. In fact, every head gasket I've ever done on a 22r had at least one stud stripped so whenever I do a head, I put a helicoil in every stud as a preventative measure. So before you remove the manifold nuts, make sure you can't get any of them to spin tighter w/a ratchet. Slik

Very helpful. Thanks to all.

Eric