Manifold leak. New gaskets or...?

[Colorado2500]

So I have a pretty annoying *exhaust* manifold leak from the drivers side, middle two cylinders somewhere.

Should I pull it and try new gaskets or just go ahead and replace the whole thing? I just don't want to pull it and realize it's cracked or something.

Also, I need to drop the y-pipe so I can access the flexplate and see if it's cracked or just loose (It makes a bad rattle sound). So I just need new donut gaskets for the y-pipe correct?
Anything else I'll need for the job?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Colorado2500]

Anyone have experience with this? It's driving me nuts.

 

[Colorado2500]

Anyone?

 

[SkyHighColorado]

Hey Bud, I have changed the intake manifold gasket before.

I used felpro gaskets and grey rtv from permex I think. The front and rear of the valley will have these stupid rubber gaskets in the kit, don't use them just put a big bead of rtv there instead.

Clean the surfaces with a razor blade and rubbing alcohol. Don't spill or drop anything down the intake holes. You might find the egr is completely sealed shut with carbon, easy off oven cleaner works to clean the manifold.

mark the distributor very very well so you don't have a no start issue driving you nuts after.

 

[Colorado2500]

Hey Bud, I have changed the intake manifold gasket before.

I used felpro gaskets and grey rtv from permex I think. The front and rear of the valley will have these stupid rubber gaskets in the kit, don't use them just put a big bead of rtv there instead.

Clean the surfaces with a razor blade and rubbing alcohol. Don't spill or drop anything down the intake holes. You might find the egr is completely sealed shut with carbon, easy off oven cleaner works to clean the manifold.

mark the distributor very very well so you don't have a no start issue driving you nuts after.

Thanks for that!
Haha I just realized I never specified which manifold, and I meant exhaust! I'll save this though, since I'm sure it could use intake gaskets too.
Any advice for my exhaust manifold leak?

 

[df2x4]

I've always just had my mechanic do manifold/header gaskets, so I can't offer much info on the process itself. One thing I have found out through experience though... I'd stick with standard gaskets like Fel-Pro. I used SCE copper gaskets initially when I switched to shorty headers on my red truck. Re-torqued them every week or so after install just like the instructions said, and they still developed leaks. Switched to Fel-Pro and they've been fine ever since.

 

[poncho62]

First you need to get under the truck and determine where its leaking.....might be a gasket, manifold might be cracked. Taking the manifold off at the engine will tell you quick enough whats wrong

 

[Colorado2500]

First you need to get under the truck and determine where its leaking.....might be a gasket, manifold might be cracked. Taking the manifold off at the engine will tell you quick enough whats wrong

Yeah I can hear it coming from the drivers side manifold, by the middle two cylinders.
I just don't want to remove to realize its cracked and stuck like that, it's my DD.

 

[AbramF_496]

Just order a driver side manifold and a steel gasket n THEN fiddle with it I suppose


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[SkyHighColorado]

My buddy tells me that on a truck like mine (330k engine) that if i were to take the manifolds off there is a good chance i will snap a bolt off and have to drill it out and re thread. Not really something i enjoy doing! Might be worth having a shop pull them just to save the headache.