3.0 exhaust manifold question

[richard99]

Hi - sorry if this is covered someplace else - couldn't find it.

I'm removing the trans from my kid's '95 4x4 and I had to cut the bolts holding the Y-pipe to the exhaust manifold. Now I gotta get the remaining bolt/studs out. Can anyone tell me if the exhaust manifold flange is threaded, or are these studs welded in?

Thanks in advance!
Rich

 

[BlackBII]

I know on the 2.9 and 4.0 the manifolds are threaded..don't know on the 3.0.

Just find the ends that you cut off, if it is a stud, it will have a nut on it, if not, it will be the head of a bolt.

 

[richard99]

Thanks, B...I had to cut right thru the middle of the bolts, but I do suspect the opposite side (top side) is threaded.

 

[ex91]

there studs

 

[Mutant Pony]

Yes, the manifold is threaded. I blow the old studs out with an acetylene torch, drill the holes out to 3/8 (the studs were 7/16ths so the drill might not even hit anything) Then use 3/8 bolts and nuts. The next time you won't have any problem.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

dang, you guys are breaking those? even here in the rusty pacific northwest ive never had a problem with those fasteners..

 

[Mutant Pony]

I'm in the salt belt! We get a LOT more rust than you.
For example: we have no '89 escorts anymore, just small rust piles where they used to sit.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

ha, thats funny...but that generation of escort doesnt rust. even the ranger has more rust on it than either of those cars (sad to say!).

im glad they dont feel the need to salt the roads here on the rare occasion of snow. im pretty sure the city doesnt even own snow removal equipment.

 

[thegoat4]

If you have access to a welder, weld a nut onto what's left of the stud. Weld it really hot so you soak more heat into the threads. Let it cool until just after the red goes away and get a wrench on it. If the stud isn't completely rotted it'll come right out.

If it is rotted, it'll just break off a little deeper. In that case, yeah, blast it out with a torch.

 

[Mutant Pony]

ha, thats funny...but that generation of escort doesnt rust. even the ranger has more rust on it than either of those cars (sad to say!).

im glad they dont feel the need to salt the roads here on the rare occasion of snow. im pretty sure the city doesnt even own snow removal equipment.

They really did rust here.
There is a MDOT garage less than 5 miles from me. In that garage is a 5 rotor snowblower. It has 2 semi straight 6s. 1 to drive the hydralic system that turns the tires and another that runs the hydralic system that runs the rotors.

The OPs studs didn't rust off though, he cut them

 

[ex91]

i lie in the snow belt in canada lol i dont think theres a dodge truck up to 01 that does no have big holes in it but hear or good body work hell iv seen a lot of 97 to 03 f-150s with the box rusted out

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

The OPs studs didn't rust off though, he cut them

ahh, touche.

but i thought you were suggesting upgrading to 3/8 bolts and studs to avoid breaking them next time.

i read too much into things from time to time

 

[richard99]

I'm in southern Maine - they don;t go nuts with the salt here. Problem with this truck is that my kid insisted on repeatedly off-roading with it and in the process, partially submerging it. The whole engine is a dull rust color.

Thanks for all the advice, btw!

 

[Mutant Pony]

but i thought you were suggesting upgrading to 3/8 bolts and studs to avoid breaking them next time.

It's not so much an upgrade as the originals were 7/16. It does save a huge amount of time if you ever have to take it apart again. If you have to cut the bolts or they break, you just slide them out and put new ones in. It would be possible to do it with 7/16 bolts but, dropping down to 3/8 gives you a little margin for error.