Replacing Exhaust Manifold

Tinker

Tinker

Well-known member
So I'm replacing my cracked exhaust manifold with a snyder manifold. Car is a 29'

My check list:

Bolt exhaust and intake manifolds together and check with straight edge. Deck flat if needed.

Install gland rings and fit manifolds without gasket for tight fit. Trim gland ring as needed.

Install gasket and torque to 45lbs.


So my questions are what else am I missing?

Is there anything I should look at with the manifolds off, should I pull the side plate and take a look at the valves?

Using copper gaskets, do/don't or sealant?


Hoping everything goods well. thank you.
 
I personally dont use the gland rings.If you are using an old intake and new exaust chances are they will not match,so i would take them to a good machine shop.to be sure.I like the copper gaskets as they seem to seal better.Now is the time to clean out the oil galley so be sure to do that as it isnt a long ordeal.Just be sure you dont clog the tiny holes that oil the bearings.Be carefull on torquing the bolts.Personally i just use common sense on this part of the job.I think #45 is to much.This is my personal take on it.Others may or may or may not agree. RAY
 
with a new manifold I would use the gland rings. they help hold the manifold straight and keeps it from warping at the rear. If you must torque the bolts try 20# It is not under compression or load.
 
Thanks guys.

Just looked at all the stuff I order to do the replacement. The gasket is not copper, it's the one piece metal type. I ordered them a while ago.

No hurry to get it together so I'll open it up and clean it out.

I was a little leery of torquing them to 45lbs. Noted.

Once I get the manifolds painted and bolted up I'll take it to a machine shop. I figured as well the chances of them lining up was slim and none.

Is there a gasket between the to manifolds as well? Where they bolt together.
 
Agreed torque to 45 is wayy too much. I beleive its the mac's catalog that has all the torque #'s in the front. They said 25-30, and i torqued to 23 first, then ran the car. Then after driving we saw we had leaks, and then we re-torqued and went up in 2 pound incraments to 27 pounds, and that was the sweet spot. Still dont have any leaks. Retorque while warm
 
When I did mine after having surfaces trued I went to 45 and was worried the studs would snap, that's why I ordered extra studs, but it all worked out OK. Used the late 31 copper gaskets.
Paul in CT
 
J Franklin said:
with a new manifold I would use the gland rings. they help hold the manifold straight and keeps it from warping at the rear. If you must torque the bolts try 20# It is not under compression or load.
Click to expand...

Well I'm going to slam it all together. tolerances look good with the straight edge. No BS.

What about the problems of using the gland rings.
 
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YES-->Bolt exhaust and intake manifolds together and check with straight edge. Deck flat if needed.

NO-->Install gland rings and fit manifolds without gasket for tight fit. Trim gland ring as needed. Gland Rings Don't seal. Forget them please. Never seen one seal anything yet.

NO-->Install gasket and torque to 45lbs. Forget the torque wrench. Too much! Just snug them up.

Hint: Use the one piece copper gasket. No sealant.

skip.
 
If you torque to 45 lbs. buy a new spare manifold first. If you use the same torque on that one, then buy a third spare to replace the second spare.

Why use a torque wrench, when a 6" box wrench and common sense does a much better job???
 
Waiting on gaskets. Should be able to put it together this weekend. Little more cleaning to do.
 

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If your exhaust manifold is brand new and the intake is not, you might consider removing metal from the intake where it joins the exhaust rather than milling the new exhaust to match an old intake. No need for a machine shop.
 
Rich thanks!

I "think" its good. With a straight edge I can just barely slip a .006 feeler gauge between the exhaust and straight edge. Intake tight to straight edge.

Too much?? I'm not apposed to getting it machined.
 
My experience...

I have some recent experience with replacing my exhuast manifold gaskets just a few months ago. My only difference was we have an Otwell Health heater manifold...a cast iron one piece arrangement...that a former owner had installed over 70 years ago, we think.

Jippy Car had developed an exhaust leak around #4...according to my diagnosis. So I removed everything and sought advice on the board here. It was recommended that I use a one piece gasket, but my first attempt at this still had leaks. Upon removal, I found the one-piece gasket had slipped a little in assembly. My fault, I know, but I didn't like the odds. I ended up resurfacing the manifold flanges and using the two-piece copper and asbestos-like replacement gaskets. I liked these better as they have locating holes that go over the studs, rather than just "notches" that just hang over the studs on the one piece models. It all went back together really nice and with no leaks after I switched to the two-piece copper gaskets.

The only word of caution I may have is be careful with the exhaust pipe clamp upon reassembly. I'd order a new clamp and the copper gasket along with everything else. I had some problems with getting the new clamp to fit, but I was able to make it work...and no leaks either, since the copper gasket was also replaced.

I torqued mine to about 25# using a torque wrench. I know..I know...the factory never used a torque wrench...and my take on that is it was probably because they didn't know a lot about torque in those days and even if they did, Ol' Man Ford was too damn cheap buy all his assembly line workers torque wrenches, anyway! (That ought to get some responses flowing! :p ) I ended up with more than 25#, probably close to 30# - 35#, after tightening everything up while it was still hot from running. All in all...not a bad job...but resurfacing the manifolds was the key to making sure it all fit well.

Also...you cannot use gland rings with an Otwell Health heater...there's no relief machined into the manifold. Wanna buy some slightly used gland rings...? Only test fitted... ;)

Good luck, take your time, it's not a particularly difficult job....and let us know how it all turns out! :D
 
Tinker said:
Rich thanks!

I "think" its good. With a straight edge I can just barely slip a .006 feeler gauge between the exhaust and straight edge. Intake tight to straight edge.

Too much?? I'm not apposed to getting it machined.
Click to expand...

You can make and install a .006" metal shim to fit between the intake and exhaust manifolds, then it should be about perfectly level with each other. No machining neccessay and it will still transfer the exhaust heat to the intake. It will even reduce the transfer of heat a little, which will be good, since most of us don't run the A's in the winter anyway, and lots of heat and 10% ethanol isn't a good mix.
 
I recently replaced my exhaust manifold with a Snyder's unit. It fitted perfectly flat with the intake manifold and made a nice looking installation.
Later I found that the vertical pipe coming out of the manifold is rubbing on the frame below (which had clearance before). I will have to remove the muffler and rebend this pipe. Just a suggestion to check this clearance before final bolt-up.
 
Tom, the gasket won't make up the difference? .006 is less then half the thickness of cheap printer paper?

I'm in florida, winter is the time I like to run it here :]
 
:)What i do and it works: use the copper gasket and i do not torque the nuts. I work the 2 nuts inside first close to center then work my way out to both end nuts. I keep doing that until they feel hand tight [not over tight].Run the engine for awhile ,shut it down and start again with the 2 inside nuts first and work your way to both ends.I do this until it is pretty hand tight and no leaks.
 
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my only comment is torque with caution! on my first try i slowly ran it up to 45ft/lbs. came back the next day and both the intake and exhaust manifolds had broken. An expensive oops! Live and learn. the second time around I was not so heavy handed. ran them up to 25 started and ran the engine, let it cool down and went to 30. there were no leaks and most important............ No broken manifolds!
 
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