ex manifold gaskets

[newb70f250camper]

am going to change exhaust manifold gaskets and do not know if my truck had a heat shield or not how do i tell so i can get the correct gaskets thanks for the help also what is the easiest way to remove manifold bolts with out breaking them?/??

[Dragon]

That is a personal preference unless you are restoring to dead stock I always throw them away.

[sideoilerfe]

Those heat risers make the manifold get hotter in that spot and they tend to crack easier. I take mine off.

[willowbilly3]

I can't hold gaskets in mine either. I use high heat silicon. There is no simply or sure fire way to get those bolts out. There are as many methods as readers here. I mentioned before, I torch out the broken ones and use grade 5 or 8 5/16s bolts all the way through with nuts and washers on the back. They hold good and will never give anyone problems again.

[Dragon]

I convert my bottom ones to studs when I use headers and use antiseize on the top threads. Use real short studs on the bottom is my fix it is so much easier to align the header and then nut them up before you slide all the way up.

I never put stock manifolds on if I can get the bolts out. But studs would work great after the holes were cleaned up. Don't use Ford type studs but SAE Grade 8 with course on the block side and fine on the manifold side.

Then no matter what you do stuck or headers you can get the studs undone an replaced or reused.

[fordman]

warped manifolds can leak after awhile . getting them to a machine shop and having them plained off is the best thing to do before you reinstall them. as far as the heat riser does your manifold bolts have a extra nut on the bolts on top or atleast studs. if so your truck had a heat riser once. if not they may have been changed but they may be original. if you dont want to plain them off do what i did and use double gasket on them. that made mine stop leaking.