8Gomer9

Whats up fellas, kinda posting this thread with frustration, I am having a continous problem with my exhaust manifold bolts snapping off.

A little history on this issue is, over the past year, probably even less, i have replaced the stock manifold studs, because 5 had snapped off, with grade 10 bolts that i picked up from autozone. I have replaced 3 of those grade 10 bolts due to the heads or most of the bolt snapping off, and now again i look under my hood and 2 more have snapped off right at the head of the bolt it seems, so extracting them from the head shouldnt be to much of an issue.

My car doesnt have an vigorous vibrating or shaking going on, it is a boosted car so it is a tubular turbo manifold, not an all motor header. I dont have much of an idea of what could be causing them to repeatedly snap off. I am looking for someone to let me know if there are some stainless grade 10 bolts i can try out or just some alternative method, because everytime this happens the turbo kit basically has to be disassembled to fix and reassembled, which isnt really cheap or time kind.

Any information or help i would greatly appreciate, if you need any extra information from me i would gladly provide it to help find a resolution to this issue.

8Gomer9

bump to the top, looking for someone with helpful info.

lunareg

something isnt right with that situation. Ive never snapped a exhaust manifold bolt off being boosted. and grade 10 bolts shouldnt do that unless something extreme is happening.

i dont have much insight only guesses, some pics of your set-up might help figure it out.
Im thinking there would have to be a hell of a pull on the bolts in a down or up direction to snap them, so I would guess the turbo is doing it.
I would try running na and see if it still happens to single out the problem.

josh-roy

Would it be your mounts maybe? Maybe the're worn and whenever you shift your motor shifts and snaps one, i donno.

lunareg

I was thinking that too, if its pulling on the pipe it could be snapping the bolts.

8Gomer9

yeah i agree something extreme must be going on under that hood, i am recently boosted to 18 pounds within the last week, and now that you mention the motor mounts i can bring up an issue that was fixed when my car was in the shop last week.

I had to have one of my mounts completely replaced because my previous shop had just completely fawked it up, but now the situation should be all fixed, but i cannot recall if the heads of the grade 10 bolts were already snapped before i put it in the shop.

I can throw up some pics tommorrow morning to get you guys some eyes, to see if you see something that im missing. I appreciate the help fellas, thanks again.

94EG8

Do you have spring bolts or a flex pipe? If you don't you will have some issues.

8Gomer9

a flex section or spring bolts in my downpipe? i would have to assume spring bolts, because there is no flex section, it is a custom stainless steel 3 inch dp. thanks for the insight, any extra info for flex section to no flex? and any other possibilities?

94EG8

Normally something as big as three inch uses a flex pipe, if you don't have some sort of flexible joint when the engine moves something has to give. Take a look under the car and see how the downpipe attaches to rest of the exhaust, if its solid theres a problem.

8Gomer9

i will get some pictures up asap.

8Gomer9

Here are 2 pictures of the snapped heads of the bolts.



Here are 2 pictures of the downpipe to exhaust connection, and further up on the downpipe to show no flex section.

EJeff8

^Someone needs some spring bolts/ flexpipe in their exhaust it seems.

8Gomer9

that is exactly what i am leaning towards the problem being, i cant pinpoint anything else putting that extreme of an action on those exhaust manifold bolts. Now my question is, spring bolts or flex section? i am running 18 pounds putting down well over 400 whp, which would give the best against the pull my engine is putting out?

94EG8

Uh yeah, thats a solid flange too, stock setup uses a doughnut gasket and ball seat flange with sping bolts. You're gonna need a flex pipe there. I presume an exhaust shop made up the exhaust for you, i'm just not sure what they were thinking.

8Gomer9

thanks for all the insight fellas i will have to make a move on this asap.