(I know this has probably been discussed a 100 times before but the search feature isnt working for me )

I had this leak in the header/Y pipe area for some time and today i went to muffler shop and they showed me 2 broken rear manifold studs and 1 in the front...

How can i find out if there is a broken stud in the holes or the entire stud just slipped out?

If the rear studs dont need to be drilled out? how much would the rear stud replacement cost me? the labor rate around my area is $60-65...

I wouldnt have the head removed....instead i'll have the engine lowered from the engine bay. Any suggestions??

 

i dont know what they call them small mirrors that can look into corners and stuff but thats a good way of checking to see if it slipped out. I paid $260 to get the rear ones replaced and THAT was a lucky deal I got. To replace all yours, (front and rear) you're looking at least $400 and that is very reasonable. most people say it's a 6 hr job per side i think so thats 12 x 60 (or 65) do the math.

get your studs from courtesy parts. here's some info:

http://members.csinet.net/tisch/maxima/studs.htm

i believe thats for the rear.

goodluck though.

 

3 of 6 on the back manifold on mine were gone, and manifold was warped and cracked so I had to get a new one. So $300 for stud removal and replacement and 300 for a new manifold. Ouch, it still hurts. Good luck, go ahead and have them all replaced while they are in there with the stronger studs.

 

so chances are that the manifold is warped as well ...

I am seriously thinking of doing this job myself....i just hope the manifold isnt warped

 

Yeah, I had to have front and rear replaced... even with Courtesy discount $650 including shipping... not to mention labor... so you will still luck out in the end!

 

 

due to the fact my timing belt broke my valve got bent, so i broke my entire engine down to the heads (btw the most difficult thing ive done before this was change a thermostat) found the valve, and a broken stud
took it to a machine shop, i dicided to take my other head and and get it fixed too
3 broken studs on the front one!!
he is going to plane my manifolds (cant plane head sadly) drill out old studs and do a 3 way valve job for under 200 bucks (plus parts which isnt much)

plus i need probably 50 bucks in gaskets to put it all back together

this ordeal was a major PIA but if your good you can do a teardown in just a few hours, i had a friend help me, he didnt know what he was doign either, but managed noen the less, ill tell you in a week how the rebuild goes EEEK!

Chris

 

Way to go! Hardest thing I've done was the timing belt and h2o pump thermostat combo. Good luck. You are saving yourself a good deal of money.

 

What are the signs that your exhause manifold studs are shot?

And what about swapping the manifolds for headers?

 

I dont think there are headers available for the 3rd gens at least thats what I was told. You will start to hear popping sounds while engine is running you might start getting worse gas mpg also. Best signs they are shot is you can hear the leak or see that the stud is missing.

 

you can hear the leak.....sounds like it's missing a cylinder.

 

If the manifold is warped, DO nOT have it milled. I learned the hard way. I took the rear off, had it milled, put it back together and 6 months later it was leaking again. THe problem was that the milling removed a portion of metal from the manifold causing the y-pipe to not fit correctly. The added stress from the poor fitting y-pipe caused the studs to snap again at the manifold. I was not happy!!! If your broken studs are by number five cylinder you should be able to get a 90 degree drill in there and just drill them out. You may have to bend the sheathing around the manifold a bit but it beats dropping the engine.

 

keener,

thats exactly what i am planning to do for the rear studs....i am going to buy a small but powerful 90 degree drill and get the studs out.

the front studs look easy...i might get to them by just removing the radiator (which i have to flush anyway)

but if the manifold is warped....then the max will be have to go i cant afford getting new manifolds at this point in time

 

I have no idea how many miles are on your car, but the VG30E is in my opinion the best engine out of Japan. I would reconsider scraping the car unless the body is in terrible condition. You should be able to get a manifold for $120.

 

is that the price for a new manifold or a used one?

 

Priced new from directauto.com. Go to there website and check under engine components. I believe only the rear manifold is available at this site.

 

thanks man