3RDGEN

What would be the symptoms of broken manifold studs. I heard somwhere that Nissan posted a bulletin.

Jeff91SE

Exhaust leak. A sharp pain in your wallet because its an expensive fix.

Matz

If your exhaust manifold studs have broken, most likely you'll hear a clicking noise from your engine. It's usually bad when the engine is cold, and then gradually goes away as you drive. As the engine heats up the gasket expands, makes a better seal, and thus the noise goes away. You really should get it fixed soon... if you don't, you'll burn through the part of the manifold where it interfaces with the block, and then you'll have to get them on the mill. It cost me $275 to have the studs replaced, manifold milled, and gasket replaced when this happened to me a few years ago.

CruzinMax

$275? Man that sounds like a deal.Nissan quoted me $1500.Can you believe that!!.They said it was a left and right stud.A local mechanic told me a little about what was involved in the repair and didn't seem to complicated.I don't know why they want so much.Maybe I just understood wrong. I also heard that it can ruin a cat.True?And what do you mean by it can get into the block?Little more explination please.

Matz

Well, in my repairs, I believen they removed the manifold and then drilled out the broken studs, then replacedn them with new ones. I don't see why this would ruin a cat... only the manifold. But then again, I'm not a mechanic. =) If you let the leak continue, eventually the gap where it originates from will get larger and larger, and then your only course of action is to replace the entire manifold.

3RDGEN

So what if I was going to buy a y pipe & have it profesionaly installed, couldnt I just have them replace the studs at that time & maybe save some $$?

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

you won't save much, as the y pipe is the first of MANY parts that come off in order to replace the manifold studs. for the front studs, you've got to remove the y-pipe, alternator, A/C compressor (not the hoses though, just unbolt it and move it aside), radiator fans, throttle body, and intake collector.

the rear is a little different. I never got to that part before I wrecked my car.

If you want to do it yourself, I'll sell you the parts for $50 shipped. All brand new OEM parts I bought to do the rear set, but never got to it. email me (blehm@utulsa.edu) if you want them.

Matz

Oh MAN, sorry to hear about your car! But if you're going to sell parts... are the rear Bose speakers the same as the 91 Max? I don't need the speakers, just the enclosures that sealed behind them. If you're getting rid of them for really cheap, please let me know.

sdGXE93

So,can we agree upon a price for such a repair? My mechanic said I ahd the problem right when I bought the car, but there is no clicking noise I can hear, but he says he can hear it. He is a import specialist,and has been pretty cheap in the past. But he did charge me 50 dollars to install a water shield made out of plastic on the underside of my car after the original broke and fell out.

My car does make a craking noise when changing gears,but I don't think that has anything to do with the exhaust.

Any ideas?

psyclotran

Interesting.. Mine does this too but only when it is cold. Is this the same for you?

As for the bolts, is there a way to tell if it has been replaced already. I glanced over mine and it looks okay but I do not know what is original and what is aftermarket. I just bought the car recently and the owner does not even know but he is not the original owner either. If mine is not broken, I like to do it before it does.

I recalled someone mentioned the type of replacement bolt to use but I do not know where I read that.

Gmax

i just has my exhaust manifold replaced 2 months ago. two of the bolts had broke off inside the manifold and i tried having the manifold milled at a machine shop but they couldnt do it so i ended buying a new one for $280 from a nissan dealership, i replaced all 6 bolts w/ the gaskets for 5 bucks each. there is a bulletin out there that makes fixing this alot easier, so my mechanic said anyway. my total bill was $434.

Matz

Yup, it'll only happen when it's cold... once the engine heats up, everything expanded and the gaps seal.

With my car, you could totally tell which studs are busted. You simply won't see any. =P If you see a place where there should be a stud + nut and don't see one, then it's busted off.

CruzinMax

Is that $434 with labor or did you do it yourself? If they want $1500 from me to drill the studs and put new ones in why would anyone ever even consider having them repaired and just get a new one? And as far as having a ticking sound, my car sounds more like the Jetsons's car when cold. Really embarassing.

Gmax

$434 was with labor, i didnt know the mechanic but he cut me a deal since the parts took so long, and i got a student discount. sounds like the dealer is trying to screw you, i'd find a mechanic that has experience w/ imports.

MaDMaX024

does anyone have the slightest clue of how much it would cost to get what seems to be 3 manifold studs replaced? there are two broken on the rear manifold on the very outside and one on the front on the same side as the rear.
thanks

3RDGEN

If I was to buy a performance y pipe & have it installed could I get around all of this.

psyclotran

I dont think that will cure your problem. If it is broken, it should be fixed.

Lucky for me, I checked my last night and all the studs are in tact. I need to replace them before they break as a precautionary measure. However, my VTC needs to be fixed because it is the one making the noise when the car is cold.