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Cracked Exhaust Manifold.. Which header or just OEM replacement?

D

DigJeepsBrah

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ken Caryl, 5280
Well, I guess I'll be keeping the Jeep around since I went to replace the $65 down pipe and found that my exhaust manifold is about to fall apart..

Obviously the part needs to be upgraded, right?

...or should I go with the new OEM replacement with the flex points?

If I should indeed upgrade - which header?
 
Mines got the own with the cylinder 1 and 6 with the flex joint and I'm pretty sure it's factory. I'm at 220,000 miles and no cracks. I've heard others don't last as long if that means anything
 
The other alternative is to swap it out for a 2000 style which is two separate 3 cylinder manifolds plus a Y-pipe. Those rarely crack.

I have a Dorman one piece on mine with lifetime warranty from Auto Zone purchased with one of their 20% coupons for home delivery.
 
1aauto.com has the stock replacement with flex joints for 100$, at least they did last I checked.
 
Tim_MN said:
Some 4.0 L intakes will need a bit of grinding. I think it took me about 5 minutes to get a good fit.
Click to expand...

I really don't understand how "some" would require grinding; and some wouldn't.

From what I understand, there are two types of intakes on the Jeep Cherokee – 1. the old style straight intake, and 2. the new style horseshoe intake.

There are two kinds, and each came from their own casting. So one or the other, either or, would need grinding, right?

So what would make two intakes different from one another if they were the same? Unless the header itself was imperfect each time it was made by the manufacturer?

I've never had to grind with a good aftermarket header made to OEM specifications – I went with an ATP OEM-style manifold, but it wasn't before I carefully considered that ATP header design.

If I had to choose again, I probably would go with the Banks Revolver headers, or the Banks Torque Tube headers. They seem to be made well enough that grinding isn't in question.
 
Not all things are created equal, nothing is perfect. Yes, items like manifolds and other parts are built with tolerances in mind. For perfect precision it costs MUCH more than producing items with looser tolerances.
It takes very little time to remove material from the intake.
 
Johnnie Walker said:
Not all things are created equal, nothing is perfect. Yes, items like manifolds and other parts are built with tolerances in mind. For perfect precision it costs MUCH more than producing items with looser tolerances.
It takes very little time to remove material from the intake.
Click to expand...


Well didn't the intake port outlines change with the different heads too?
 
I just installed the ATP/APN header on my 99 with the horseshoe intake about a week ago and I did have to do some grinding/tapping on the #6 tube to get it to fit.
 
RE: new Banks header.
FYI - Talked with Banks directly, there is a new header which differs from the original. The original cracked and had to be replaced under warranty too many times. The new header only has a 5-year warranty.
 
thatxjguy said:
I really don't understand how "some" would require grinding; and some wouldn't.
Click to expand...

The intake is a casting, and casting will vary, as does the rough grinding after breakout from the mold.

The APN performs better than any stock exhaust manifold. For the cost, the APN header is a good deal. A few minutes with your angle grinder and an 80 grit sandpaper disk is no big deal.
 
Last edited:
Tim_MN said:
The intake is a casting, and casting will vary, as does the rough grinding after breakout from the mold.

The APN performs better than any stock exhaust manifold. For the cost, the APN header is a good deal. A few minutes with your angle grinder and an 80 grit sandpaper disk is no big deal.
Click to expand...

I agree, it is very heavy and seems to be very well built for the price. And even if you do have to a little "modification" it is not that big of a deal. I was able to use a metal hand file to take off a bit of the #6 pipe and a small amount of the intake.
 
md21722 said:
The other alternative is to swap it out for a 2000 style which is two separate 3 cylinder manifolds plus a Y-pipe.
Click to expand...
Not really an option. The 00+ exhaust manifold will have a port alignment and sealing issue on the earlier heads.
 
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