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cracked exhaust manifold

C

cguthrie

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Eagle River, AK
i got a emissions test done on my cherokee and the guy that did it told me my exhaust manifold has a crack in it. I'm just wondering if this is a big deal because he said that every jeep that he's had come in to do an emissions test has had a crack. Anyone else have that problem? It really wasn't that noticable but i could really hear it today.

Chris
 
It's pretty common to the 4.0L; what year and engine do you have? It's common enough that it gets discussed every week here...
 
Yup, extremely common for the 4.0L's... Do a search, if you get it replaced mine as well swap an actual header (Borla,ect.) in...
 
1997 4.0 liter, it got a new engine about a year and 2 months ago so i'm wondering if the dealership cracked it when they put the new engine in.
 
cguthrie said:
1997 4.0 liter, it got a new engine about a year and 2 months ago so i'm wondering if the dealership cracked it when they put the new engine in.
Click to expand...

I doubt that.

I've heard of them cracking anywhere between 10k-150k miles. THey're not worth repairing the crack in them... Best bet is to replace it with a stainless header with a different like a Gibson or Borla. Hedman Hedders (yes, that's how you spell it) also has a new design that takes care of the problem. Their old one was almost a direct copy of the stock manifold, thus the reason they kept cracking.
 
Yep, the factory manifolds crack frequently. Don’t bother welding them back up it doesn’t work. I was short on cash when mine cracked, so I just welded them back up. The first time it lasted for about a month, the second time it didn’t even make it a day. I’m using a Banks header now. It was a direct bolt in and works well, but it is a bit expensive (~ $500).
 
Success stories are out there, but they're very prone to cracking again. Mine was welded up with no problem, but after a few wheeling trips it was cracked again. That was only a couple of months later. For someone welding up a DD rig it might be fine for a long time...
 
On 96-up the front pipe is clamped to the cat, making it realtively difficult
to replace.
So..Whats the best header that bolts up to the stock front pipe?
Borla clearly does not. The banks looks like it probably does.
Any other options?
(Yes I know the pipe is not Ideal)
 
gjxj said:
On 96-up the front pipe is clamped to the cat, making it realtively difficult
to replace.
So..Whats the best header that bolts up to the stock front pipe?
Borla clearly does not. The banks looks like it probably does.
Any other options?
(Yes I know the pipe is not Ideal)
Click to expand...

My personal experience is with the Gibson header. Their mild steel version sucks though, so the stainless one is the way to go. GP400S is the part number. ;)
 
ECKSJAY said:
Success stories are out there, but they're very prone to cracking again. Mine was welded up with no problem, but after a few wheeling trips it was cracked again. That was only a couple of months later. For someone welding up a DD rig it might be fine for a long time...
Click to expand...

1 year and counting, 15K miles on the repair and still going, wheeling included.

FREE

if you don't count a little welding wire
 
What is the deal with the cost of headers for the 4.0? Cheapest I can find is ~$450. Mustang 302 headers are available for well less than half that amount. I cannot believe that with over a million Cherokees out there that there isn't enough compition to produce a reasonable priced header.
 
I'll proably regret it but I'm going to install an ebay unit (megapartz) for $100. They look well made in the pics . . .
 
How long the weld lasts is directly related to the quality of the weld/prep job. My crack was were the primaries went into the collector, on the block side. Since I’m lazy as well as cheap, I decided to just weld it up in place :greensmok I cleaned it up the best I could with a wire brush and had at it with a wire feed. A buddy was standing close by with a fire extinguisher in case things got ugly. This is definitely not the right way to do it, but it got me by until I could get it done right. I’m sure the subsequent 4 x 4 trips didn’t help the longevity of the welds.

Cguthrie, What inspection place found the crack? The Jiffy Lube by Cosco found mine. If you can figure out a way to get on to Ft Rich their auto hobby shop is a lot more liberal with their inspections ;)
 
it was the hobby shop on Elmendorf that found the crack. I still passed the inspection so that wasn't a problem he just told me about it. I really didn't even notice the noise until he said something but it sounds like it's getting worse.

Chris
 
Wiley Coyote said:
How long the weld lasts is directly related to the quality of the weld/prep job.
Click to expand...

I am highly suspect of this statement based upon my experience with a few different ones, all of which cracked again between 2-8 months...and all of which cracked outside the 'fix' welds. All were done by 3 different proficient welders. Perhaps the fact that they were two '95s and one '96 had something to do with it, you know...weaker manifold material?

I'm personally getting the newly designed Hedman with downpipe, coated of course. :)
 
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