A typical vg33 cracked exhaust manifold. If you are out of warranty here is the easiest way to do these. I go through the fender well to do all replacements. Make sure you soak the cat to manifold nuts well. I use a gm product-penetrating oil-works better than wd40. These are self locking nuts that will bind when coming off. If the studs breaks you are looking at another hour or so drilling and tapping.

Soak the cat to front tube nuts also. Just makes life easier.

Also soak the front tube to y-pipe. You do not have to remove these parts but it will give you more room to work with.

Again the exhaust will come right out the side with some finess.

The end product. Poor casting and a typical break/crack between #3 and #5.

Good tips - thanks for posting!

A body lift makes it easier

too bad that's not an option for those of use without frames.... You should see the driver's side one I am going to pull this weekend....it is going to be a miracle if i get it out..

Fawk that. Clean it up real good with Brakeclean, hit it with an angle grinder if possible, or a dremel, and coat it with JB weld. Let it sit for a day or so, and yer good to go.

will JB weld hold together under that kinda heat?

I've heard of JB weld holding on engine blocks and exhaust manifolds before. I dunno. Skinny used silicone and a beer can to repair a place where a rod left the block in a competition here, and if it would have been able to set a little more, it would have worked... 'Cept the silicone couldn't set, and it blew the beer can off, and it smoked a little to bad...

silicone is my savour..

JB welding my exhaust mainfold sounds just ghetto enough for me to try.. I have heard the engine block thing too.... even some of the old welders will tip their hats to JB weld...

When I installed my headers I had one broken stud BUT it had enough sticking out that I was able to remove it w/a small vise grip. The manifolds practically fell out one I pulled the Y pipe. I had to saws-all the bolts off the Ypipe to cat part since they were rusted into blobs that could not accept a wrench of any kind.

I figure that luck and PB Blaster had lots to do with it.

I would either spend the $100 on a factory manifold or get some nice headers if you can find them.

This as an old thread, but they are still cracking.

I had one of the updated ones crack and hole burned in it on the flat near the flange on a 2000.

Have photos but I do not know how to attach them.