Exhaust Question

[1stGeExpedition]

I know there have been several threads in the past but I figured I'd ask in my own. So, I bought a basket case expy and I've pretty much fixed everything left neglected by the PO except for the exhaust.

It has a really loud exhaust leak up near the passenger side manifold and combined with that the muffler & tail pipe was rotted so I just pulled it out.

Question is... Would I be crazy to attempt to take it apart and fix myself? I have air/hand tools but don't have access to a welder and from what I have read I would almost certainly need one if I broke the studs.

I had one muffler shop look at it and they told me $700 a side to just fix the manifolds (he focused only on the passenger side) and that's just too much for me right now. I can't see it being that much for an already experienced/equipped shop to get done. So, I'm considering doing it myself.

I live in a place that does emissions testing and I'm also concerned about that.

I'd love to put headers & high flow cats on since I like my trucks loud.

Any suggestions on what to do or a combination of parts etc?

I would appreciate some guidance.

2000 4x4 expy 5.4 w/ 180,000 miles



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[Lightnig]

not crazy at all, as long as you have patience and a few hand tools.

I suspect the toughest part of the job would be getting the old manifolds off. The bolts tend to rust up and seize - then snap when you try to loosen them. Broken manifold bolts are a pain, but not the end of the world. I have not done this on my truck yet, so I will leave it someone else to comment on this.

Putting new on is not bad at all as long as you stick with replacement style parts, just order them in and put them on. If you want to do something like long tube headers then you are looking a real fabrication work and then welding would be required. Also, I would recommend ordering all new hanger brackets and hardware, makes life much easier.

And you do not need to weld. Yes, it does tend to be better, and most shops do it but one thing I have found is that the tubing may give you stainless tubes, but then weld it up with regular wire. Every weld then rusts in very short order.

The last system I put on myself, I just used good quality stainless band clamps and that exhaust lasted many, many miles without any issues.

 

[1stGeExpedition]

I installed a Flowmaster Force II cat back system today. Still have the leaking manifolds to fix. I'm not sure I wanna do it myself yet but one thing I'm gonna do is put on headers.

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[bedrck46]

There is a good video on Youtube about replacing the manifold

Removing the exhaust manifold from a 5.4L Ford F150 Part 1