Daily Driver repair, yuck!

[mike343sharpstick]

OK, so a couple weeks back my '01 Durango (4.7) started the telltale spit - spit -spit exhaust manifold leak. I ignored it as long as possible, but now it's getting louder AND it's annoying.
Pull it in the garage to see what's up and honestly I don't want to fix it.
I can see some carbon on the head behind the rear cylinder, so the cast iron exhaust manifold will need to be removed and re-sealed to the head, Yuck!
If I take it to a garage and have someone else do this crappy job do I get point's revoked on my gear-head membership ???

[Mr4Speed]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Not in the middle of a Wisconsin winter.

[Cyclone03]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Not that I have any kind of clue about working in Wisconsin...

But this reminds me of something I always tell people when they see my work and say I should open my own shop....

I love working on cars...I hate working on cars when I HAVE too....

Good luck,maybe you could make it fun by installing a set of headers.LOL

[BigBlockMopar]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Wow, I wish I had 'problems' like that with my daily crap.
Mine just quits occasionally while idling at a trafficlight, and it does this only just of course when the light turns green.
It's an electrical issue and something temperature related I think. It never quits on the highway or while driving at speed. Only at lower or slow speeds where the motor has low RPM.
Replaced the MAP-sensor with different one. Engine runs more relaxed now, but still dies at times.
When it does it seems like the ignition is suddenly retarded 20 degress orso.
Once I turn the ign off and on again it starts right up like nothing is wrong. Fkn computer-crap in these late 80's junkers...!

[squirrel]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

I worked on a dakota once. It had exhaust leaks...but I'm pretty sure it was because teh manifolds overheated because it ran lean because the fuel filter (integral to the in tank pump) was plugged.

[mike343sharpstick]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

I've just been poking around the web on this and it seems to be a common problem with the Dodge 4.7.
Broken bolts on the rear exhaust manifold >, It does however require someone with experience and the right tools for extracting broken bolts which is NOT me :P.
Common problems still suck but at least the shops likely have some experience fixing it.

Sounds like the going rate for this is <$300. It's been a solid truck, 160,000 miles/ almost 10 years old with no major problems. This summer I need to go through it pretty thoroughly as there is other things that will need attention.

[mike343sharpstick]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Wow, I wish I had 'problems' like that with my daily crap.
Mine just quits occasionally while idling at a trafficlight, and it does this only just of course when the light turns green.
It's an electrical issue and something temperature related I think. It never quits on the highway or while driving at speed. Only at lower or slow speeds where the motor has low RPM.
Replaced the MAP-sensor with different one. Engine runs more relaxed now, but still dies at times.
When it does it seems like the ignition is suddenly retarded 20 degress orso.
Once I turn the ign off and on again it starts right up like nothing is wrong. Fkn computer-crap in these late 80's junkers...!

Dude, we had that exact same problem with our '95 Toyota Camry, I tried a few things but nothing fixed it.... Well, there was one thing that finally fixed it. We Sold it :D
My (very patient and understanding) wife really likes her new '06 Audi A4 :

[knuckledragger]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

this is very common.Most of the time the head pops off of the bolt and it is fairly easy to remove.Do both sides.They both like to leak.If you have access to a lift it is not a difficult repair.Good luck!

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

mine have been leaking on my 5.9 powerd ram for years..I could not give 2 shits...

[Blazerteam]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Thats why i want to have a interesting daily driver.If there is something to fix,i want to wrench on it.Not that a 93 Silverado is the most interesting truck,but its better than a old Toyota ;D.

And a lift hoist is what everybody needs when something breaks,and we need to go under the truck-car.

Thats two things that every bullshitter needs for a daily driver 8)

[gearhead1218]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

I'm in the middle of packing up and moving into my new house.
It won't be spring till I have my new shop built.
I'm not even doing oil changes right now.

[DanStokes]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Got the hoist. And there are still jobs that I farm out, just because I don't wanna do them. Seems OK to me - but I don't give a rip about the status of my so-called "Man Card".

Dan

[BOOOGHAR]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

i enjoy workin on other peoples cars, i just hate working on mine

[redragtop]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

Would have gladly traded your exhaust manifold job for the brake lines on my DD. Rust SUCKS!!!









Not hard, just tedious and tight. Would help if they werent' one of the first things to go on the body.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Daily Driver repair, yuck!

The most insane job I ever saw my father complete in our home garage was the heater core replacement in our 1986 Ford Taurus when I was a kid.

I remember walking out into the garage one morning, hearing him grumbling and cursing and looking into the car only to see the entire dash and a whole mess of other junk just totally blown apart. It took him two days to finish it, but mom drove us to school on Monday morning (with heat). He still gets the shakes when you mention that job to this day!

Brian