Not much demand, as you see by the comments, is partly to blame for no aftermarket options.

 

I have the Flowmaster Force II system on my 05 and I am happy with it. Super easy to install and sounds good. I did notice its starting to get some surface rust on the underbody parts but is still holding up well.

https://www.holley.com/products/exha...ii/parts/17458

 

Now find him some headers.....

 

As others have said. The stock OEM manifolds flow really well. No one is saying reuse your old rusty cracked out ones. It seems blinders are on wrt replacements.
So I will have state it; Replace the manifolds with new OEM ones or the Dorman which you can get off Amazon. Use Felpro or OEM gaskets. Use all new OEM or Dorman bolts. When removing the manifolds you will probably encounter/discover broken manifold bolts. It is a common problem. Expect that and be prepared for them. Have a plan for getting the broken bolt studs out of the heads. Eg blank nuts, big vise grips, a heat source (torch), possibly even small welder at the ready.

As for the rest of the exhaust system. What we did was just remove the muffler and straight piped that section where the muffler was. Left all the other piping, everything else the same, stock. Avoided all the cost etc around other fancy muffler and custom pipe stuff. The 4.7 flows well and is not gnarly as it is. It is happy, and performs well without the muffler. It is no loud either. Nice comforting rumble to it. Keep it simple. Spend the real money on the manifolds, gaskets, and bolts up front. Then a bit of pocket change on a couple of short pipe pieces underneath to fill the hole where the muffler was. Keep the rest of the money in your wallet.

Hope that helps!

 

Ok, I wasn't just being dense, I was just hoping for some other options ... and of course, the best that I can tell, dorman only makes them for a v6...
Amazon is a no go, v6 no v8...
Rock auto also only lists v6...
Unless I am failing at searching too..

Guess its mopar OEM then?

 

What is the engine code letter in the truck's VIN, door sticker, or under hood sticker?

 

If you are looking for options, here are some additional ideas. Hopefully this sets your plan in motion.

The manifolds may look crusty however imho it is only surface. It is very very unlikely there is anything wrong with them. Can pretty much guarantee the leak you are trying to fix is due to a broken or stripped exhaust manifold bolt.

Have a plan A and a plan B. Buy all the parts and tools needed for both plans. Have everything on hand before you start. Start out intending plan A. After it is apart, if necessary shift to plan B. When you are finished return the unused/unopened parts.

Plan A: Re-Re the manifolds with new bolts and gaskets.
For the crusty manifolds, polish them knocking all the surface rust off with a wire wheel. Be mindful and careful not to scuff the head mating surface. Once cleaned up inspect each manifold for cracks. If you find damage making them unusable, stop here and jump to plan B. If good to go, leave au-naturale or paint them with a nice high temp exhaust specific paint or Bar-B-Q paint in your colour of choice. Bright metallic orange adds a lot of bark and boost in power output. Put it back together. Follow bolt tightening procedure and torque spec.
Parts needed for plan A:
--- The bolts: Dorman 03218 exhaust manifold hardware kit. Or OEM.
--- The gaskets. There are two options; the standard or the heat shielded. Either works just fine. Have a look at which ones are on the truck right now. Then buy writhe for both of FelPro MS 93217 standard exhaust manifold gasket. FelPro MS 96994 shielded exhaust manifold gasket

Plan B: Replace one both manifold with new along with new bolts and gaskets.
Follow bolt tightening procedure and torque spec.
Parts needed for Plan B: This plan can add quite a bit of cost if you do not do some research and sleuthing. Only do this if a manifold is found cracked or damaged beyond use. OEM will be most expensive as the parts are sold piece by piece bolt by bolt. For options look at parts and kits offered for the same platform, a year earlier or year later. For the 3rd gen Dakota 4.7 v8
-- Dorman 4.7 exhaust manifold kits: 674-909 left side, 674-913 right side. These kits come complete with manifold, bolts, gaskets. No other parts required
-- OEM, piece by piece.
-- Any aftermarket header sets / kits for a 3rd gen Dakota with 4.7. Note however, due minor changes in locations of hoses and wiring routing in the engine bay there may be some interferences or need for heat shielding and thermal wraps to protect the truck from the headers.

Plan C: The new manifolds / gaskets are not an exact match, now what?
Return all the parts. Then do the following.
--- Goto Dodge/Chrysler. Open your wallet and order all OEM parts needed.
--- If you are capable, or a buddy, or a welding shop; get out the torch and brazing rods. Fix the manifold. Welding, brazing will result in some tension which warps the part. After the repair is done the manifold must be be stress relieved and resurfaced. Skipping this step will result in leaks and soon another crack or split in the manifold. Along with more broken bolts. Take it to machine shop to have the manifold stress relieved in their oven and to mill the mating surface flat.


Summing up:
Here is what should be your most economic parts list for both A and B to buy ahead of time and have on hand before starting the job. Buy these off of Amazon or your autopartsc outlet near you. The important thing is the source has a reasonable and amicable returns policy. Amazon prime is great for this. Free shipping, no hassle no questions asked returns. Just do not open or scuff anything that is not being used. Buy all of these, do the job, return what's left at the end of the job.
--- Dorman 03218 exhaust manifold hardware kit.
--- FelPro MS 93217 standard exhaust manifold gasket set
--- FelPro MS 96994 shielded exhaust manifold gasket set
--- Dorman 674-909 exhaust manifold kit
--- Dorman 674-913 exhaust manifold kit
--- Optional: VHT paint in bright orange, or whatever
Note there is a slight risk that these parts do not fit. If not, then back out, return the parts, and go order everything OEM. Problem is OEM is costly and typically will have restocking fees. Imho, it is worth it to get your own hands and eyes on the alternatives listed.

In all of this I am making no guarantees expressed or implied of an easy perfect job. Any work on an exhaust system is anything but simple. Such jobs are often supplemented by plenty of colourful expletives along the way. The intent here is to give you ideas and viable options to get the job progressing. This is exactly how I would plan and do this job and with what parts. Everything you need to know about fixing your truck is here. Good luck and most important of all have fun with it.

 

Thank you. That is just about the best writeup I have ever seen. The only catch is that Dorman, Rock Auto, and Amazon all seem to think that those manifolds won't fit my truck. Every bit of reference I can find seems to indicate that the compatibility stops with 2007, that 08 is somehow different. Unfortunately it seems my choice is to start with plan b, because I know I have at least one broken bolt, and I really want to have every possible part on hand once I start taking things apart. Since nobody seems to agree on exactly what part(s) fit my truck, it seems like OEM is my choice. Ugh.

 

That is exactly why suggesting you buy all the standard parts from a place that takes no-hassle returns. Buy all the parts. Have them at the ready, then YOU decide whether they fit or not as you attempt to bolt them on. The 4.7 has a couple versions. The differences, I am not entirely positive, but believe are mainly internal. Eg different intake manifold internals, different cams, timing. I am not aware of any external physical differences in the intake or exhaust ports between the 4.7 versions. Many parts bolt directly onto/into between the versions, and thusly the reverse thinking is vise-versa and particularly with your goal of exhaust manifold repair.
Certainly would not be the first or unique time that the catalogues cross references do not support or have a different part number, but once the part is in hand it is exactly the same as the unlisted alternative.

It will be interesting time. Please let us know how and where you end up!