Well took my 2006 dodge ram 1500 170,000 to the shop today. I got the oil changed, tires changed around, transmission fluid changed. I also asked them to check on an exhausted leak. Well that leak found out to be a broken exhaust manifold bolt on the back drivers side I do believe. So I have looked at threads of how to change it ( sounds like a real pain in the ***). So what would you do? I dont pull much with it. I go to work with it and to our farm which is 90 miles away, plus its my only vehicle. So do I just drop a new engine in it, get the bolt fixed or do I just live with it? Or get rid of the damn thing?

 

Did the bolt break off? Or just fall out?

 

easy removal and install, remove the inner wheel housing and you have access to the heat shield and bolts. new gasket and bolts are under 30.00 from dealership, should take no longer then 4 hrs doing it your first time. To get bolt out, use a removal tool at any auto store, they will rent them.

 

Engine swap because of broken manifold bolt...? :/

 

Same boat here with me only I have a lot of rust due to driving on the beach near Long Beach WA. Deciding if I want to pull the head on the passenger side with the engine in the truck or out. LOL. If you can get the rest of the bolts off and you can get the exhaust manifold off, then you might be able to get the broken bolt stud out. I have had to heat the head before, but it was NOT an aluminum head either. I don't really want to heat an aluminum head, but I might have too yet. I had the same thought though... new create engine... maybe not stock HP either. LOL

 

If you do get the manifold off and the bolt out, be sure to use better bolts than what Dodge put in. I'm very disappointed in the quality of the bolts they used. It's going to cause me a lot of trouble to change them. I did replace the ones on the drivers side a few years ago. I don't know why I didn't do the passenger side.