Hi I have a 96 caravan and have an exhaust leak and it has started smoking from the tail pipe after ideling in traffic for a few minutes. now it has 301,226 miles on it and unfortunately I cannot afford another car because I live on a fixed income and midas wants anywhere from 550 to 800 dollars to replace the left exhaust manifold because it is cracked and a friend said the rings may be the cause of the smoke. what I want to know is this work hard to do my friend just graduated from diesel mechanics school and is willing to do the work but will he need someway to put it up in the air to replace the manifold?

Thank you
topkat690

 

Is the smoke blue when it is coming out of the tail pipe? And what size motor do you have? If you do have your friend replace the rings, the cylinder heads will have to be removed along with the exhaust manifolds. You can alway get a exhaust manifold from a wreckers.

 

The smoke is white and my brother in law seems to think it is the head gasket. I was wrong about the rings my friend said the valves will have ti\o be taken out and taken to a machine shop to have something done is that exspensive?