Help with manifold clamps

[John H Daniel]

First of all, a shout out to all the help I've received from this forum. Never before a truck guy, I bought a high mileage 2011 Denali to use as a tow vehicle. I think I've fixed like four things with help from you folks.

Anyway, I recently installed the exhaust manifold clamps on driver's rear, pass. front and rear. I was ready to start freaking out about lifter repair, then you led me to the manifold leak that was making the ticking sound.

That drivers rear is a B***h! But, ended up into the small batch bourbon earlier than expected cuz of this little trick. For a while I was unable to get the lower bolt started. I could only get two, by then bloody, fingers on it at one time. So I came up with this. A little packing foam around the bolt held it in place, protruding a little to help locate the hole, then allowed me to start it in.


Maybe been used before; I've only used tape etc, which makes it hard to start, etc.
Best of luck

 

[Kapitein]

Thanks.

Any more hints? I have to do both rears some time soon. Just got the Dorman parts in the mail.

 

[John H Daniel]

I used Kral, don't know if there is significant difference. The instructions talked about coming up from the bottom after removing the front drive shaft. I didn't want to do that, so was able to go in from the top/side. On the driver's side the 2 bolt holes are in back of the head. By far the most difficult
I did end up raising the truck it so I could see what was happening and come up from there with a 1x2 to force the heat shield to make room for fingers. The upper one is relatively straight forward once you figure out how to get yourself that far into the engine area. Using my trick I got the lower one started. Tightened using a flex head 3/8" drive. The upper, I used a flex 17mm combination wrench.
With suitable amount of busted knuckles and profanity its doable.
Also, the ground strap bolts that use the same size holes (10 x 1.5 I think) are 15mm head while those supplied with the kit are 17mm.

 

[Geotrash]

Great trick!

Having removed my exhaust manifolds 3x in the last year due to lifter failures from cheap lifter trays, I found it supe easy to get at the bolts from the wheel wells with the liners out. There’s a straight shot to all but one of them with a long extension, drill bit, easy out, etc. I was lucky and didn’t have any broken bolts, but if I did, decided it would be a simple matter to get at them from the wheel wells if I ever had to.

 

[John H Daniel]

Going in from the wheel wells really does improve access. When I did the motor mount for example. I'm hoping to put off the full repair of the manifold bolts till... well as long as I can. I don't know if I have the guts to try using easy outs, lol.

 

[Kapitein]

How was the access around the dipstick on the passenger side..... Looks like a tight fit!

 

[John H Daniel]

I didn't need to go there. I just did the most rear and front on the passenger side.
Its all a tight fit in the back, lol

 

[Kapitein]

I did passenger side rear today.

Via wheel well and from above.

Annoying, but doable.

If you release the dipstick bracket, you can move it out of the way enough for mounting the clamp.

A ratcheting 15mm wrench is almost essential.