97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
10-20-2003, 01:13 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
Hello.
Well it has finally happened to me. I bought my TJ new in Feb '97 and
since accumulated a mere 31,402 miles on it since. Within the past month I
noticed a slight ticking sound from the engine compartment while it was
running. It has gotten louder since then. I contacted my dealership who
said there wasn't anything they could do but that I should call DC customer
service and see what they would do directly for me. I called them this
morning and talked to a rep who basically stated that they wouldn't be able
to do anything for me due to my vehicle being 4 years out of warranty. I
replied by saying I understand that but I ONLY have 31,402 miles on my Jeep.
She said they weren't willing to do anything, not even a split of the cost
as I suggested. She stated that she was has the authority and is the final
say in this matter! My biggest issue here is that I've been following this
problem on the net for the past 4-5 years and I'm sure that DC knows it's a
prevalent problem but won't rectify it properly, or not at all in my case.
I've reported it to NHTSA but they only have 35 documented complaints about
this problem on my Jeep. I know I've read about alot more instances of this
occurring on various ng's. BTW, I've also tried going the Federal Emissions
warranty route but was told that only includes the catalytic converter after
the first 2 years/24000 miles up til 8 years/80,000 miles.
What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
experience this problem yet?
Thanks for letting me vent. Any help, guidance or assistance would be
greatly appreciated.
--
Gary B.
Well it has finally happened to me. I bought my TJ new in Feb '97 and
since accumulated a mere 31,402 miles on it since. Within the past month I
noticed a slight ticking sound from the engine compartment while it was
running. It has gotten louder since then. I contacted my dealership who
said there wasn't anything they could do but that I should call DC customer
service and see what they would do directly for me. I called them this
morning and talked to a rep who basically stated that they wouldn't be able
to do anything for me due to my vehicle being 4 years out of warranty. I
replied by saying I understand that but I ONLY have 31,402 miles on my Jeep.
She said they weren't willing to do anything, not even a split of the cost
as I suggested. She stated that she was has the authority and is the final
say in this matter! My biggest issue here is that I've been following this
problem on the net for the past 4-5 years and I'm sure that DC knows it's a
prevalent problem but won't rectify it properly, or not at all in my case.
I've reported it to NHTSA but they only have 35 documented complaints about
this problem on my Jeep. I know I've read about alot more instances of this
occurring on various ng's. BTW, I've also tried going the Federal Emissions
warranty route but was told that only includes the catalytic converter after
the first 2 years/24000 miles up til 8 years/80,000 miles.
What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
experience this problem yet?
Thanks for letting me vent. Any help, guidance or assistance would be
greatly appreciated.
--
Gary B.
10-20-2003, 07:00 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
Gary B. wrote:
>What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
>High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
>cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
>experience this problem yet?
>
>
I just replaced the exhaust manifold on my 92 YJ with an OEM replacement
from Autozone for $192 + tax. The quote I got from my mechanic for
replacing it was $400 just for the labor. I ended up doing it myself,
which took about 4 hours. The only issues I had were getting the gasket
between the manifold and down-pipe compressed, and getting the bolts
underneath the intake manifold torqued properly.
When I was looking at performance headers alot of them had fine-print
statements like "requires some fabrication"... Not exactly sure what
that entails but it put me off since I don't have a welder or any heavy
machinery in my garage. The prices I saw were between $200 and $600. I
wouldn't think a mechanic would charge you any more for installing a
header vs a stock manifold unless they have to machine it or trim your
down-pipe.
Hope this helps.
>What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
>High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
>cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
>experience this problem yet?
>
>
I just replaced the exhaust manifold on my 92 YJ with an OEM replacement
from Autozone for $192 + tax. The quote I got from my mechanic for
replacing it was $400 just for the labor. I ended up doing it myself,
which took about 4 hours. The only issues I had were getting the gasket
between the manifold and down-pipe compressed, and getting the bolts
underneath the intake manifold torqued properly.
When I was looking at performance headers alot of them had fine-print
statements like "requires some fabrication"... Not exactly sure what
that entails but it put me off since I don't have a welder or any heavy
machinery in my garage. The prices I saw were between $200 and $600. I
wouldn't think a mechanic would charge you any more for installing a
header vs a stock manifold unless they have to machine it or trim your
down-pipe.
Hope this helps.
10-20-2003, 07:00 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
Gary B. wrote:
>What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
>High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
>cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
>experience this problem yet?
>
>
I just replaced the exhaust manifold on my 92 YJ with an OEM replacement
from Autozone for $192 + tax. The quote I got from my mechanic for
replacing it was $400 just for the labor. I ended up doing it myself,
which took about 4 hours. The only issues I had were getting the gasket
between the manifold and down-pipe compressed, and getting the bolts
underneath the intake manifold torqued properly.
When I was looking at performance headers alot of them had fine-print
statements like "requires some fabrication"... Not exactly sure what
that entails but it put me off since I don't have a welder or any heavy
machinery in my garage. The prices I saw were between $200 and $600. I
wouldn't think a mechanic would charge you any more for installing a
header vs a stock manifold unless they have to machine it or trim your
down-pipe.
Hope this helps.
>What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
>High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
>cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
>experience this problem yet?
>
>
I just replaced the exhaust manifold on my 92 YJ with an OEM replacement
from Autozone for $192 + tax. The quote I got from my mechanic for
replacing it was $400 just for the labor. I ended up doing it myself,
which took about 4 hours. The only issues I had were getting the gasket
between the manifold and down-pipe compressed, and getting the bolts
underneath the intake manifold torqued properly.
When I was looking at performance headers alot of them had fine-print
statements like "requires some fabrication"... Not exactly sure what
that entails but it put me off since I don't have a welder or any heavy
machinery in my garage. The prices I saw were between $200 and $600. I
wouldn't think a mechanic would charge you any more for installing a
header vs a stock manifold unless they have to machine it or trim your
down-pipe.
Hope this helps.
10-20-2003, 07:00 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
Gary B. wrote:
>What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
>High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
>cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
>experience this problem yet?
>
>
I just replaced the exhaust manifold on my 92 YJ with an OEM replacement
from Autozone for $192 + tax. The quote I got from my mechanic for
replacing it was $400 just for the labor. I ended up doing it myself,
which took about 4 hours. The only issues I had were getting the gasket
between the manifold and down-pipe compressed, and getting the bolts
underneath the intake manifold torqued properly.
When I was looking at performance headers alot of them had fine-print
statements like "requires some fabrication"... Not exactly sure what
that entails but it put me off since I don't have a welder or any heavy
machinery in my garage. The prices I saw were between $200 and $600. I
wouldn't think a mechanic would charge you any more for installing a
header vs a stock manifold unless they have to machine it or trim your
down-pipe.
Hope this helps.
>What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand? What's Best? Mopar
>High Performance header? And, most importantly, how much is this going to
>cost me since DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
>experience this problem yet?
>
>
I just replaced the exhaust manifold on my 92 YJ with an OEM replacement
from Autozone for $192 + tax. The quote I got from my mechanic for
replacing it was $400 just for the labor. I ended up doing it myself,
which took about 4 hours. The only issues I had were getting the gasket
between the manifold and down-pipe compressed, and getting the bolts
underneath the intake manifold torqued properly.
When I was looking at performance headers alot of them had fine-print
statements like "requires some fabrication"... Not exactly sure what
that entails but it put me off since I don't have a welder or any heavy
machinery in my garage. The prices I saw were between $200 and $600. I
wouldn't think a mechanic would charge you any more for installing a
header vs a stock manifold unless they have to machine it or trim your
down-pipe.
Hope this helps.
10-20-2003, 11:02 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
"Gary B." wrote ...
> What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand?
> What's Best? Mopar High Performance header? And,
> most importantly, how much is this going to cost me since
> DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
> experience this problem yet?
I think that replacing it with the factory header will cost you $800 or so
at least... The aftermarket ones are cheaper... If you are mechanically
inclined enough to do all the work yourself, you could get by for $350 or so
for a Borla header if I remember correctly... Mine has been cracked on my XJ
for over 2 years... It flunked one inspection and I just took it too a
different shop instead of trying to fix it.. It's overdue for another
inspection right now and I'm thinking about trying to repair it with
multiple layers of fiberglass... It's not possible to weld the damn thing
without taking it off the vehicle, but I could probably wrap some fiberglass
around it and perhaps it'll last until after the inspection... For now, I'm
just driving around without a valid inspection sticker...
> What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand?
> What's Best? Mopar High Performance header? And,
> most importantly, how much is this going to cost me since
> DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
> experience this problem yet?
I think that replacing it with the factory header will cost you $800 or so
at least... The aftermarket ones are cheaper... If you are mechanically
inclined enough to do all the work yourself, you could get by for $350 or so
for a Borla header if I remember correctly... Mine has been cracked on my XJ
for over 2 years... It flunked one inspection and I just took it too a
different shop instead of trying to fix it.. It's overdue for another
inspection right now and I'm thinking about trying to repair it with
multiple layers of fiberglass... It's not possible to weld the damn thing
without taking it off the vehicle, but I could probably wrap some fiberglass
around it and perhaps it'll last until after the inspection... For now, I'm
just driving around without a valid inspection sticker...
10-20-2003, 11:02 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
"Gary B." wrote ...
> What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand?
> What's Best? Mopar High Performance header? And,
> most importantly, how much is this going to cost me since
> DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
> experience this problem yet?
I think that replacing it with the factory header will cost you $800 or so
at least... The aftermarket ones are cheaper... If you are mechanically
inclined enough to do all the work yourself, you could get by for $350 or so
for a Borla header if I remember correctly... Mine has been cracked on my XJ
for over 2 years... It flunked one inspection and I just took it too a
different shop instead of trying to fix it.. It's overdue for another
inspection right now and I'm thinking about trying to repair it with
multiple layers of fiberglass... It's not possible to weld the damn thing
without taking it off the vehicle, but I could probably wrap some fiberglass
around it and perhaps it'll last until after the inspection... For now, I'm
just driving around without a valid inspection sticker...
> What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand?
> What's Best? Mopar High Performance header? And,
> most importantly, how much is this going to cost me since
> DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
> experience this problem yet?
I think that replacing it with the factory header will cost you $800 or so
at least... The aftermarket ones are cheaper... If you are mechanically
inclined enough to do all the work yourself, you could get by for $350 or so
for a Borla header if I remember correctly... Mine has been cracked on my XJ
for over 2 years... It flunked one inspection and I just took it too a
different shop instead of trying to fix it.. It's overdue for another
inspection right now and I'm thinking about trying to repair it with
multiple layers of fiberglass... It's not possible to weld the damn thing
without taking it off the vehicle, but I could probably wrap some fiberglass
around it and perhaps it'll last until after the inspection... For now, I'm
just driving around without a valid inspection sticker...
10-20-2003, 11:02 PM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 97 TJ 4.0L and the Infamous Exhaust Manifold Crack!!!!
"Gary B." wrote ...
> What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand?
> What's Best? Mopar High Performance header? And,
> most importantly, how much is this going to cost me since
> DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
> experience this problem yet?
I think that replacing it with the factory header will cost you $800 or so
at least... The aftermarket ones are cheaper... If you are mechanically
inclined enough to do all the work yourself, you could get by for $350 or so
for a Borla header if I remember correctly... Mine has been cracked on my XJ
for over 2 years... It flunked one inspection and I just took it too a
different shop instead of trying to fix it.. It's overdue for another
inspection right now and I'm thinking about trying to repair it with
multiple layers of fiberglass... It's not possible to weld the damn thing
without taking it off the vehicle, but I could probably wrap some fiberglass
around it and perhaps it'll last until after the inspection... For now, I'm
just driving around without a valid inspection sticker...
> What should I do now? Aftermarket headers? What Brand?
> What's Best? Mopar High Performance header? And,
> most importantly, how much is this going to cost me since
> DC has washed its hands of this/my problem? Anyone here
> experience this problem yet?
I think that replacing it with the factory header will cost you $800 or so
at least... The aftermarket ones are cheaper... If you are mechanically
inclined enough to do all the work yourself, you could get by for $350 or so
for a Borla header if I remember correctly... Mine has been cracked on my XJ
for over 2 years... It flunked one inspection and I just took it too a
different shop instead of trying to fix it.. It's overdue for another
inspection right now and I'm thinking about trying to repair it with
multiple layers of fiberglass... It's not possible to weld the damn thing
without taking it off the vehicle, but I could probably wrap some fiberglass
around it and perhaps it'll last until after the inspection... For now, I'm
just driving around without a valid inspection sticker...
