Cracked Exhaust Manifolds

[pyrorobert]

So I took my PW in for its routine oil change (at 70,000 miles) and had them look into my inverter as it wasn't working. When I bought my truck, I did purchase the extended warranty with it and thankfully it has come in handy. Most of the mileage is just driving around town and i haven't even towed with it yet. While they looked over the truck, the mechanic said they found the exhaust manifolds cracked on both sides and needed to order the parts. It was mentioned that both manifolds were about $5000 to replace but luckily the warranty will cover them. Now I have noticed a rough idle while once it sounded like the engine was knocking for a few seconds and then was fine. The service advisor said they would look into it and let me know if they find anything. The advisor did state that the knocking could be from the manifolds being cracked. I wouldn't think so but I'm not the mechanic.
Just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues and any advice on what to look for next. I am definitely hoping this truck lasts me many more years to come.

 

[Crusty old shellback]

Got 108K miles on my PW and no issues yet. Hopefully it stays like that as I'm out of warranty now

 

[jetrinka]

Cracked exhaust manifolds can indeed cause ticking noises especially when the engine is cold. As thermal expansion of the metals progresses the tick usually stops (depending on how bad it is). However I haven't seen many Hemi manifolds actually crack. Most of the time the manifold warps and breaks off the rearmost exhaust stud/studs creating a leak past the flange/gasket. It manifests the same way with a ticking noise that most of the time stops with some heat.

The fix is the same and usually involves removal of the manifold to access the broken hardware. Hardware gets extracted and everything put back together with new parts - manifold/gasket/studs/heatshield etc.

5000 for both sides is absolute robbery.

 

[RamCares]

Hello, @pyrorobert!

Know our team is available to assist you with your exhaust manifold concerns to ensure your voice is heard and you can return to enjoying your vehicle. Feel free to send a private message our way with the name of your dealership to get started.

Hannah
Ram Cares

 

[pyrorobert]

Thank you Crusty and Jetrinka for the hope and piece of mind. I did reach out to Ram as requested and hope it all goes well.

 

[pyrorobert]

Just to give an update, my PW is still at the dealer as it has had multiple delays and setbacks. A lot of false promises and no updates from the service department until I continue bugging them.
So in the process of replacing the exhaust manifolds, there have been issues with getting parts on time. Once they received from what I am assuming the parts in, the mechanic has had multiple issues with trying to remove the manifolds. He has bent and broken the studs trying to remove them. They ordered more studs to replace the damaged ones but then on Friday which I was promised to get my truck back it was silent all day from the dealer. I left text messages and voicemail to the advisor but finally responded near closing that they needed another day. He said the bolts were seized on the manifolds and the mechanic was having a hard time. He now guaranteed to me that my truck will done on Monday. Assuming he doesn't break anything else. It has now been 32 days at the shop for what originally was supposed to be an oil change.
Ram Customer Care has reached and they have tried to assist but the delaer needs to respond to them but they really haven't. Thank you again for the support but this is going to be difficult to hold on to a truck like this.

 

[Trash Panda]

Just to give an update, my PW is still at the dealer as it has had multiple delays and setbacks. A lot of false promises and no updates from the service department until I continue bugging them.
So in the process of replacing the exhaust manifolds, there have been issues with getting parts on time. Once they received from what I am assuming the parts in, the mechanic has had multiple issues with trying to remove the manifolds. He has bent and broken the studs trying to remove them. They ordered more studs to replace the damaged ones but then on Friday which I was promised to get my truck back it was silent all day from the dealer. I left text messages and voicemail to the advisor but finally responded near closing that they needed another day. He said the bolts were seized on the manifolds and the mechanic was having a hard time. He now guaranteed to me that my truck will done on Monday. Assuming he doesn't break anything else. It has now been 32 days at the shop for what originally was supposed to be an oil change.
Ram Customer Care has reached and they have tried to assist but the delaer needs to respond to them but they really haven't. Thank you again for the support but this is going to be difficult to hold on to a truck like this.

You’re getting a wonderful glimpse into the world of dealer incompetence.

Remember, they wanted to charge 5 grand for that level of service, too.