Exhaust manifold gasket question

langdang

Mine is well goosed - if you start the engine with the bonnet up you will see little wisps of smoke coming up, and if you use the airblowers inside the car it smells like you are burning turf. There's also the added inconvenience of Carbon Monoxide.
So, while it didn't bother me all summer, it's time to get it fixed so I can clear windows and windscreens etc during the winter and to minimise passenger complaints.

So the exhaust manifold, heat shield etc have been on there for over 12years now, is it safe to assume that it will be a dog of a job? sheared bolts? bolts stuck in engine block? IE a job best left to professionals with tools to extract these? Not a chancer like myself?
As I've said in previous posts, I'm only stringing it along now - if there is a short term, quick and easy DIY fix then that would be perfect. Are there any products out there that you could squirt around the manifold to try and seal it for 6-12months?

Thanks

mike65

You said it yourself 12 years old, chances are the bolts are going to be stuck fast and will be a pig to get at anyway (is there much room to swing a spanner?)

If you were to try to avoid the job one possible "bodge" would be to use a "plastic metal" type compound

http://www.alvinproducts.com/Products/Products.asp?id=2

and just paste it round around the join let it set (or as in the product above set it hard using the heat of the exhaust) and see if it works.

langdang

You da man, that stuff looks good.
I thought loctite might have something suitable but didn't find anything.
Anyone tried any of the putties/pastes from Holts for a manifold gasket fix?
http://www.holtsauto.com/products/group/repair-and-maintenance/exhaust-repair

hiluxman

what kinda car is it?

langdang

Mazda 626 2.0, the engine bay has a good bit of space to work around in.

Am I being very pessimistic about this being a pain in the hole of a job (considering the car is worth nothing) to do right ?
I don't have the tools for stuck or knackered bolts, or a place to do the work out of the rain. I'm not a total cheapskate, if it could be done handy enough by someone who was used to it then it would be worth it. If it's likely to turn into a thing where a fella had to spend all day cursing and swearing at it racking up labour hours, then I'd try a short term bodge.

mike65

Do the bodge first, if it works you're laughing if it doesn't at least you gave it a go.

hiluxman

check are the bolts on the manifold tight, it wouldnt be the first mazda 626 ive seen with loose manifold bolts

langdang

Never even occurred to me! Just assumed they went on and stayed on, until the gasket got a bit knackered in some cases. Will have a look!

Buford T Justice

Don't forget to dose the bolts in a good penetrating oil and leave for a few hours before you go at them