exhaust manifold - found half a bolt on the driveway

[Lv1G6He3V2]

Cat laws are annoying. The shop I contacted told me they won't change anything before the cats; won't install longtubes or even shorties. Everywhere I go there is some disclaimer in red ink that headers with or without cats are only for off-road use and cannot be used on public roads. Looks like self-installation is the only way, and even trying to do this only once (by using 304 stainless parts w/ lifetime warrant), I may still end up paying money down the road ... in fines.

 

Stupid bureaucrats. The law is so screwed up that states maintain exemption lists to protect the consumers (who are willing to buy working aftermarket cats) from laws made to crack down on cheap or phony parts made to cheat on emissions tests. If there is a special version of hell for bureaucrats, hopefully it has an impossibly long, contradictory set of requirements for making laws. Nah, they'd just let lobbyists talk them into writing themselves exemptions ...

[67ChevyRedneck]

I just had to have mine fixed. I paid an exhaust shop $400 to remove/replace the bolts on both sides, that also including drilling out the PIA driver side firewall bolt and one of the broken PS bolts . I supplied them with new dorman manifolds I bought from Rockauto. This is one of the few times I didn't mind paying someone to do something... my truck spent the 1st 4 years of it's life in Indy and I take it to western NY almost every winter. I don't think they had fun removing the exhaust bolts...

[Lv1G6He3V2]

Thanks, that gives me an idea. Maybe I'll have them replace the bolts now, then I'll put long tubes on myself - should be easy to remove the new bolts. Dynatech's website had extensive directions for removing my factory Y and making room for installing the new parts. Time-consuming ... but apparently it can be done with hand tools and good clamps. Not sure if my EGR tube should be replaced; the tube appears melted and deformed, and both flanges (?) are rusty.

[Lv1G6He3V2]

A local lube shop replaced the bolts and gaskets. The truck appears to run fine. Bill worked out to $330 so I guess they were lucky with the other bolts. If I put headers on soon, the bolts should be easy to work with.

 

Smoke testing revealed no vacuum leaks. Every seal on the intake tube is tight, very little movement. None of the plastic is deformed. MAF and fuel consumption readings display A/F ratios between 11-14 : 1, assuming I understand the units correctly. No idea why the lean codes appear but will data log again - a 30 minute trip with conservative driving and then again with aggressive driving - and ask BBP if they can tell anything from the logs.

[00Silverado4x4]

So far I've only lost one bolt head, rear driver side. It's not giving me any grief so until then I'm leaving it alone. I'd be likely to cause more problems fixing it.