How To - Remove/fit an exhaust manifold

[Marc_EE9]

Tools
Jack
Wheel brace
Two axle stands
Ratchet, 17mm, 14mm, 12mm, 10mm socket
17mm spanner
1/2" spanner x2
Large flat head screwdriver


If you have a ONE piece manifold.
You can also fit one if you have the radiator out then you can by removing the bumper, and t-bar, and sliding it in from the front.

1. Loosen wheel nuts on passenger front wheel
2. Jack the front of the car up, put on axle stands. Go as high as you can safely!
3. Take passenger front wheel off, undo shock fork and remove (14mm, 17mm), then undo the two 17mm bolts holding the radius rod down onto the front lower arm.
4. Remove spring bolts from the collector of the manifold, usually 1/2" - BE CAREFUL THEY DON'T PING OFF IN YOUR EYE! Unclip your cat wire if you have one. Then remove two nuts from the back of the block (12mm). You may need to give it a good wriggle or little pry with a large flat head screw driver to loosen it.
5. Remove all four 17mm bolts holding the cross member up. Use a jack to prop it up when the bolts are out.
6. Pop the hood and remove the two o2 sensors from the plugs, then the nine 12mm bolts holding the manifold to the head.
7. Remove the 17mm bolt for the front engine mount. Now lower the jack with the cross member on it until you have enough room. Now you can slide the manifold out from under the car.

Then to fit the new one do the reverse of the above. I will try and get some picture if anyone needs them, but it's quite straight forward.


If you have a TWO piece manifold...

1. Jack the front of the car up, put on axle stands.
2. Remove spring bolts from the collector of the manifold, usually 1/2" - BE CAREFUL THEY DON'T PING OFF IN YOUR EYE! Unclip your cat wire if you have one.
3. Pop the hood, and undo o2 sensor and three 12mm nuts holding the two pieces together, then remove two nuts from the block (12mm), then all from the head (12mm). You may need to give it a good wriggle or little pry with a large flat head screw driver to loosen it. It should all now be loose and be able to slide out.

Then to fit the new one, do the reverse of the above.

[skull-candy18]

I found if you can separate the manifold you don't need to drop the cross member

[Marc_EE9]

Yeh, but I wrote it this way for people with aftermarket manifolds, but yeh if you have an OE/two piece then thats the way forward. I know a lot of the time on OE cast manifolds, the 3 nuts get rounded off quite easy.

[SuperDOHC]

Great write up

[skull-candy18]

I thought a lot of after market manifold were 2 piece, I know my supersprint is.

[Marc_EE9]

I thought a lot of after market manifold were 2 piece, I know my supersprint is.

Nah, Id say 30% are two piece. The majority are one piece. I wrote it like this it covered all areas, but I'll edit it for two piece.

[SuperDOHC]

I thought a lot of after market manifold were 2 piece, I know my supersprint is.

Not all aftermarket manifolds are 2 piece

[skull-candy18]

I see Well then this is definitely the easiest method for most manifolds then, I know cast iron manifolds tent to rust together so this method is probs easiest for getting it out.

[Maric]

I have a manifold that is a full piece I just jacked mine really high (safely) took the old one out the bottom and stuck the new one up through the bottom.....seems ALOT simpler

It took about 3 minutes of juggling about but it went up there easy enough! Try this way first before undoing all those bolts lol!!

[Marc_EE9]

Obviously that would be ideal, but it is impossible to do it just like that, on a VT anyway, hence why I had to do it this way.

[EE9 CVC]

I've always fitted all my manifolds by dropping them out the bottom, but I have a modifed crossmember, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be possible with a stock one.