How Much To Replace Exhaust Manifold | Easy Guide for 2022

The exhaust manifold is an important part of the vehicle exhaust system. It is mostly made of durable cast iron or stainless steel. The functionality of the exhaust manifold is to collect all the exhaust gases from all the cylinders and feed them into one single pipe. Through wear and tear, it might be damaged and you need replacement. How much to replace the exhaust manifold is the answer you need to know.

You should know that the exhaust manifold is designed to allow maximum airflow from the cylinder. This enhances the car’s performance and efficiency too. The exhaust manifold also protects the vehicle from emitting toxic fumes out of the exhaust pipe.

Plus, you do not want to spread toxic fumes to the environment around you! Therefore, it is important to repair or replace the exhaust manifold when you notice some wrong symptoms.

However, you should first get to know the signs that show you need to replace the exhaust manifold.

 

Signs Of a Damaged Exhaust Manifold

One of the main reasons for an exhaust manifold replacement is a cracked manifold. Sometimes the crack is visual and sometimes it is not. A cracked exhaust manifold might produce unwanted sounds from the engine section.

Moreover, you might also sense some unusual smell from your vehicle. A cracked exhaust manifold will rapidly decrease the engine horsepower and acceleration. Therefore, you will get poor acceleration out of your vehicle.

 

The Replacement of Exhaust Manifold

You must replace the exhaust manifold if it is damaged as your vehicle is intended to work properly when everything is fine. However, the exhaust manifold is a large and complicated part. Therefore, it is expensive to replace!

Moreover, the labor cost of the exhaust manifold replacement is high too. There are very complicated parts and only experts can replace those parts. You should know that the exhaust manifold is directly connected to the engine.

Further, the engine is very deep inside the vehicle which is hard to access. It is unfortunate that the exhaust manifold is a very complex component of your vehicle.

 

What Is the Approximate Cost of Exhaust Manifold Repair?

There are a few reasons why the exhaust manifold can fail. Therefore, the repairing cost will fluctuate depending on the reason behind the failure. Further, the repairing cost depends more on the level of damage on the exhaust manifold. The repairing cost also depends on the amount of manifold you need to remove for repair.

There are limited reasons for the exhaust manifold failure. However, we can walk through some scenarios and have a clear idea of those situations. This part is essential to get an idea of how much to replace exhaust manifold.

 

Scenario One

There was a 2012 Ford Focus which had a 2.0L engine variant. It was making a tapping noise during cold start. The inspection led to the observation that there were carbon marks on the manifold. Further, the conclusion says the manifold has been warped from heat cycles. However, it is capable of machining flat.

The removal and reinstallation of the manifold took 4.9 hours. Further, the mechanic charged $80 per hour. Therefore, the total labor cost was $392. The Manifold machining costed around $40. Gasket and Hardware cost was around $50. Plus, some supplies costed around $15 which sums up to $497.

 

Scenario Two

There was a 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 which had a 5.3L engine. The engine was making a tapping sound always and it only increased when the vehicle was cold. Further inspection led to the conclusion that there is a left-hand side crack on the exhaust manifold.

The labor cost of removing and installing the manifold again was around $104. It took around one and half hour and the labor charge was $80 per hour. As the old exhaust manifold was broken, the new one cost was around $95. The gasket and hardware cost were around $50 and some supplies cost around $15. Therefore, the total sum of cost was $264.

 

Scenario Three

There was a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 which had a 5.9L engine. The engine was making a whistle most of the time and lacked tons of acceleration. Therefore, the engine was suffering from torque loss. The owner took to the mechanic and they inspected the vehicle. It led to the conclusion that the bolts on the exhaust manifold were broken. Further, those bolts were situated on the cylinder head.

The removal and installation process took around 4.5 hours. The labor charge was $80 per hour. Therefore, the total labor cost was $336. The two-bolt replacement took around 2 hours and the labor charged $80 per hour for that.

Therefore, the labor cost of it was $160. Further, the mechanic had to machine the exhaust manifold which cost $40. The gasket and hardware replacement costs were $60. Moreover, some shop supplies cost $15. Therefore, the total replacement cost was $611.

 

Scenario Four

This was the last scene in our research. It was a 2016 BMW 328i which was a 2.0L turbocharged variant. It showed mostly the same symptom as the Dodge Ram 2500.

Moreover, the vehicle was making whistle noise and lacked torque. Therefore, there was a rapid decrease in acceleration. The vehicle was diagnosed with leakage from the manifold to the turbocharger flange. It was caused due to a crack.

The removal and reinstallation of turbocharger cost around $560. Further, the turbo flange cost was around $150. All other accessories like manifold gasket and hardware cost around $40. Some supplies cost around $15. Therefore, the total cost of the whole replacement and labor was $765.

Hopefully, these three scenarios projected a clear picture to you of how much to replace exhaust manifold.

 

What Leads to Failure of Exhaust Manifold?

Exhaust manifold undergoes tons of pressure and heat. This is because it is connected directly to the engine cylinders. Further, the combustion engine makes tons of heat due to combustion and the hot gases has to pass through the exhaust manifold in order to exit the exhaust system.

Heat and pressure hamper the longevity of every product. However, the exhaust manifold is made to withstand those harsh conditions. But no one can defy the laws of physics.

Therefore, we can say that the exhaust manifold, the bolts and all other parts of it might fail during the lifespan of the vehicle. Note that the manifold bolt, stud or the main manifold might fail during the lifetime of the car. Further, there might be gasket leakage too.

You can easily identify if the exhaust manifold in your vehicle failed. It might make a tapping sound or whistling noise. Moreover, you might experience power loss in a turbo charged car. A damaged manifold might make sound while giving your vehicle a cold start.

This is normal to fail and you need to know how much to replace the exhaust manifold to replace it which we have answered above.

 

How To Purchase the Best Quality Exhaust Manifold?

There are tons of ways to identify and select the best exhaust manifold for your vehicle. Further, a good quality exhaust manifold will last for a long time. However, a bad manifold will need frequent replacement which will increase the vehicle maintenance cost by a lot.

Further, you might be willing to spend tons of money after knowing how much to replace exhaust manifold. However, it is important for you to know the best manifold for you. Some of the essential points to look for while purchasing the best exhaust manifold are given below.

 

• Thicker Casting

A thicker casting manifold is stronger than a thinner casting manifold. Further, a thicker wall will withstand better pressure and heat which will enhance the durability of the exhaust manifold. Moreover, a thicker exhaust manifold is less prone to faster wear and tear. Therefore, we recommend you look for a thicker casting exhaust manifold.

 

• Being Vigilant with Remanufactured Equipment’s

You might consider buying remanufactured parts. However, you need to be careful while buying them. Further, give extra attention to the ball and socket mating point. This is located in the middle of the head pipe and the manifold.

Make sure that the ball and socket joint is strong enough. You should look for any possible cracks or wear and tear on the parts. Make sure that the parts are fresh and work properly as intended.

 

Conclusion

Exhaust manifold is an essential part of your vehicle. Replacing it will not only save your money from further costs, it will also save you from the vehicle emitting toxic fumes from the exhaust. Repair cost of the manifold is an important thing for you to know. Hopefully, you know by now how much to replace exhaust manifold.

You will get better fuel economy by replacing the exhaust manifold. Further, the car will retain its original acceleration and performance too. therefore, you will love the experience of driving your vehicle if you love vehicle performance.

However, note that exhaust manifold is expensive to repair all thanks to the complex parts. It also takes a lot of time to repair because the manifold is deep inside the engine chamber. Therefore, it is hard for the vehicle mechanic to access. If you are looking to replace the manifold by yourself, then you are out of luck! Only professionals can handle such complex vehicle parts.