Exhaust header flange leak on 4.0

JulianOz

JulianOz

New Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
Messages
2
Location
Australia
Hi everyone,

I'm a new TJ (2005,4.0L,6spManual) owner since a couple months ago. And right now I have an exhaust leak at one of the header flange. I wanted to know the best way to fix it. So I can see the 2 bolts holding the flange are loose (and also rusted). How do I access them without removing the intake/exhaust manifold ? Just swivel/extension ? And do I need to hold the bolt on the other side as while tightening these 2 bolts ?

Cheers guys,

Julian
 
I just went through replacing everything past the manifold on my 05 4.0L, so I'll give you what I know.

You can get under and use a good universal swivel joint to access the bolts. Some may be easier to get to than others, so be patient. These bolts are supposed to be torqued to 23ft. lbs. I'm unsure what that translates to in metric. They are held in place by these funky extruded u-nuts. If these nuts are too rusted, they may break. I ended up replacing all of my nuts and bolts because they were still available from the dealership. Pricey, but worth the peace of mind.

As long as your flange/pipe is still in good condition, best case is that you can snug the bolts up and call it a day. Worst case, you replace a few fasteners. If your pipe can no longer seal at all then now would be an opportunity to replace the ageing cats.
 
JulianOZ, I hope you don't run into the problem I had. My Jeep only had one of those extruded u-nuts. Three were regular nuts, but rusted. I had to remove the fender to access them.
 
LukesfirstJeep said:
JulianOZ, I hope you don't run into the problem I had. My Jeep only had one of those extruded u-nuts. Three were regular nuts, but rusted. I had to remove the fender to access them.
Click to expand...
I'll admit that when I replaced mine, I tried regular nuts & bolts first before replacing with the correct OEM fasteners. You do not need to take the fender off to access them. You can get an open end wrench or vice grips in there to hold the nut while removing the bolt from below. It is tight for sure, but very doable. A person up top to hold the wrench in place helps.
 
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