Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) ATS 3 pc manifold crooked

[John - K5AWO]

Ordered the ATS 3 piece exhaust manifold. When trying to put it on, my son noticed that the rear section is rotated about 5 degrees and it has been shoved in towards the center about 1/4 inch.

I called ATS Diesel and asked about it and they said it probably got bumped in shipping.

My son says "no way", the box is undamaged, and a ball peen hammer is not budging it. ATS said to use a hammer to tweak it back where it belongs.

That is easier said than done because it is already shoved in too far.

Anyone else ever have a problem with the ATS manifold during the install?

 

[Moose Truck]

John, Did you try to heat the center piece, with a torch? After you get it heated up, use your "old" factory manifold and bolt them up "back to back", to set up the end to end alignment. It should bolt up now. Moose

 

[John - K5AWO]

Good hint Moose. I will call my son tonight and let him know the trick.

Here is what the old one looks like. Seems like it ought to go at least another 100,000 miles, don't you think?

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[Gary - K7GLD]

Good hint Moose. I will call my son tonight and let him know the trick.



Here is what the old one looks like. Seems like it ought to go at least another 100,000 miles, don't you think?



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SHUCKS John - a few minutes and some JB Weld will fix that puppy right up! :-laf:-laf

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

BUT more seriously, place some ice around the inner section on the ATS piece - and when it's good and cold, hit the outer piece with a torch at high heat, and the pieces SHOULD then be movable...

 

[bmoeller]

John, Did you try to heat the center piece, with a torch? After you get it heated up, use your "old" factory manifold and bolt them up "back to back", to set up the end to end alignment. It should bolt up now. Moose

That won't always work. Mine stocker shrank so much, it was only good for a straight edge. The holes were no where near close enough. I only had 2 straight bolts. The rest were bent.

I assembled mine, so that did help. Put center section on a tire in the sun to heat it up, and put the outers in the freezer we have in the shop. Some anti sieze, and I was all set.

 

[John - K5AWO]

This particular manifold came shipped as a single unit already put together.

The front tube is correctly aligned. The rear tube is twisted a few degrees and inserted the 1/4 inch measurement too far. Going make pulling it back out a bit tough.

Why do my projects always get the bad parts?

 

[24V-DSL]

This is b. s. If ATS had any class they'd overnight you another.

 

[n7gxz]

When I got mine it was out of alinment and it just took a little tweeking with a deadblow hammer to get it back in place. If I remember correctly one of the end pieces was pushed in to far and just a little hammer work brought it back into place.



Kevin

 

[DShore]

Mine came in 3 pieces. I had to heat the center piece while inserting the outer sections, after coating outersection tapered part with NEVERSIEZE.



I did the adjustments with a 2 lb. + hammer on a welders bench to get it flat, and a one piece gasket to line up the holes.



If you heat up the center section good and hot with a torch, then use a BIG hammer. Adjustments can be made. A big vise is helpful.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I had to beat my HTT into submission to get it to fit... if ports are too close, you'll have to hit one of the primary flanges while holding the center flange.



I made a template showing where the bolt centers were for a given pair of ports, then beat it with a hammer till the bolt holes on two adjoining sections were the same distance apart.



Royal PITA and HTT's instructions didn't mention needing a BFH!!! a ball peen wouldn't do squat I wouldn't imagine.



I didn't need heat, just my hands and a hammer

 

[John - K5AWO]

I just got word from my son that he bolted the bad (rear) section to the block and used a bar plus the BMF hammer to nudge and twist at the same time. He thought the whole thing to be a bit of bad quality control on ATS's part. But, it is on the engine now and bolted down snug. Next problem he has is to get the correct tool from his work place so he can reinstall the snap ring for the turbo intake housing.

Sigh! wish things would go right for him on this project. He said he has the following left to do, and then I can go out to San Diego and trade him his truck for my truck.

* pull radiator and have it inspected/cleaned
* install the full gauge set from Geno's (thanks guys, you been great on this project. They have supplied free stuff for things I lost that I bought 3 years ago. Way to go, they got my future business forever)
* install the extra transmission filter that I want
* install the bypass oil filter

After that, my retirement rig will be ready for me when I sign the last paystub at work in the near future...

Can't afford the price of a new rig, so this ought to be like a new one when they are done with it out there in San Diego land.