ATS 3 Piece Exhaust Manifold: parts 1 - 3

[Jim Ross]

ATS 3 Piece Exhaust Manifold: part 1

Last week I installed the ATS 3 piece exhaust manifold on my "01. I thought I would let fellow readers know a bit about my experience installing this piece.

First, it is a well made piece and to assemble the 3 pieces into 1 unit, it takes 2 men and a BIG rubber hammer! I placed the center piece on the floor on a piece of cardboard, liberally lubed the end piece with anti-sieze and while my buddy put all his weight on the center piece, I drove the end piece home with a large rubber hammer. Same exercise for the opposite end piece. I had to do several trial fittings on the engine before I got each end piece driven in the correct amount. Be very careful NOT to drive either end piece into the center piece too far because I believe it would be bear to try to pull it back out!

Once I had the end pieces driven the proper distance into the center piece, mounting the whole thing to the engine was pretty straightforward (I had bought new gaskets at Cummins before I began this job). A few of the Allen cap screws used to mount the unit are really difficult to access and torque into place and, in my opinion, substituting hex head cap screws for several of the Allen headed ones would make the whole job go faster and easier.

End of part 1.

 

[Jim Ross]

ATS Exhaust Manifold: part 2

As part of the installation process, it is required that you remove the 4 studs that join the factory manifold flange to the turbo flange. These 4 studs are then installed in the ATS manifold(do this before mounting the ATS unit to the engine). Also, you must drill the threads out of the 2 threaded (stud) holes on the turbo flange so that all 4 of the studs(now mounted in to ATS manifold) will pass thru the 4 holes in the turbo flange. When I mounted the turbo to the ATS unit, there was not enough clearance between 1 of the studs and the turbo flange casting for the nut to be threaded on the stud... ... BIG PROBLEM!!! 3 of the 4 nuts went on with no trouble, but no amount of wiggling or movement would allow room for the 4th nut. I ended up having to use a much smaller diameter stud and with turbo separated from the ATS manifold, I wiggled the smaller dia stud into the hole, then re-joined the turbo and manfold. I put a washer, lock nut & nut on each end of the smaller dia stud, then put the factory nuts back on the other 3 studs and tightened everything. So far, so good. I thought about trying to grind enough clearance on the turbo flange casting for the original nut to clear, but I would have needed 1/8" and I wasn't sure I could safely grind that much off.

End of part 2.

 

[Jim Ross]

ATS 3 Piece Exhaust Manifold: part 3

After getting the turbo remounted I thought my problems were over. Ha, silly me!

Then I discovered that the bracket supplied with the ATS kit to re-attach the heater hose bracket to the manifold was not correct for my truck. After trying every conceivable position and combination of configurations for over an hour, I finally decided there was indeed no way that my heater hose bracket could be re-attached using the supplied ATS parts. I am now fabricating my own custom bracket in order to get my heater hose re-attached properly.

I sent an email to ATS describing the problems I encountered while installing their manifold, but as yet have not received a reply from them.

I am curious, has anyone else has encountered similar problems while installing the ATS unit?

 

[Mad Bomber]

ATS

Yes just put one on and same problem. Eric

 

[Jim Ross]

Did you try contacting ATS? If so did they respond?

 

[DEZLPWR]

I believe Kent Earnest also had the same problem and ended up fabbing one if I am not mistaken... .

 

[yogibear]

The metal heater hose tube off a 12V with the mounting brkt. will work perfect.

 

[Jim Ross]

Re/ the metal heater hose/bracket off a 12V..... Would I need to go to Dodge to buy it or might Cummins have it?

Do you know the part number/price?

BTW... thanks for the idea!

 

[yogibear]

I don't have the # anymore, I think it was around $20. tho. There are two metal tubes on the 12V, you only need one, if you look at the picture of parts you will know which one you need. It was discussed on the TDR before, maybe you could find the #'s on a search.

 

[BillGotthelf]

I had the same problem. I have looked at every years engine since 1994 thru 2002 and the heater bracket that ATS supplies won't work on any of them. Why bother including the bracket?

 

[DEZLPWR]

shame on ATS!

They make an awesome exhaust manifold, yet they can't get the stupid heater hose bracket right... . :{

 

[Jim Ross]

I think I will call ATS tomorrow(too late today) and see if they offer a different bracket for the heater hose.

Has anyone else had the same problem I had with the lack of clearance for the stud nut on the turbo flange? If so, how did you solve the problem?

 

[KEarnest]

ATS Heater Hose Bracket...

I agree, ATS makes an awesome manifold, but the heater hose mounting bracket is a POS



I was able to use 3 stainless washers to bush up the bracket from the mounting boss on the manifold, then redrill a hole in the middle of the bracket to attach it to the heater hose.



I don't know of anyone that has gotten this bracket to fit. Most people either rig something up or custom fab one.

 

[illflem]

Here's instructions for prefabing the bracket https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68482

Also moving this to Products since the ATS fits all models.

 

[Jim Ross]

Thank you! The discussion regarding location of the pyro probe was of interest to me also.

 

[Bob Wagner]

thanks Bill

the newbies will thank you

 

[JB @ C and L Machine]

To save some trouble

you can put the 2 out sides in the freezer overnight. Then in the morning you could put the inner in a toaster oven. Presto. . instantant fit let it cool/thaw and install.

 

[John Berger]

Is this manifold really worth the money and trouble? What benefits will be realized by installing this manifold? The idea of buying an expensive aftermarket part that doesn't come with the correct parts and also requires drilling out parts of the turbo flange is not my idea of a quality upgrade. Any ideas on why they would sell it this way? I was thinking about getting one, but I think I'll pass on it now. There is alot of screw-up potential involved in installing this part.

 

[Jim Ross]

I called ATS this morning and after being on hold forever and a day, I spoke with their mechanic "David". He told me ATS is aware that they need to design a different bracket for the heater hose and they are "working on it, but don't know when it will be ready". He took my name and info and promised to let me know as soon as they have something ready.

As for the problem with remounting the turbo to the manifold-- lack of clearance for the stud nut: he had never heard of that problem before, so I guess I my turbo flange is cast slightly "off" from the norm. Lucky me.

 

[EricBu12]

The benefits is that you will never have a cracked manifold due to heat. the head and the manifold are 2 different metals and hence expand and contract at different rates/temps.



This type of manifold is on the N-14 Cummins that I drive in the over the road trucks. DC just wanted to save money by putting a POS manifold on.

BTW, be sure to retorque the bolts after a while, I had 2 back out on mine.