ATS Exhaust Manifold

[monkeyman]

I have had the 3 pc ATS on for over a year. I had it coated inside and out. It s quality piece that allows movement from vibration, unlike the stock one that can crack.

Rick

 

[jmccart]

Well I ordered it from Diesel Performance Parts, should be in very soon, I will post as to what all I see and notice, I already see that heater hose bracket is going to be a real PITA, well let everyone know.

The heater hose is a breeze. Here is what I wrote in a thread right after my installation; "

The rear heater hose bracket was no problem at all. Just take the 15mm nut off of the #6/bottom stud, take the 13mm bolt off of the water line bracket under the #6 exh. port/close to rear of block, and take the 10mm bolt off under the #2 port (which you have to to get the heater line out of the way to get to the bottom/#2 manifold bolt and heat shield nut). When you do all the thw whole heater hose is held on with a rubber hose in the front and the back. It moves anyway you wish. . "





If you want to read the thread, it is here:





Tips/tools for ATS ex. manifold/06/just finished job - Dodge Diesel - Diesel Truck Resource Forums

 

[hotram03]

thanks jmccart, a good heads up!!

 

[hotram03]

Well installed the ATS yesterday and I said I would post as to my findings, here goes: I'm not saying this will be for everyone, but these are the things I noticed on my truck.

1. Truck has noticebly deeper exhaust note out the rear pipe.

2. Turbo spool is faster.

3. Seems to rev alittle faster.

4. EGT's are done considerbly, cruise @ 70 mph flat ground, 775 deg, now 650 deg. WOT TST PMCR settings: HP 3 Rp 3 TQ 3 before hitting 1600 deg and defueling, now 1450 deg and can hold it on the floor, made a big difference here.

5. Truck always has wanted to keep pulling if go over certain RPM when just easing thru the gears like in town shifting, and if I went alittle to high boost would hold the turbo spool for just a minute and when I did shift it was hard to get a smooth shift, this is gone 100%.

6. I hope mileage comes up alittle, this and the EGT's was the main reason I installed this, I should have done this sooner, like I said this is what I have diffinitely noticed on my truck, but I know all trucks are different, so may not be the same for others.

7. I went HP 4 RP3 TQ3 and I went back to hitting 1600 on the defueler on my box :{ so I've got to do a bigger turbo and or intercooler.

 

[AMassaro]

I have the ATS but it was installed with a Silver64 turbo so I can't comment on what, if any, the changes did to temps and such. However, I can't see how it will help cool egt's if you're still using the same or stock turbo that you had before the install. The turbo is still the choke point for the exhaust. See what I mean. . ?...

 

[jmccart]

Great news Hotram. I wish I did such a good before & after. Great drop in EGT's. I can't get mine to go above 1300 with the SC on performance and the boost fooler. The boost fooler gave it a bunch more power and cooler EGT's.

 

[pipeguy]

I have a ATS 2 piece manifold and have had it for 60,000miles.



It has chunks of rust falling off it ... Mine was not coated... I have head that the external coating is not all that from ats either... I know a few that have theres rusted in no time even with the coating... .



To do it all again I would have gotten it coated local... You can contril the thickness and material that way.



Any one flow coat the internal surface of the header? Or for that matter piston tops

 

[hotram03]

I know my truck like the back of my hand, at the level I'm at, yes I can tell a difference and I know why, my turbo is a DD jammer bushed bearing one, its now able to move more air thru a given area because the inside cross sectional area is now twice as big, its all about flow. You put headers on a gas motor vs cast-iron manifolds, its gonna have better flow, headers are tuned individual runners, none of the runners are sharing with it other, the same on the #4 & #5 they are now separated on the new ATS manifold, plus its runners are huge ID wise vs the stocker, so it has allowed my turbo to breathe so to speak, without getting all technical. I have always put on 1 part at a time, how will you ever know if your money was spent right if you dont take the time to RD, I'm a poor boy so this is how I test my findings, never put 2 or 3 things on at once you want know what works.

 

[hotram03]

pipeguy I've got a drag car with the piston tops coated, they called it a deflector dome as to focus the heat back in the chamber to help get an even burn, I even got my rods and mains bearing coated.

 

[KaiHartman]

Hotram,



Been thinking about getting the ATS 3 pc for a while now... I assume you shopped around for a bit before you got yours. Any ideas on where I could find the best price and what I might be looking at?



Also, someone mentioned that the ATS puts the outlet back between the third and forth cylinders where it should be. I haven't been under the hood for a while so I can't recall, but does the stock manifold put it between the fifth and sixth? If so, how is the ATS a direct bolt on without moving the turbo forward? I don't recall there being very much room in there.



Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[hotram03]

Well for one its supposed to be a direct bolt on without removing the turbo, but my 2 nuts on the inside turbo flange studs was a real PITA, I ended up taking turbo and manifold off together, , that was the only problem, I also tapped right above turbo flange for my pyro's, I run 2, I didn't like the pre-tap so far away, I've always heard about 1" above the flange for the most accurate readings on your gauge. The # 4 & 5 are the problem children, they share the same runner on the stocker, on the ATS they both have their own runner, MUCH better design. I got mine thru Diesel Performance Parts in Nashville,TN home, they had a good price for me because I am a distributor for them. I do parts and installation out of my shop, simply for a few extra dollars, helps pay for my sickness, :-laf, good luck, to me its well worth it.

 

[Cattletrkr]

I have one on mine. The first impression was that it had better throttle response and better spooling. I still have the stock turbo, but it definitely made a difference. I can't answer the EGT question since I installed the TST the same weekend as the manifold. The TST was not operating at the time, but I did get EGT readings on my drive home. I personally think that the manifold is a wise purchase if just to prevent the long term problems with the stocker. Someday I'll be adding a larger turbo.

How was the install. Any little quirks. My stocker is cracked... time for a new thread.

 

[jmccart]

I had this posted on the DTR, but I copy/pasted it here. I hope it helps.



Hello. I just finished putting the ATS exhaust manifold on. It was not that bad at all. I set aside a block of hours on a Sat. morn. and just relaxed & turned wrenches. I wanted to report on it while it was fresh in my mind



Useful tools:

-a 2' or more 1/2 drive extension and a 15mm swivel socket for getting inside the two turbo bolts from bottom of car

-a deep 15mm for heat shield and back bottom manifold bolt (w/water hose)

-a 10mm socket (1/4'' is cool) for water line under manifold, behind oil filter, for getting to rear/bottom heat shield nut

-a 13mm socket for bolt from water hose to block in back under manifold and the manifold-head bolts (they were not that tight, I did most with a 1/4'' socket, extension/ratchet)

-a good 15mm wrench for outer two turbo bolts (I used a 12 point, but I will buy a 6 point when I can)



It was not that bad at all. I hit one roadblock (needed a 15mm swivel socket, of course Sears was out of that one size, so I bought a wobbly-ended, very short, 1/2'' extension and normal 15mm socket-it worked, not as good as a true swivel though). After I got back from Sears, I never had tool needs again.



The rear heater hose bracket was no problem at all. Just take the 15mm nut off of the #6/bottom stud, take the 13mm bolt off of the water line bracket under the #6 exh. port/close to rear of block, and take the 10mm bolt off under the #2 port (which you have to to get the heater line out of the way to get to the bottom/#2 manifold bolt and heat shield nut). When you do all the thw whole heater hose is held on with a rubber hose in the front and the back. It moves anyway you wish.



The only weird thing was the manifold-turbo flange from the factory was thicker than the one from ATS. Actually the one from ATS was just as thick, but the bolt faces were cut down. Now, I think (not sure) at some point in 06, a new exh. manifold was started (you can see photos at Dieselmanor.com of the 2 diff. kinds, look in the Dodge/thermocouple install page). So, the smooth/inside section of the studs was too long. If the studs are in all the way and the nuts are tightend down, you run out of thread before the turbo comes flush against the manifold. So, a few washers fixed that up. Any questions shoot away. I am going camping for a few days tomorrow morning. I will check back late tonight and when I return.



I hope this helps. I have worked on hot rods since before I was 16 and I worked at my brothers automotive shop on and off for years in my teens & twenties. I am 38 and have not turned wrenches for $$$ in well over a decade and I have so-so tools (my only 15mm wrench was a POS no name).



So, anyone with a typical set of garage tools and a back ground of taking cars apart and putting them back together should be able to do this no problem. The important thing is to set aside like half a day, turn on the stereo, and relax (don't hit the beers to fast until it is all going good for sure)



I hope others will go for this themselves.



FYI

__________

 

[hotram03]

Cattle the install is pretty much straight forword, unbolt the heater hose bracket and shield, and you wont have to cut it. the inside nuts on the turbo flange bolts can be a problem, just remember to get ya some nickel anti-sieze it has a higher temp rating than copper, put on all bolts and nuts, if anything has to come back off, will make it alot easier next time around.