Greetings,

I need to replace the exhaust manifold on my 1997 XJ, and rather than paying $400+ at the dealer, I have been looking around and have found a few in the $150 dollar range.

I am looking for an exact fit, one that does not require any modifications, and I thought I would reach out to my fellow XJ'rs for advice on which manifolds you guys have installed, how they've held up, and how easy the installation was.

Thanks!

 

there are several companies that do a direct bolt on header for your year

 

When you say you need to replace it I am assuming something happened to the old one so you want to replace it with one exactly the same? If you arent in a hurry I can try and grab you one at the junkyard next weekend when I go.

 

dont waste time with another stock header.......Chances are good that your Header cracked because you have a bad motor mount.......so replacing only the header will do you no good........no matter how good they "look" replace them anyway. or you will be doing it again in 10-15K..dont ask me how i know.

 

This is the popular APN header that many of us opt for, or you could look at pricier options from Borla, Pacesetter, Banks etc.

http://www.ineedparts.com/index.php?...oduct_id=15343

On your 97 there should be no issues with fitment. On a 99+ intake manifold there can be some clearancing required to the mounting flange.

 

I agree the APN Header is AWESOME!!!

And yes... at least replace the drivers side motor mount, the major cause of broken exhaust manifolds. It's real easy to do while you do your header replacement!

 

I didn't know that motor mounts played in the exhaust man. Cracking. I love this forum.

 

Thank you everyone for the great advice and tips - I have a leaky manifold, warped. Is the consensus that this may be caused by bad motor mounts and that I should replace them as well?

Or is this just the typical exhaust manifold issue that I have heard the XJ is plagued with?

As always, all of your advice, tips, and opinions are GREATLY appreciated

Thank you all

 

I usually just pull them out and weld them up, or weld them right in the jeep.

Thats the cheapest way.

 

Another vote for the APN. Installed one on mine back in January and love it. Nice not hearing the ticking of a leaky exhaust on cold mornings. MPG's seemed to have come back up just a little bit as well. I was also fortunate enough to not run into clearance issues on my 99 like some have..however as mentioned your 97 will have no problems.

Cheap, pretty well built, and lifetime warranty are why I bought the APN...plus all the success stories from other XJ owners I read. I thought about welding up my stock one, but didn't feel like going through the trouble to mess with a factory one, only to probably have it crack again shortly.

 

The stock headers are good...they arnt junk......why do they all break? well because it is a inline motor and most that break are high milage jeeps...which combined with Worn out motor mounts will do it every time....They crack for a reason.

 

That apn header.........i think its worth the upgrade, mine is stock and fine but i want a better header on it, performance gain probably about the same for a 300 dollar header? like borla or pacesetter?

 

If you're looking for performance gain, you're not gonna get that in a XJ.

The main things I noticed with my APN...slightly better gas mileage, a lot quieter on a cold morning, and it did change my exhaust tone (I have a flowmaster 40 series and a magnaflow cat)....exhaust sounds crisper (for lack of a better word).

 

do you mean i wont get a performance gain with any header i buy for a XJ? or just that header? i cant decide which header to go with, i want one that will give it a little more performance and not too too pricey

 

Deffenetly go with the APN header. I just installed one 2 weeks ago on my 99, and i did run into clearance issues, you will not on the 97.

Although if you go with a new stock header make sure it has the spring like things on manifold, because it will eventually crack. and also keep an eye on motor mounts.

-Mike