How to find exhaust manifold crack?
I think there is crack or gasket leak in exhaust manifold.
If it is a crack, how to find it and where is it usually? Is it visible?
Thanks.
It makes noise when engine is cold.
If it is a crack, how to find it and where is it usually? Is it visible?
Thanks.
It makes noise when engine is cold.
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,357
Likes: 103
From: Canton, MI
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
A trick an old indian (Cherokee) taught me:
Use a shop vac with the hose installed at the other end, where it blows instead of sucks. Insert the hose in the tail pipe, and using duct tape seal it in. Remove air filter box. Mix up a solution of liquid dish soap and water, or use kids bubble stuff - you know, the stuff you dip a circular piece in it then blow through it to get bubbles (LOL), and put it in a squirt bottle. Get a mirror and flash light. Start the shop vac blowing up the exhaust pipe then squirt the soap/bubble solution all around the exhaust manifold. If it's cracked it will blow air out and create bubbles. Look for them.
Worked for me. Found one small crack I couldn't see before.
Use a shop vac with the hose installed at the other end, where it blows instead of sucks. Insert the hose in the tail pipe, and using duct tape seal it in. Remove air filter box. Mix up a solution of liquid dish soap and water, or use kids bubble stuff - you know, the stuff you dip a circular piece in it then blow through it to get bubbles (LOL), and put it in a squirt bottle. Get a mirror and flash light. Start the shop vac blowing up the exhaust pipe then squirt the soap/bubble solution all around the exhaust manifold. If it's cracked it will blow air out and create bubbles. Look for them.
Worked for me. Found one small crack I couldn't see before.
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: ventucky ca
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
You can also use some seafoam, thought I had a small crack till I poured some in my brake booster to air intake hose. It looked like someone set up a smoke machine in my engine compartment.
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CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,206
Likes: 2
From: Southern Oregon
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Originally Posted by mudpen
You can also use some seafoam, thought I had a small crack till I poured some in my brake booster to air intake hose. It looked like someone set up a smoke machine in my engine compartment.
I have a very loud tick that I have always assumed was an exhaust leak/crack but when I did a sea foam treatment the white smoke only came out of the tail pipe, so what else might this tick be?
Also that shop vac and bubble thing is genius.
Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 247
Likes: 2
From: Northern Illinois
Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
A trick an old indian (Cherokee) taught me:
Use a shop vac with the hose installed at the other end, where it blows instead of sucks. Insert the hose in the tail pipe, and using duct tape seal it in. Remove air filter box. Mix up a solution of liquid dish soap and water, or use kids bubble stuff - you know, the stuff you dip a circular piece in it then blow through it to get bubbles (LOL), and put it in a squirt bottle. Get a mirror and flash light. Start the shop vac blowing up the exhaust pipe then squirt the soap/bubble solution all around the exhaust manifold. If it's cracked it will blow air out and create bubbles. Look for them.
Worked for me. Found one small crack I couldn't see before.
Use a shop vac with the hose installed at the other end, where it blows instead of sucks. Insert the hose in the tail pipe, and using duct tape seal it in. Remove air filter box. Mix up a solution of liquid dish soap and water, or use kids bubble stuff - you know, the stuff you dip a circular piece in it then blow through it to get bubbles (LOL), and put it in a squirt bottle. Get a mirror and flash light. Start the shop vac blowing up the exhaust pipe then squirt the soap/bubble solution all around the exhaust manifold. If it's cracked it will blow air out and create bubbles. Look for them.
Worked for me. Found one small crack I couldn't see before.
CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,353
Likes: 1
From: Missoula, MT
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6 Stroker, AFE Headers, 62mm TB, 24 LB Injectors, Brown Dog kit, HF Cat, 3" Exhaust
A trick an old indian (Cherokee) taught me:
Use a shop vac with the hose installed at the other end, where it blows instead of sucks. Insert the hose in the tail pipe, and using duct tape seal it in. Remove air filter box. Mix up a solution of liquid dish soap and water, or use kids bubble stuff - you know, the stuff you dip a circular piece in it then blow through it to get bubbles (LOL), and put it in a squirt bottle. Get a mirror and flash light. Start the shop vac blowing up the exhaust pipe then squirt the soap/bubble solution all around the exhaust manifold. If it's cracked it will blow air out and create bubbles. Look for them.
Worked for me. Found one small crack I couldn't see before.
Use a shop vac with the hose installed at the other end, where it blows instead of sucks. Insert the hose in the tail pipe, and using duct tape seal it in. Remove air filter box. Mix up a solution of liquid dish soap and water, or use kids bubble stuff - you know, the stuff you dip a circular piece in it then blow through it to get bubbles (LOL), and put it in a squirt bottle. Get a mirror and flash light. Start the shop vac blowing up the exhaust pipe then squirt the soap/bubble solution all around the exhaust manifold. If it's cracked it will blow air out and create bubbles. Look for them.
Worked for me. Found one small crack I couldn't see before.
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,357
Likes: 103
From: Canton, MI
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Now that's "thinking out of the box". Really ingenious. I wonder if you held your hand over the TB and sprayed the solution around the intake manifold and TB you'd find intake leaks as well. Reasoning that the air pressure would back up through any open exhaust and intake valves.
I really didn't learn this from an old Cherokee indian
I was thinking about trying something similar with my compressor and the boost leak detector I built to find intake leaks after the turbo on my Talon. The vacuum cleaner trick looks easier and lowers the risk of over pressuring. Thanks!
CF Veteran

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 4,104
Likes: 2
From: San Antonio, TX
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
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