Update: Exhaust manifold is looking more suspect. The nut on the front stud is missing and I crawled under to find the rear stud is broken off. So I have a huge potential for a leak. I'm going to start testing sensors tomorrow. We'll see how things go.

Just learned my Grandmother passed away this morning while I was typing this. Passed in her sleep. Best way to go IMO. She will be missed.

 

Sorry for your loss.

 

Thank you

 

Sorry for your loss...best wishes to you & family.

 

Praying for u and yours. Sub'd.

 

Sorry for your loss man. family in my prayers

 

That's really unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my grandmother the same way a couple of years ago. She got a cold and that was it... passed in the middle of the night. She had a good run and was a few weeks away from 90, I hope yours had a similar long and full life.

Out of curiosity, are you talking about the crush in the downpipe? Because that's actually stock

 

Just like to say thank you to everyone.

@Salad - The crush on the downpipe had cracks all through it. So did other places on the downpipe. It looks like the front yoke tore into it.

 

So sorry as well. Don't forget you can go with a bolt & nut if it's too tough to replace that stud. Or, muffler work is one even a stingy Scott might take to the shop....sometimes.

 

Bolt and nut? Please elaborate on this. I can't seem to wrap my brain around it.

 

take a bottle of rubbing alchol and put in your gas then take the test again.

 

Appreciate the suggestion. I really want to fix the cause of the emissions so I know she's running good. An improvement in MPG's would be nice as well.

 

At least once with a bad stud in the manifold flange, I was able to drill clean through and use an bolt/nut to hold the bracket that holds the "doughnut"/ header pipe. I forget why I went that rout, but it works. Just makes it a little tougher needing to hold the upper...

A side-note; When I spent a weekend last fall changing my manifold gasket, it was a great opportunity to go over all sorts of things. Cleaned the TB, wiring, vacuum lines, O rings and intake manifold all got gone over. You get access to the mount and side of the block.

 

Ok got it. Ya I definitely need to go over EVERYTHING. Anytime I get under the hood I'm gauranteed to find something to shake my head at. Just found one of the hard trans cooler lines is crushed flat. I feel like pulling the motor and rebuilding to rid this vehicle of it's past owners stupidity.

 

I do my own work, then it sort of "seeps out", to family and friends. (when I had them). When I'm drawing the line of what I'll mess with with and what I'd rather not, exhaust falls in the "rather not" category more often. Not tooo spendy, and they have the right stuff. I might phone and see what they would want to set that right.