So for the past couple weeks ive been getting this what sounds like a lifter tick to me but one of my buddys that works at a shop in town said it sounded like an exhaust leak to him i guess my question is what does a cracked/loose header sound like and also is there a way to find out what it is without tearing it everything apart too much because this is my dd

 

I should also add that this only occurs when the motor is cold once i drive around for a minute it goes away.

 

Mine was cracked where 2 pipes go into one. You'll feel it by hand.

 

That does sound like a bit of lifter tick, but it is very easy to check for exhaust manifold leaks:

- The method 97AT4x4XJ posted
- "Paint" the manifold with soapy water while cold, start engine, bubbles will form at leaks. Same process as propane lines on a BBQ
- 3' long chunk of hose can be used as a stethescope to listen for oddities
- Plug tailpipe and spray some light oil into the intake, smoke will come out of any leaks

The most common place for them to crack is indeed at the collection point.

 

Mine started that way but now is bigger,The price to fix was $280.00 for the header and 4 hrs labour.To do myself would probably be 8-12 hrs if everything goes well.There is a thread here somewhere on how to do it,everything has to come off by the looks of it,intake power steering,you name it.I,m just going to drive it till spring and then fix it when warmer.I do have some issues with o2 sensers acting up

 

Alright i will give that a shot when i get home from work another question does anyone know where the cheapest place is to get a header from if this is my problem ?

 

I think if it does it cold. It might be lifters.... my jeep sounds like a fuggin cummins.... i just drive it.... I have bought headers off ebay before for my subaru and i was impressed with them. Fairly cheap too. ppl might shoot me down on this but thats where i would go. Plus since you arent in the snow/salt belt they wont rust as quick as mine did.

 

I dont know why i just thought of this but is it possible to just weld the existing manifold rather than purchasing a new one cause the cheapest one i can find is like $175 and with christmas coming up i dont have much spending money

 

It is certainly doable, but don't expect it to last very long. If you have no problems ripping it apart later or just a temp measure to hold you over I say go for it.

 

It's not really worth the try, if you do your weld will be stronger than the metal around it. In turn the weld will hold but the cast around the weld will be weaker from welding. Cast iron does funny things when welded, I'd say do it once and forget it instead of going back and doing it all over again. You can order one from advance and use the code p20 at checkout and save 20%. Or if you find it cheaper than that online you can call their customer service and they will match online prices. Just some things to think about!

 

The way I found mine was I used seafoam in the intake. Put it in and started it up and a ton of smoke came out of the header. That was a month ago and I still haven't changed it out.

The cheapest one you'll find will be APNs header. Great quality and only about $160

 

^ X2 the APN header is awesome I have one and works great. Really is not that bad of a job took me about 2-3 hours.