ford 460 exhaust

The money i paid for the banks power pack system is worth the money. The big 5 inch chrome exhaust looks great. Sounds good too

Yankee Clipper has it right. I replaced my manifolds on my 96 460 rig with a Banks and did it myself. Worth every penny. The Banks stainless flange is almost 5/8 thick and will not warp. It's not an easy job, but only needs to be done once. If you want to save some money skip the ram air part. I did some testing and all the gains we're from the headers, so I went back to the stock air filter. Be aware the headers are more noise, like a muscle car. Don't buy new manifolds from Ford, or have the old ones milled, you just waste the money cause they warp again. I hope you have good luck and none of the bolts break. If the back right one breaks clean at the head, and you need to drill it out, they sell special kits that keep the bit straight. Plus make sure you don't drill too deep. If I recall there is only 3/8 of metal before your into the water jacket.

For a temp fix, I've seen brazing rods used if you need to temp fix them. For an RV'er with frequent use, I would not. If you are a 1-3 times a year RV'er, I'd use a brazing rod and torch. (For cracks)

The manifold rarely cracks, usually it warps with the heat and breaks the cap off the bolts. Most common on the passenger side rear (#8 cylinder). The worst case is a crack in the cylinder head, which requires head replacement.
One note: when mine warped and broke the bolt, I was able to easy-out the bolt after taking off the warped manifold. Found a replacement cheap, but hold on to your wallet when you find 1) the bolts cannot be re-used and 2) a replacement set costs about $150.
Otherwise it's a pretty easy DIY project. HTH

Banks is worth the cost in improved performance.

I had mine upgraded with a Banks Power Pack before any problems. So far I have no regrets.

barvoyager37 wrote:
Ford 460 exhaust manifolds loosen and leak or crack. Ca smog problem with headers that are legal. Any ideas.

Banks is CARB certified. Also, Banks headers install with NO manifold gaskets, just like the factory manifolds. The other brands, with thinner flanges, require gaskets to seal.
I suspect Dug Thorley and Gibson is also CARB certified.
The performance gain on the old 460, with headers, is impressive.
My Banks 460 headers have been flawless for 13 years.

Richard

Just replace the manifolds with the OEM ones.