Greetings.
I'm new to this list but I've scanned the archives and see there has been some discussion of this topic.
Here's the deal. I have a 1997 Dakota with a 6 cyl engine. About two months ago I discovered the middle exhaust manifold bolt on the left side of the engine had sheared off flush with the block. An independent repair shop extracted the bolt, retapped the hole and made a new stud. The bill came to about $200 which I thought was a bargain for the pain in the a** for doing this kind of job. (Note, I first took it to the dealer and they basically shook their heads and made expensive noises.)
Last weekend I discovered ANOTHER manifold stud (this one is on the right side of the engine) is sheared off. So. . .this time I called Dodge to see if there was any recall/TSB action regarding this issue. The Dodge reps I spoke with were super cool. They claim that there's isn't any recall/TSB info but that they started a "Consumer Advocate File" on this problem. The Dodge rep told me if they issued a recall that I would be reimbursed for the work that was done to fix the problem.
Bottom line: If anyone else has had to deal with this issue, I suggest you let Dodge know and, hopefully, they issue some official proclamation that may help take the sting out of what (for me) will be almost $500 worth of band-aids for their poor engineering. Let me know if you have any questions or want more information.
Finally, if there is another cause for these studs shearing off (i.e., poorly supported exhaust system) please let me know.
Ciao.
- Dave Stark, Pleasanton CA
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