Fix It

If the manifold is leaking due to damage to the exhaust or intake manifold, or the general wear and tear of it, then the most effective way to stop the manifold leak is to repair and replace the manifold. A manifold can be removed from the vehicle and replaced with something new so that the vehicle no longer leaks. If the manifold just has some small cracks in it that are causing the leak, another repair alternative is to have the cracks welded together rather than purchasing and installing a new manifold.

A new gasket that seals the manifold is one way to stop a manifold leak. If a gasket is cracked, it is no longer able to seal and maintain the connection with the manifold, thereby creating a gap between the manifold and the exhaust pipe. Shear stress to the gasket of the manifold is part of the normal wear and tear of the vehicle due to the thermal contraction and expansion that happens each time the engine is turned on and off.

You can try to stop a manifold leak by coating the gasket or manifold with a leak sealant. Leak sealants, which are available at auto repair shops, are applied directly onto the affected area of the vehicle and act as a means of sealing the leak so that no more fluid can be lost. This solution is simpler than attempting to replace the manifold or gasket.

A manifold leak can only be stopped if youve isolated the problem accurately. If you misdiagnose the cause for the leak, or think its the exhaust manifold when its really the intake manifold, then you risk prolonging the repair and, meanwhile, the vehicle continues to lose fluids. An accurate assessment is necessary for stopping a manifold leak, so its important to learn how to diagnose and troubleshoot the problems and locate the source of the leak.

Braze welding is a way to join two metals with different melting temperatures. The filler metal has a lower melting point than the base metal. Small holes in a muffler may be patched by braze welding filler material into the holes. Larger holes in a muffler may be repaired by braze welding patches of steel over the holes.

Brazing is similar to braze welding in that the filler material has a lower melting temperature than the base metal. The difference between brazing and braze welding is that in brazing the filler metal is drawn into the joint by capillary action. In plumbing, this process is called "sweating" a joint. Exhaust pipes can be repaired at the joints by brazing.

Repairs to any metal can only be done where the metal is in good shape. The exhaust system of a car is subjected to abuse from both the inside and the outside of the system. The temperatures of exhaust gases are high enough to weaken any metal. Cars driven in areas that use salt to clear snow from the road can suffer corrosion very quickly. If an exhaust system is more than two or three years old, it probably is not a candidate for repair.

Joining metals with either a brazed or a braze-welded joint can result in a stronger joint than traditional welding because of the difference in melting points between the two materials. If steel is heated to near its melting point then allowed to cool slowly, it becomes weak. With either of these techniques, the steel never gets hot enough to be damaged.