Topic: 2.5 liter exhaust manifold - banks - Cracked again!

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

Nope, I tired those 3 years ago and they transfered too much vibration.

[Jeffy]

Did you get a replacement header each time or just fix the old one?  If it really a problem then I'd think about using a flex pipe (a good one) and putting it in the down pipe.  This is commonly done on most I4's these day's.

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

I have received an exchange each time. It is truly a lifetime warranty. The vibration is not the issue. When you look at the pics you can really see the color change at the collector due to the extreme heat. It is getting so hot that the cracks form, and in a 2 cases some of the welds have popped off. In one case i blew the metal filler out of the center of the header where all the down tubes meet the collector. Fun stuff...

[Jeffy]

I have received an exchange each time. It is truly a lifetime warranty. The vibration is not the issue. When you look at the pics you can really see the color change at the collector due to the extreme heat. It is getting so hot that the cracks form, and in a 2 cases some of the welds have popped off. In one case i blew the metal filler out of the center of the header where all the down tubes meet the collector. Fun stuff...

Well, I'd complain and try to get a refund.

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

Not going to complain, just string it along until my project is done.
See my Hemi build thread.

[bootguy]

What gaskets are you using?  NAPA specials or HI end like Remflex gaskets?

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

Hi end, like Banks.

[RT]

Bought the Jet Chip Stage 2 and installed it. I still get rumble out of the exhaust when I let my foot off the gas and when shifting between gears (lean I assume). I will order the #4 next week and install it and see how it goes from there. If this chip doesn't work I have no idea what to do next...... 5.7 Hemi swap maybe?

DO IT!!! 

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

Just swapped in #6... Rolling with banks header # 6 now. Still, Banks has no issue sending me a new header every 6-8 months. They could care less about the header I send back. I've asked for techs to call me and no one ever does. I am a hassle to them, it is easier to just give me a new header and move on with life. They do have great service, but I wish they would dig into their product, resolve the defect, and send me one that will never crack... Either way that's why I am moving on the to Hemi swap.

Here are pics of the old - you can see how the heat changes the collector colors and then eventually cracks just like the 5 before this one...
and the new....

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[97 TJ - I dont wave]

And where it cracked. aaagaaiinnnnnn.

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[97 TJ - I dont wave]

And the new header. take a good look this is the same spot the header cracks each time. You can compare this to the cracked picture above... yup, way too much heat yet Jeep says everything is running fine. Please don't throw any ideas out of how to fix this unless you read this entire blog. Tired of hearing the same thing over and over... No, it's not vibration... No, it has nothing to do with the thermostat, blah blah blah...
I can't wait to get my Hemi in.......

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[chrisfranklin]

Since the TJ is getting a Hemi, it doesn't really matter in this case.  But the series of 3 breaks with the stock manifolds that occurred prior to the 6 Banks breaks -
 
"I replaced the stock exhaust manifold due to a crack on the back side (facing engine).. I went to Napa and bought another manifiold which cracked in the same area 2 or so months down the road. I went and exhanged this one at Napa for another and it cracked in about 2 months again in the same spot.  Frustrated I went a bought a Banks header." 
-
tends to make me think something is out of line with TJ aside from the exhaust manifolds/headers. 

It's anecdotal, but the same pos exhaust manifold has been on mine probably since late 1993 (purchased used in '99) and hasn't given out yet (I know the 4.0L and sometimes 2.5 manifolds are known to have problems though). 

It said the TJ has 148k and I'm guessing it was bought in probably in '96 or '97.  If it didn't have oem manifold breaks for the 10+ years prior to what it's been dealing with now, I'd personally be thinking (which is probably what you thought long ago): "what related to the TJ changed prior to the onset of the oem exhaust manifold breaks a few years ago?"

Anyway, may your Hemi swap not give you any problems like this TJ manifold/header biz 

[dwtaylorpdx]

Whats really odd is that it looks just like the shorty header for the V8 Engines,
and I've never seen one of them crack.... Its obviously something in the way
they crimp and weld it. Looks like the crack is very close to the crimp...

I went through a similar catch 22, I was going through a cat every 5K
shortly after I bought my jeep in 1994 brand new. The dealer insisted
there was nothing wrong with the motor and just kept changing the cat,
at 35K just before the warrantee was up I went into the dealer for another
rattling cat, they tried to blame it on my lift kit....  Long story short I got them
to put the new cat on and drove home and installed a new O2 sensor.
Last cat I had to replace till I smashed my exhaust and went to a all metal cat, 75K miles later.
Now I'm at 200K and counting...

Dave

[97 TJ - I dont wave]

All this started in 2007, if you look at my first entry.
I am now at 184,000 miles.

[dwtaylorpdx]

Yea, I was just commenting on how dealers/vendors etc do
seem to get missile lock and just ignore the real problem.
One of the nice things about the Thorley I have is no 4 into 1 collector.
Its 3 sets of 2 into 1 so there is way less bending to make the collectors.

Heck my header has over 100K on it. still solid as a rock. (Knock on wood...)

I do wonder if it would make any difference to normalize the whole assembly.
Bury it in charcoal briquettes light it and let it burn till it burns out.
Probably about 3 bags of Kingsford... But like ya say since the crack is
always in the same place it would likely not help. Its what they used to do
to welded tube frames for planes and such.... Its interesting as well to
me because I work on race cars with all kinds of custom exhausts
and I see welds crack but seldom the actual tubing, or collector.

Dave