My passenger side exhaust manifold gasket is leaky and makes a lot of noise. Im planning on fixing it myself and I'm curious If I can change it without having to take off the crossover pipe that connects the two exhaust manifolds underneath the engine. If I can just unscrew the bolts that secure the manifold and pry it back far enough to remove the gasket and replace it, the whole job would be much easier. Have any of you guys done this?

 

Mine leaks, but it doesn't make a noise. Look up the Toyota part number somewhere and get a new gasket. Make sure it's aligned thouh when you put it back in. That'll probably do it. And be careful when unscrewing the bolds because it they're rusty you can hurt yourself (I think I pulled my pectoralis muscle trying to undo it!)

Zach

 

I haven't changed one on a V6 before, so I don't know any specifics, but make sure to do it when the engine is cooled off. I know it sounds stupid to say "don't touch the hot thing", but what I really am saying is that if you release the bolts on the manifold when it is hot, it is possible for it to warp and then getting it to seal will be a real hassle

 

What year do you have? I have a 3rd gen and it's not possible to remove one side without removing the cross-over. When I removed my manifolds the worst bolts were the ones on the cross-over and I ended up having to cut the x-over (just to warn you)

A couple tips:
1) Make sure you hit all the bolts with PB Blaster starting several days before you try and remove it. 2) Take a steel brush to the studs to try and clean off any rust that may have formed.
3) Apply anti-sieze to the studs before you try and remove the nuts, it will help lube the nuts and stop them from seizing.

Good luck