Currently have a tick from the left exhaust manifold, more pronounced under acceleration. Have checked the joint at the cat on the cat......tighter than a nuns chuff!

I'm going to blow smoke up it's tailpipe to pinpoint but given the sound and my experience with manifold leaks over the years it's sounding like a crack or a poorly tightened bolt/stud. The motor was dropped at one point and the heads redone from what I have found in it's history and evidence under the car along with cam cap markings.

My question is to those with experience, how easy is it to drop the heat shield and are the manifold bolts accessible after? I'm hoping for the best case scenario in that it was a poorly tightened fastener, if I have to jack or drop the motor that fine as intend on replacing motor mounts and could kill two birds and hopefully not myself. I'm trying to avoid dropping the subframe and motor to access. I don't mind modifying or building tooling to do the job, I just want to tap the knowledge base before I spin my wheels.

 

Any real wrench turners with insight, dark arts advice or voodoo rituals that might make the process less painful????

 

Sounds as if you are no stranger to this. It will be tedious if not also painful.

'Stick' Beef Tallow and heat works as well today on nasty exhaust studs as it did for MY early-days mentor - a War One fitter of Mercedes six Aero engines for Kaiser Bill's air farce.

Otherwise? JFDWT

We had some OTHER option?

Well... yazzz... but have you PRICED a fully-restored 'Blower Bentley' or a 1947 Hudson 'Big Boy' pickup truck?

At least an X350 is rust-resistant....

Were it not, I'd be tempted to thermate the b***h.