Help please

[Lcw3168]

1998 4.3l mercruiser thunderbolt engine. Took off old exhaust manifold elbows how do you get the new ones back in?. This engine does not have risers. The new elbows are thick firm rubber in the space to get them in is very small suggestions please

 

[alldodge]

Welcome
With no elbows I would think it's a OMC, step back a bit and post another pick showing the whole manifold

 

[Scott Danforth]

Batwings. I would replace the exhaust manifolds

 

[Lcw3168]

Welcome
With no elbows I would think it's a OMC, step back a bit and post another pick showing the whole manifold

 

[nola mike]

Oh yeah, bat wings. They kill engines and yours are 25 years old. Definitely replace them.

 

[Lou C]

Barr Marine sells a kit to replace them.

 

[nola mike]

Barr Marine sells a kit to replace them.

Is the wye pipe different as well?

 

[Lcw3168]

Barr Marine sells a kit to replace them.

A kit to replace the rubber elbow or manifold? I do not want to replace the manifold I just want to replace the rubber elbow I just need to know how to get it in that small space thanks

 

[nola mike]

A kit to replace the rubber elbow or manifold? I do not want to replace the manifold I just want to replace the rubber elbow I just need to know how to get it in that small space thanks

A kit to replace the whole system.The advice is to replace the manifolds before they leak into your engine and destroy it. However, if you just want to replace the rubber, you'll probably need to remove the manifolds. That looks like a smaller gap than on a 2 piece manifold, and I think it's easier to remove the elbows anyway instead of trying to slide them on with it in place.

 

[Lou C]

Those manifolds were poorly cast & prone to failure which can ruin the engine, it’s risky to keep using them. The OMC version I had didn’t seem prone to that problem & I had that set up on my engine till 2016. The Barr kit for the Mercruiser works with the original Y pipe. To replace the hoses you must remove the manifolds first. Lube up the Y pipe with silicone spray & slide the new hoses down to the top of the Y pipe. Reinstall the exhaust manifolds & then pull the hoses up to connect with the manifolds. That’s how I did it on my OMC. If those hoses are burned then the manifolds are clogged with rust & MUST be replaced.

 

[alldodge]

Thanks
Will need to remove the mans to install the boots. Going to probably need some help

Gets some all thread or couple of long bolts and cut the heads off. The long bolts is so you can slide the mans on them to hold the weight. Once boots are in place install other bolts. Get all the other bolts started and then remove the all thread and install regular bolts