Dorman 917-107 Exhaust Manifold Clamp Repair Compatible with Select Models (OE FIX)

Well, you are reading this is probably because your Chevy sounds like a Chevy i.e. the classic header tick tick tick. I stalled this to a 2009 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD but it will fit basically any LS engine (5.3, 6.0, 6.2 etc). Prior to my manifold head bolts sheering off, I did not know this is actually a very common problem for LS engines... Way to go Chevy, have a known problem and still use crap manifold bolts. Its so common that Dorman has this band aid fix to save you hundreds fixing. FIRST, I want to clarify the part numbers and locations to be installed because some of the reviews are misleading. The are 2 different brackets to be used depending on which of your manifold bolt heads sheared off. Dorman 917-107 (This product) - Locations to be installed is for either the drivers side rear or passengers side front. Dorman 917-142 (looks completely different) - Locations to be installed is either the driver side rear or passengers side front. The reason is because the heads are basically the same but rotated 180 degrees. So be sure you get the correct part. Top bolt: Okay, now to the installation. I had BOTH rear manifold bold head sheered off, so I needed both part numbers mentioned above. But this is the installation for the drivers side rear (917-107). As you will read from other reviews, it is in fact a pain in the butt. The heads are so close to the fire wall I was left with some scratched up knuckles from holding the fire was back to try to get the top bolt threaded. Note used some anti seize on the bolts. Anyways, you do want to start with the top bolt and come from the top of the engine. My truck (2009 Silverado 2500HD), already had a bolt with a ground strap attached to it (I believe that one was a 14mm, the bolts for this kit is a 9/16"). I removed that bolt (easy part) then you have to do a dance of holding the bracket with the ground strap, pushing the fire wall back and trying to find the hole (Come on, we've all been there) for the top bolt. It will depend on what vehicle you are working on as to where to position your body, but for my applicable I was basically sitting in the spare battery tray (where the second battery would go for a Duramax diesel). I have also seen pictures of some people laying on top of the engine. Anyways, it took my on the order of 10-15 minutes of doing this dance to finally get the treads started on the top bolt (by hand, no tools yet). I then started to tighten the bolt using a 9/16" ratcheting wrench (This tool is pretty key in saving time). There is not enough room with the bracket, bolt and fire wall to fit a socket wrench down there, so a normal box wrench is really you only choice and having a ratcheting one makes this WAY easier than a standard box wrench that you would have to line up basically a 1/8th of a turn because that is all the room you have. If you don't have a ratcheting 9/16" wrench, you are on Amazon... Add it to your cart. I did not tighten it all the way, you want to leave it loose to the bracket is still kinda dangling for the bottom bolt. Thankfully with the top bolt threaded in, it does align the bottom hole of the bracket to the proper mounting position for the bottom bolt. Bottom bolt: I have head mixed ways of getting to the bottom bolt, some come from the top others the bottom. For my application there was absolutely no way to get at it from the top, so I went from the bottom. If you have beef cake arms, I really don't know how you will do it, but I have pretty slim arms and had just enough arm length to wedge it between the exhaust down pipe and torsion spring. Its a very awkward position, but I was able to get the bolt threaded. I then used a 9/16" socket with 2 swivels and about 24" worth of extensions to tighten the bolt because the location is to hard to get to... To confirm your thoughts, YES it did look sketchy but it works. There is no way to get a toque wrench either bolts, so get them pretty snug but don't reef on them. If you strip the threads or sheer the bolt then you have just bought yourself into a head repair, which is the whole reason to buy this band aid fix anyways. After the bottom one was snug, I went back to the top bolt and snugged that one down with the ratcheting wrench. Lastly the final bolt you want to use some high temp loctite and torque to spec (I think it was like 18 lbs-ft). That one is simple enough and straight forward. After I completed both sides and started the truck it was significantly better, but I gave and extra one flat turn on the bolt to the manifolds past the recommended torque just to give it a little extra sealing. The whole process took about an hour. Tick tick tick is gone so the brackets do work. The brackets really are more expensive than they should be (around $30), but it sure beats the price of removing the head.

Let me start by saying this. I am a full time mechanic with access to lifts to work on my vehicles on my off time. I installed this bracket with use of said lift. And even that was not easy. I also have smaller hands, and I had trouble starting the damn bolts haha. The way I did it was this: after fiddle farting with the bolt for over 20 mins and my arm cramping I figured there had to be a better way. I stared at it for a good five mins before I got the game plan. Yes, I did remove the front driveshaft to give me a few extra inches but I just removed it from the front axle, not the t case which was fine, so I would say start there to give your arm the room to reach up to the spot. I then grabbed a smaller bolt and put that thru the top hole on the bracket and then put it into the hole in the cylinder head to kinda support the bracket so I can just get the bolt on the bottom to start. This is the tricky part. Since the bolt is just flat cut, you have to be dead buts straight when you thread it in. After about another 15 mins of trying I finally got it started. I snugged that bolt down just enough to hold the bracket still, lowered the truck and climbed ontop of the motor and reached down and removed my support bolt and threaded the top bolt in. Same scenario with the top bolt but since the bottom was already started, it wasn't as much of a fight. Once you get those ran down, I used a flex wrench and tightened them down nice and good. Then I put the top manifold bolt in, which was simple, and ran it down against the manifold, and boom, done. Started the truck and no more ticks. It is a great option vs 1500 to have the studs replaced and works fine. Super cheap solution if your willing to cuss, cramp and fight to get it done. Overall it was a easy install, but you have to put in some effort. Took me about 45 mins to install but I love to take my time. Hope this helps!

Works amazing and is still holding. Definitely recommend. Not as hard to install as i originally expected.

5.3l 4wd tahoe. Great part but incredibly difficult to install because of the lack of clearance. The following is what finally worked for me after hours of frustration. Be prepared to walk away and find your calm place several times. You are trying to thread 2 bolts that you can barely touch with your fingers tips into 2 holes you can't see in a place with no room for a socket or a wrench. Expect frequently dropped bolts and parts. You will have to work from the top and bottom and go back and forth many times. Best advice came from ernies review. Dropping the front driveshaft on a 4wd was best tip of all. Heres what I wound up doing. Jack up tahoe just enough my gut can fit underneath. Remove 4 11mm on front of drive shaft. Slide driveshaft back and let it hang. You don't need to remove it. I needed some wd40 and a prybar to break it loose from rust up front. You can now see the two bolt holes on the head that you can only feel from the top. Remove the heat shield! It's a pain and you'll only gain maybe a 1/4 inch of clearance but you'll need every bit of it. 3 10mm nuts hold the heat shield on. Two you can see and reach from the bottom. The third is hidden behind the steering column and you'll need to get it from up top. Now the hardest thing for me was trying to hold the part in place while trying to fish blindly for the bolt holes. The weight of the part makes it want to fall just when you think you are about to tread the bolt. To solve this I used smaller bolts as pegs to pin the bracket into the bolt holes. The 11mm ones from the driveshaft worked great. I used a magnetic pick up tool to hold the bracket in place while I pegged it with the smaller bolts. This way it was in place and the weight was supported so all I had to do was work one bolt at a time. I went up top and found I now had just enough clearance to get a thumb and finger on the top bolt. I took the peg bolt and threaded in the top bolt. I finger tightened it and went back underneath. With the bracket held in place it was much easier to start the lower bolt. I wound up using a 14mm socket, a wobble and about 18"s of 3/8 extensions to thread it in. You can do it with a wrench but expect to move it a 1/16th turn at a time. I snugged up both bolts with a wrench once they were all the way in. There is no clearance for a torque wrench and it's not needed anyway. These bolts are side loaded and firmly seated is enough. It was now easy to go up top and install the clamping bolt with tread locker. I hope something in this helps you. It's a good part and a great solution. I know how to pull the heads and the broken bolts. This was just as good. Best part is you can walk away at any point and still have a driveable vehicle. When pulling heads you are likely to break or snap something. If you don't have another vehicle you are then stranded. Good luck, take your time and trust me it will work....eventually :-)

I have been purchasing from Amazon since 2005. Of the hundreds of things purchased, I have never written a review. Until now. I have had an exhaust leak coming from the drivers side exhaust manifold of my 2003 Hummer H2 for quit some time. I knew it was bad, but also knew that it would be nearly impossible to fix without removing the engine itself. Two manifold bolts had broken off and I knew getting to them would be hard to reach. After some Googling, I found this clamp. I was skeptical at first, but the reviews sounded amazing coming from guys who had experience turning wrenches. I'm glad I listened to the reviews. One bolt closest to the firewall was sheared off flush at the head and the other snapped with enough room to attach some vise-grips and back it out. It is pretty obvious how it attaches and with a little bit of wiggle room, I was able to slowly thread in the bolts from underneath the vehicle. In total, it took me about 25 minutes to get it in place and tightened down. I am impressed!!! I have quit a bit of experience, but I feel that anyone with just a little bit of confidence can get this done themselves. By that, I mean, there is absolutely no way that I would recommend someone going to an auto service shop and paying big money to have someone else do this for you. In my case, the 6.0 engine in my H2 would have had to have been removed to get a good angle to remove the sheared exhaust manifold bolt. I saved a ton of time and money and the hiss and ticks are COMPLETELY gone. I replaced the gasket and all bolts just to be on the safe side. Worked great and I would highly recommend! I saved a good bit of money and am just pleasantly surprised at how easy this was.

This thing is a bear to install, but persistence, patience, and the willingness to remove various parts are the key. There are many good reviews on here, with many good tips, so I'll try to focus on some of the things I did that I didn't notice explained in the other reviews. 1. The included bolts suck. This is the reason for four stars instead of five. They are completely flat on the ends, meaning they are very hard to get the threads started especially when you're contorting your body in unnatural ways, can't see, and are having to use a single hand or the sides of fingers to get them to thread. The bolts need to be tapered so you can locate the bolt holes on the cylinder head blindly. I ground off the two endmost threads and then filed those areas smooth. Test for ease of starting on the threaded hole in the bracket. The tapered bolt then helps you locate the holes and makes it easier to get the thread started. This is what finally got it for me - I was about to give up for the day and then I tried this. 2. Key stuff to remove. Jack up the rig just high enough to get under it and get the drivers side front wheel off. Remove that wheel. Remove the fender skirt. I didn't see other reviews mention this, but it was key for me because you need to remove the heat shield that's between the exhaust and the firewall there. I don't think I would have gotten that out (or put back in) without removing the fender skirt. Even then the heat shield is difficult to get out and put back in - it ends up getting a little deformed, but not a big problem. 3. Remove the front end of the front driveshaft, if 4wd. 4. On my 2009 Tahoe, there is a ground strap installed in one of the two bolt holes needed on the end of the cylinder head. It needs to be reinstalled between the bolt head and the new bracket. The bolt holding it on has a 15 mm head, not a 14 mm like the bolts in the kit. The ring terminal on the strap has a little tang that keeps it located - that tang needs to be removed or bent flat since it will not install flush with the head of the new bolt. It will also make it hard to get a wrench on that bolt for final tightening. 5. Now you should have reasonably good access and you are ready to install the bracket. Other reviews mention using smaller bolts as pegs in the hole you are not working on. Didn't work for me. I just got the top bolt threaded in - the tapered bolts helped much here. Did top bolt while laying on top of engine, bottom bolt laying on a creeper from underneath. 6. Tightening. I just used a regular angled box end wrench. I have ratcheting wrenches, but there's no angle on them and I couldn't get any turning angle. I think flex head wrenches would have helped, but it worked fine without. Just get the bolts in as far as possible with fingers before final tightening. Pro tip: the bolts have 14 mm heads, but 9/16" works fine too. Good luck!

I put off installing this clamp to fix my exhaust manifold leak on the rear drivers side of my 2012 Yukon XL 5.3l for almost a year due to all the reviews I read about the install. However once the leak got worse I decided it was time to tackle the job. I did a lot of research to figure out the best way to install the clamp and I will share those tips in this review in hopes it helps others. Flex head ratcheting wrenches help greatly with this install. I found it easiest to tackle this job from both the top of the engine and below on a creeper. If your broken exhaust manifold bolt is protruding through the manifold you will have to grind it down flush but this was not the case with mine. 1. Taper the ends of the two bolts that screw into the head to allow them to be started easier. To do this find a bolt or even use the threaded portion of the clamp and install on the bolt so that it can fix any threads that get damaged during the taper process. Next grind the first few threads on the end of the bolt giving the end a nice taper so that the bolts are easier to start. When you remove the nut from the bolt (or clamp) that you installed before grinding it should fix the threads on the end that may have become damaged. Test fit the nut back on before proceeding to ensure the bolt is not damaged and still threads properly. 2. If you have a ground strap installed into one of the holes in head the clamp goes into you will need to relocate this. I removed the bolt from the top of the engine and the ground strap and relocated it to threaded hole above the exhaust manifold in the head. 3. Jack up the front of vehicle and put it on proper jack stands. If your vehicle is 4wd remove the front of the front drive shaft by removing the four 10mm bolts that hold the u-joint caps on. Ensure you mark the u-joint and cradle so that you can put it back together the same way it came apart to prevent premature wear. Once the bolts are removed you can push the driveshaft back and then swing it to the side a few inches to give you room. I also removed the o2 sensor and used a special socket for this which helps greatly. Now you should have room to reach your arm up and feel the holes in the head the clamp bolts will be installed in. 4. I installed the top bolt of the clamp from the top of the engine. I removed the plastic engine cover and then was able to lay on top of the engine using both hands on either side to get the bolt started in the first hole. Use some anti-seize on the bolts that go into the heads since the heads are aluminum. 5. I installed the bottom clamp bolt into the head from below the engine on a creeper. You must blindly reach up and get the bolt started which can be challenging. Also used anti-seize. 6. I tightened the top bolt of the clamp in the head from above the engine with a flex head ratcheting wrench. I tightened the bottom bolt of the clamp from below the engine on a creeper. 7. Use high temp loctite on bolt that pushes on the manifold and install from the top. Don't torque it down to tight as you will re-tighten after the engine is brought up to operating temp. 8. Re-install the o2 sensor and front drive shaft. Note the u-joint bolts don't get torqued much so look up the factory specs and use a torque wrench. Install the plastic engine cover and lower the vehicle off the jacks. 9. Take the vehicle for a test drive and get the engine temp up to normal operating temperature. If your exhaust manifold gasket is not damaged too bad the clamp should have fixed or greatly reduced your leak. 10. While the engine is still hot tighten the bolt that pushes agains the exhaust manifold since things have gotten hot and likely stretched a bit. It took about 2 hours to install this clamp but it did fix my exhaust manifold leak. I think Dorman could have included tapered bolts to make the install much easier however given the cheap price and the fact it worked I am giving it five stars and highly recommend to others dealing with a GM exhaust manifold leak.

Are your blissful drives being annihilated by that famous "Chevy Exhaust Tick"? Well if this just happens to be you (don't feel bad, I was there too...) the solution to your problems may just be here! My All-American Chariot featuring Chevy's 6.0 Liter V8 just happened to not be as special as I had previous thought. Turns out it has many of the same issues that most Chevy 6.0 V8's have such as the all too common issue of the Exhaust manifold bolts not being able to handle all of that raw uncensored power. Two of the manifold bolts on the Drivers side rear of the engine had came to their demise leaving a tick screaming "fix me". My mechanic gave me a prognosis that stopped me dead in my tracks and my wallet running for cover. Turns out to fix this the ol' fashion way you better be ready to fork over quite a few greenbacks. Just the thought of shelling out so many of those Big Benjamin's left me consulting my 2nd favorite Mechanic: Google! Little bit of research online and I was starting to feel a little better about this situation I was in. Turns out I had just joined an "elite" group of individuals all connected by that rhythmic ceremonial event, and hey misery loves company right?! Well don't be miserable too long there my friend, Turn that Frown Upside down and get your fix on! This little black wonder has me questioning for the first time whether size really does matter. Installation: If your afraid of getting a little dirt under your nails, My friend this piece of hardened steel is not for you. Go back to your pajama party singing "hollaback girl" with all your little sissie friends. If your ready to get down and dirty and install this little wonder I can promise you one thing: This thing will put you in more awkward positions than that 9th grade wine cooler party that had you playing twister with your best friends sister.... You'll first try it from the top reaching down, then you'll try reaching up from the bottom only to find that either way, this is not going to be as easy as it looked. One suggestion I can share with you (one that I won't admit to being from experience...) is to wait quite a few hours after you've drove your beast. I mean Hell, I'll be the first to admit, Whether it's All-American Buffalo Wings or my choice in Shotgun Riders I like it hot! But this my friend is not one of those situations, so just tame your excitement of getting your Red White & Blue petroleum guzzling beast back on the road and spend some time doing some manly stuff while you wait. After you start trying to get this little bugger on I can promise you that you'll be glad you waited cuz let me tell you, you'll need some patience to get this thing on. But don't worry, unless your the type that needs to stop halfway through and go get your "Pumpkin Spice Latte" you'll get it on there! After your finished and it's all bolted up you'll be feeling like $1000 bucks! No Really, You will, cuz that's pretty darn close to how much you might of spent if you took your prized pick-em-up truck to the dealer...

Installation was a pain. I had to get help from a friend, but once we finally got it in there, it did exactly what it was supposed to. The exhaust tick went away and it is much quieter going down the road. But, it did take two of us , one under the truck and one in the engine bay. My truck is a four wheel drive so we had to disconnect the front driveshaft and move it out of the way, just disconnect it at the front diff, you don't need to remove it entirely. Once we did that, it made a lot more room. It's tight, it's tedious and you come up with all new curses but once the job is complete, works like a charm.

Have an old GM 5.7 Typical broken rear manifold bolts. I use a welder to tag onto the end of the bolt and spin them out. Work most of the time. One this engine I just could not get a good bind the rearmost driver side bolt, broken off well below the head. This clamp went on fairly easy and is working great to keep the exhaust tight and sealed, until sometime in the distant future when I am prepared to pull the head. This is a temporary-permanent fix. ;) Note: it is easiest to install from the bottom, underneath the truck. Remove the O2 sensor, remove the front yoke of the driveshaft and slide aside, remove the firewall heat shield. You’ve then got plenty of room to finger the two bolts into the back of the head.

Superbe alternative si vous ne voulez pas remplacer les joint d étanchéité. S intalle rapidement à l avant du moteur (10 min) mais prévoir 30-60 minutes pour l arrière du moteur. J ai règle mon problème à 99.9%

Exactly as described. Good fix for gm's poor LS series exhaust stud problem. Always driver side rear bolt. Installed on my truck from the top but many people find it easier from bottom. My truck being awd and extremely low it was easier from top. Expect to drop the bolt that goes into the back of the head a couple times. You will use new vocabulary you didn't know existed. Probably better to make sure kids are not around. Lol. Patience is key here and a good ratcheting wrench.

I read a zillion reviews and watched several youtube videos on installing this I KNEW IT WAS A CHALLENGE...however... it was way harder than I had envisioned. On DAY 1..I tried to do it without help and wasted 4 VERY frustrating hours and some seriously scraped arms, fingers etc. On DAY 2.. I removed the front drive shaft from the front diff and moved it aside, no need to pull it from the transfer case and most importantly got help (my wife),, she worked from the top maneuvering the clamp so I could insert the bottom bolt (from underneath the truck), that took about 30 minutes. Once the first bolt was in place she used a stick to push the heat shield back as I swung the clamp) it was already on the lower bolt) and into position. That was another 30 minutes of painful contortions and then it was installed... they were installed and tightened from below... another NEAR IMPOSSIBLE task... I just tightened all I could manage with A 14MM BOX END RATCHETING WRENCH. Then up top, installed the tensioning bolt and was shocked to see it push the manifold in at least 1/4 inch, maybe more... LEAK SOLVED! There are references to torque values BUT there is NO WAY a torque wrench can fit on the bolts so just tightened the he-- out of the back ones as well as the tensioning bolt. Also no way to get anti-seize on the back bolts... since the truck is already 20 yrs old I suspect this repair will outlive it.