In this video I bring you along as I swap out a leaking and cracked manifold on a 2008 Toyota Matrix 1.8 that is filling the cabin full of exhaust fumes. The car is pretty old and rotted so I use an aftermarket manifold (Dorman) and of course it doesn't fit like it should. I wouldn't expect any thing less. -Enjoy!
If an SMA Video has helped you out please consider giving using "Patreon" to help support us. The videos take real time to create and pull us away from real work that pays our bills. CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/southmainauto
CHECK OUT OUR "SMA SWAG" STORE! Go on Teespring and get your very own SMA merch!
https://teespring.com/stores/the-sma-store
If you don't like Patreon feel free to use the "PayPal Me" link: https://www.paypal.me/SouthMainAuto
The South Main Auto Amazon Store:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/southmainautorepairavoca
AES Wave Automotive Diagnostic Tools: https://www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=https://www.aeswave.com/Miscellaneous-p9347.html
Thank you for all the continuing support!
--Eric & Vanessa O.
Feel like sending some swag to SMA because you love the videos but don't know where to send it?
Just ship it here:
South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained.

Hey there, viewers welcome back to the south main auto channel, that's our 2008 toyota matrix. It's got the big 1.8 and the lady says the toxic fumes in the cab are killing her and we don't want her to die. So we looked at it uh. It is a little exhaust fumey in the car, and i thought i could hear the manifold leak in and so uh the other day when she was in stuck the smoke machine in the tailpipe and it's leaking around a crack in the manifold.

I think it's a header type pipe. You know it's four pipes going into a general collector and i believe it's cracked around it. So uh long story short as they say. We got us a manifold here from napper uh.

We've got an intake gasket too, because it's got lean codes and it's leaking on the intake like crazy, too, so we're going to do both manifolds the intake and the exhaust. However, in this video we're probably just going to be doing the exhaust manifold, i don't know what kind of show this is going to turn into uh. We got one from napper, it's your classic. 670 aka, reeboks, dorman aka hope it works.

Okay, probably a bad decision. Uh but we'll see how bad can it be? That's heavy, the mother, this one's cast iron, i'm pretty sure the one that's on it is tubular could be wrong. Let's get all the goodies out of the box here we got some brackets. This is a regular unboxing.

We got the gas, i think. That's it saves us in case we got ta, send it back. Stick them in here for right now got your classic gasket donut you've got your bracket of some sort. We've got another donut here, all smashed up, nice and oblong shaped.

So that's good save that in case we need that it's probably the one we do need. Maybe there's a couple different options that one does fit. Hopefully i got a couple of bolts here: one lock washer a couple uh spring bolt kits: let's have a look at this we're gon na take the heat shields off it install. Let's see what they say here.

Maybe there's some useful information for us general preparation, instruction, stuff, bang on tape. Twist ties inside the manifold bottle box, nothing real useful there from what i can tell. I will tell you this, though one free tip friday for you. If you're using a doorman manifold, you make gal dang sure that these holes are open.

Now this sounds stupid, but under ford manifolds they are notorious for not getting all the casting out and then you start it up, and you got a single cylinder misfire and a lot of back pressure in that cylinder. Uh so we'll shine a flashlight up through there and then have a look, make sure everything's open. Let's peel the shield off, i think this bracket probably goes on the side because there is a bracket that goes off to the block yeah. So this probably goes here and then, instead of making it precise, you just make a big hole, so it's got ta hit eventually, so there must be another lock, washer somewhere, so we'll take a poke around for that.

I think we're in good shape. Let's fire up the torch baby before we fire up the torch, we're gon na try and give it the old-fashioned. Now somebody's already put an aftermarket converter on this, so it has relatively newer spring bolts in it. However, they put the factory nuts on the manifold are gone, so they've got, we've got those up there, those nuts - let's see.
If we can't uh get something down here. I can't see crap almost felt like it was working, but i can't see let's see here. This is your first day, buddy hey. What do you know? What do you say? There's one down trying for the other side, i guess and to uh slightly modify the lower heat shield.

I think we can reach in there. Now. If i slightly modify, i mean pry. It out of the way, let's see, let me just leave this thing kind of hanging.

Nope nope, not gon na work. Oh actually, it came off. So that's even better. Look at that huh winter winter see if we can get up there up that bolt.

That holds the bracket on this one. Then we get a swivel socket use a swivel socket because i, like bleeding out of my mouth all these things and get you to every time come on baby all right. One thing i should have thought of is the logistics of filming, something like this uh, which uh it's not really logistically possible, but we're gon na give it our best. So this heat shield was like this when the lady brought it in.

I assume, because somebody else probably already looked at this car and told the person the same thing hard to say, but it saves us from taking out those two bolts in my right. It's always nice, following after a couple of clowns, especially when they don't put stuff back at any rate, i am right that is a tubular type system. We're going to put a big old chunk cast iron up in there uh. Hopefully it fits well.

We got to unplug the o2 sensor and then i'm just gon na we're gon na give this away i'll just finish. Getting this thing out of here and then we're gon na have to uh work on the manifold to head bolts, which hopefully don't give us a hard time here to see anything. Are they can't be much oldest little guy on there? I'm wondering let's crack that. Oh two cents: rather it does make darn sure we don't break it.

That might give us more room to wiggle. Sometimes when i go home and i'm editing some videos, i'm just as surprised as you guys are like wow, i can actually see that huh. This is why i don't buy nice cameras or anything, because you stick them in places they shouldn't be stuck in. I just if i have real nice, expensive camera equipment, i would be afraid to use it or blow sparks on it or get brake parts cleaner on it.

You know that old story. This thing is going to pull every single thread with it. So that's not going to come out. That's awesome! So now i've misquoted the job by a couple hundred part, probably we'll throw a little panther pee on it, even though that won't do anything but make it feel better spritzer down.
We all know that penetrating oil is a hoax, at least the rust belt is so we're going to take and run this back down tight. The problem is, i think, the threads. The male portion of the threads on the o2 sensor extend past in the bung, and then they get all crudded up and there's nothing that you can do about it. So yeah, it's just gon na pull all the threads with it.

What's up miss, though oh you're not just talking to yourself out here? No, it's not just a normal day! So, what's up girl, this lady wants to know how it's going tell her calm down the car just got dropped off literally, and so it's going fine. No! It's not fine, but don't tell her that. No don't tell you that comfort. Her reassure her, be like oh he's working on it.

You just go late start. You know film, like we usually do i'm not very good at that. You want to talk to her. No do what we do.

Tell him tell her. It's going great. It's going to be running any problems, we'll call it there's no sense of filling her full of feared panic at this point. Did you break anything yet not yet, so it is going great i'll ruin.

Her day in about a half hour, let her feel good for a little bit. Okay, i think we're making some headway now baby come on man. It's christmas time. Just come out of there leave me some threads all right, oh goody! Goody! It's got threads! Maybe i was whining and crying over nothing.

Maybe i'm working! Let's finish, let me get a pry bar, that's how you remove a heat shield, new york style folks necessary. I just heard lunch whistle ring. Let's see what misses those making pretty much. Did you hear it? What the new whistle, no we got going on over here for lunch, they dress like the farmer's daughter day huh.

This is all look at this kid. What do you got we making for lunch, i'm making you a christmas ham? Oh, is this apple crisp fresh corn off the cob? None of that crap from a can. We got here smashed potatoes skin on oh misses. Oh, are we there? Yet i don't know if my thermometer works, it's a ham, it's already cooked.

Who cares it's true? You don't even have to warm it up yeah. I know, then it's good. Is it warm in the middle? Can we check it? It's probably warm on the outside. Oh my gosh.

What kind of glaze did you put on that woman brown sugar honey? I think sweeter than you not really. How could that? Oh, my gosh, oh, if you guys, could smell this. You know why it's not spiral club because spiral cut ham sucks. Is that a good enough reason? That's good enough.

If you buy a spiral, cut ham, there's something wrong with your head. How about you just take some time off? Is lunch ready? Can i can i go put my tools away? I guess so i guess so it's ready yeah! I know the corn is not. I don't think the corn is ready, yet we then we cook the corn before we pre-froze it yeah, but it's not hot. Stick your finger in it that'll make it boil all right now that we've harassed, mrs, oh probably before we go eat lunch, we can take the panther.
I can't see crap down here, so we're going to take this, give it a liberal douching on basically anything that this is spraying on at this point looks good, looks like we've, probably saturated what we've come to saturate, but i can't see anything at the camera now I'll go eat lunch with the very lovely misses i'll eat. Our christmas dinner is today's not christmas, but uh. Today is the christmas eve of christmas eve, the 23rd, so we'll eat three or four christmas dinners and uh. That's that, then, i think we'll come out here.

Is there any bolts down here that are hurting? I can't see i'm just trying to feel one. Two, three, four five. I think i feel five bolts. Now, let's go look at the other manifold, real quick here.

How many bolts are in that one, two? Yes or two, three, four, five yeah, that's right same in the gasket by bolt yeah, so it should be piece of cake huh. I am a wreck. I don't even know if i have enough power to snap bolts off now. Oh, why do i eat lunch like that every day? It's because my wife makes lunch like that every day turns into a train wreck.

Let me tell you should be illegal coming up baby. It was good, let me tell you what big ham guy myself - i don't know about you guys, but when it comes to oh, mrs old makes thanksgiving dinner or christmas or any dinner really i'll. Take the old ham over a turkey any day. I don't know about you guys, let you put that down in the comments section.

What's your jam, man, i'm all stuffed up now and we had apple crisp and ice cream and then uh for drinks. We didn't have any milk, but this is all got us. Some, dr pepper cream soda. This is no, never buys the soda, but it's special special dinner we get to have soda and her favorite is dr pepper, cream soda well from being honest, her favorite stock of pepper, cream, soda and jim beam.

But she said we can't have any booze here. Penetrating oil went too deep. Get that nut back and get our stud come on baby grip, oh, never mind! That's weird! It pulled that whole stud out this thing's coming off pretty easy huh! It's unusual. Let's get a inverted torques here there we go, i'm gon na take and just spin that back in the head.

I thought that was gon na be stuck on there pretty good, but it came off pretty easy. Oh man, it's awesome trying to clean what you can't see. Huh we'll have to use the old the old mirror trick. I call it so i'm going to take and get this head cleaned up the best i can you use the old carbide scraper here.

Hold it flat just clean up around all these ports and then we'll probably use one of the whizzy wheels with the aluminium safe bristles. You know the yellow bristles or the white ones there, but i want to get the big chunks off using a mirror and a scraper here so uh, so wow hmm looks good. So before we stick the chinese one down in there. I did take the bolts out of the heat shield, because the way this one's designed it's gon na be quite a bit more difficult to get to uh the center bolt here.
So i think i'm gon na be better off getting to it from perhaps from underneath. So i wanted to leave this loose, but i'm going to stick it in there holding it on there in case once it's in you know we can only manipulate it out of position, but we can't get it out all the way. If that makes sense, uh we'll see, i mean just bear with me folks. This one looks like it'll fit a little easier because we don't have the bracket attached.

I did put the gasket on the head already: okay and then i'm gon na take and just put the uh these nuts on there. These ones right here and then kind of we'll start snugging her up. I might be able to get in there with a ratchet wrench. Oh yeah.

I think we will yeah. I should have left that shield on there. I guess we probably won't be able to get in there with our torque wrench when we come back through and you know, torque everything to factory specs, but we'll get her close. What's going on down there, what the frig man did.

I get the wrong size. Dumbass. Okay, okay, rule number one always use the appropriate size. Let's see if the 12 millimeter works better than a 14.

Hey look. What do you know it actually snugs up idiot, let's see there, so we got ta go through we'll get the rest of these snugged up. Here and then probably should grab a ratchet. I don't even know if you guys can see, but just take my word for it.

I'm going through and torquing all the bolts to factory specs in the correct torque sequence, also, which is super important. Don't don't get out of sequence where's that one oh too early there pal, there's that one, i'm glad to see they're all torquing down the spec. There grab my other torque wrench here all right. We got them all so put that heat shield back on that.

Wasn't too big a deal honestly to get back on there? So then we've got this little bracket thing here. I don't know if it really does much, but want to put it back on here, lined up very proud to start with. The bottom want to be a little easier there we go if you guys can't see grip, anyways, that's great. Some things are just difficult to show it's kind of crazy, how much the lighting sucks on the camera, not a camera guy.

So i can see great, the lighting is absolutely beautiful here, uh, let's see no, that's not even gon na be in the ball park. Thank you very much. Dorman yeah. I mean we're despite the fact that they cut a gigantic hole in it.

Uh we're still three quarters of the hole off. Let me take it off and flip it around. I don't know if that's gon na make a difference or not, but as it is right there it's not even in the ballpark, i don't. I don't think i'll be able to flip it around because then it won't fit the manifold.
I don't believe right, let's see yeah, we can't uh. We can't flip it upside down because then it doesn't, it doesn't fit the manifold. So it actually only fits one way and the way that it fits it puts it so far off that you wouldn't even be able to get a bolt in it. So not a big surprise.

You know most of the stuff dorman makes doesn't fit so uh we're just going to leave that off, because we have no choice, it's kind of pathetic that they chop a 7 8 of an inch hole in it and still can't hit the hit. The mark. You had one job dorman one job make a manifold fit wow great, install their donut in there. So then we're gon na get these spring bolts.

Hopefully get them started well back here baby there should be yeah, it's kind of pathetic about like that bracket. You know i'm not going to sit here and rain on dormant's parade, i mean everybody knows their parts are garbage, but what baffles me is when you look when you follow them and i'm not saying i don't own stock and dormant because it continually goes up, but That just blows my mind: here's a company that makes 90 of their parts are complete, but they sell billions of them. A multi-million dollar over billion dollar, rather soulless company, and they make products like this - that don't even they don't even come close to fit like you have the manifold fence, but the bracket come on. What would it take 15 seconds to make this and it doesn't fit a single vehicle, but if you call and tell them it's like, oh you're, the only one we want to take care of.

You join our product testing team and then people are asking too in the comments. Why didn't you use oem? Well, the fact is this car ain't got six months left in it before it breaks in half. So a couple of cheap parts keep the lady happy get to the end of inspection, send it to the crusher and, unfortunately i think that's what a lot of dormant parts do. They're band-aid fixes they don't fit worth a crap and just gets people to the junkyard whiny crybaby crybaby.

In about that, the whiny cry baby. But it's just kind of sad really. You know to see a company monopolize the auto industry like that and then just be driven by money and green more than quality products. It just kind of sucks now.

Well it ain't the first time we've seen it folks, probably gon na, be the last all right. So i'll tighten up the shield there we got the o2 tightened up we'll get that plugged in before. I start i'm going to take and knock out this uh manifold gasket here. If we can the intake manifold, i've done videos on those in the past, so i'm probably not gon na, probably not gon na show that they're quite easy to do.

Actually, i want to say it's one of the og sma videos. I think i did a pontiac vibe, or maybe it was a matrix that we did. It didn't take gasket on this one's leaking pretty significantly. I think i even showed it might have been one of the first two or three videos i did actually.
Why would i remember that i don't know but oops, okay, oops there we go everything's torqued, this back. Fantastic intake, gasket is on 138k. On this pick she is a three pedaler. One of these things put that in the middle gear starts the lights.

We should have a fair amount of smoke, though that's going to be that's always the good part about a new manifold. I don't even hear any leaking from that donut wow way to go dormant, trying to stick our hands down here. I don't feel any air right there. That's underneath it.

Okay, better, stick my hand up here hold on folks. I know you can't see, but i don't hear anything i just want to make sure. I don't feel anything. I'm really impressed a lot of times.

Those aftermarket donuts on toyotas do not like the seal, and i oftentimes end up getting the oem donut, but you got ta start smoking here, pretty heavy uh. We got ta, throw a scan to on it too. I wan na see where the fuel trims are sitting now that intake gasket is leaking pretty bad wow beautiful, i guess uh despite the uh fail on the bracket, everything else seems okay for what it is. But like i say, we ain't got much time baby.

Not at all. You know, the fumes are bad. Wait till she starts smelling the chinese. I'm burning off this thing, we'll go out and drive it and i get the stinky stink going off there.

Of course, i could say i got to verify: got to do some verification anyways. I think we're in good shape. Folks there you have it folks, replacing the exhaust manifold on your matrix or your pontiac vibe or any of your toyotas. With that big 1.8 liter.

I think it's a 1 8. yeah, it's a 1 8., pretty easy and also to the classic po171. Now, don't always just go wing in uh intake, gaskets adam for that coat. These things do have a tendency also to have injectors that fail, and i think we've done a video on that too, using the picoscope to do an injector drop test.

These don't have to vary a lot. Let's say the first one drops 30 pounds next, one drops 28, that's pretty close, but that's enough to cause lean. Coach toyota's are pretty sensitive to injectors too, so. Keep that in your noodle also keep in your noodle not to use a dormant part.

If you're going to keep your car for long term, but if it's something like this, where you just you know, you're just trying to get by you're going to drive it, take it crush it good time to use that part uh, because some of their stuff is A little disappointing, we'll say anyhow, don't disappoint me. Go into that comment. Section go down there leave your comment, the questions the instead, the facebook additional viewers - if i can do it thanks for watching you.

By EricO

16 thoughts on “A merry christmas matrix manifold”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ed ogle says:

    Eric you kind of saying that Dorman makes parts and Napa stamps their name on them????? huh Merry Christmas to you guys…….

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Danish Roy says:

    Turkey all the way! Merry Christmas Eric. You’ve taught me so much. I work at a fleet shop alone and I was never good at diagnosing electrical or engine issues. But you’ve taught me so much! Keep up the great work!

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Not Available says:

    Dorman, close kinda, usually, but not quite….. Never had a dorman product that didn't require modification…..

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars John T8080 says:

    Well done, Eric.
    There are things that stop me from being able to "do it" the way you do.
    One is 77 years old and the other is patience and 'bendability'. lol
    Merry Christmas to you and the family.
    Thanks for sharing.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Half-inch-holes says:

    Amazing seeing the oxidation of vehicles up there. What's in your environment that makes this so much worse? Just road salt? Are there any treatments or devices that may limit this rusting-away? Sad seeing a Toyota that is mechanically OK, but the rest of the car is rotted out. Merry Christmas and a Happy new year!

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars James Wise says:

    Merry Christmas to you and your family. I prefer ham over turkey also, but like the bird enough to eat it, especially deep fried!

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Jonas Martinez says:

    toyota exhaust studs never break even after 30 years of use. I removed my fair share of toyota 12R, 3K and 4K and 4AF exhaust studs and they never broke…. ever.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars rayworx says:

    Watching you remove that O2 sensor makes me think about a present Mrs O could give you…… a set of ratcheting open-end wrenches! Standard and metric!?

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Camaro Drag Racing Second Generation says:

    Felpro gasket quality have turned into 💩 in the last year it's like every company is all about profit over product.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gregg C says:

    Dorman electrical anything in the garbage can. Mechanical stuff is decent sometimes. I've got Dorman ball joints/control arms on my Civic and the wheel hasn't fallen off….yet.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Johnny Zander says:

    MAN. I feel your pain. Lean over an engine when you have just eaten a hearty dinner. Ouff .. 😀
    Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Bill Dunlop says:

    I don't get these after market companies, You take an OEM part, You take measurements, You draw up the information for a CAD drawing, You send it to your manufacturing team to cast up a part for replacement, you check the part run before major production to make sure it falls into spec then you pump them out . I've worked for Generic companies before and when I walk into their engineering dept they have all sorts of "Brand name" goods all over the place waiting to be copied.

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars TFC says:

    I went back and watched those first videos. You were a man of few words. You’ve loosened up considerably. Best Regards and have a happy holiday.

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars 7dioclau says:

    AKA hope it works 😂😂😂😂
    Merry Christmas Mr O and fam.
    Thanks for all that you do all year round. You been an inspiration to become a better mechanic, not just a parts changer. God bless
    👍

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars R Hadden says:

    Merry Christmas to you and family, be sure to count your blessings, great family successful business. Thanks for sharing with us.

  16. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Over the Hills says:

    I just replaced a warped and leaking passenger-side exhaust manifold in my '88 Bronco II. I ordered a Dorman replacement from RockAuto but it didn't fit, 1/4" too long, unless I shoe-horned it in with a crowbar. I found an original, 1987, new-in-the-box Motorcraft manifold on eBay that fit like a glove. Merry Christmas!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.