I finally took the heat shields off to take a look at where the leak was coming from and my manifold is cracked around two of the runners! All the way around and it's spewing exhaust like mad. I would like some opinions on what you would do.
I am on a tight budget. I was planning on getting some springs and shocks before i did anything to the motor, however, this exhaust leak needs immediate attention. Now I must decide: should I try and find a cheap oem manifold to replace it and still get the suspension upgrades or put the suspension on the back burner and just get the header now. I don't have an intake or exhaust..I would just have the header. It would more than likely stay this way for awhile until I could get put some more scratch together. I can locally get the comptech ss for about $450. The shop also said that comptech makes a coated one for about $60 cheaper. Anyone have this?
Anyways, what would you all do in this position.

 

find a used one...or if u want see if it can be welded up!

 

G2 or G3? I'd definitely replace it with aftermarket, just make sure it is CARB cert if in Ca. The ceramic coated one is fine. Comptech is good stuff.

If it is a G2, I have one you can have. For G3, the best low budget one is the JDM OEM 4-1, but it requires a different cat and/or b-pipe.

 

It's a 98 (G3). I'm just thinking now I should get a used DC 4-1. Seems as though the everybody prefers 4-1 for the GSR and 4-2-1 in the non-vtec. Either way I must get something quick cuz my gsr is sounding like a chevette. Not to mention the exhaust smell coming from under my hood.

 

Yep I would just get a new one. I tried welding my cracked dc's but now matter what the exhaust leak was still there . So I new ones... Be careful with used headers because sometimes people might be selling them because they have an exhaust leak

 

you could probably get the flanges rewelded for like 40 bucks but i would go with a aftermarket one, its one step to a complete exhaust