3rzfe exhaust leak

So this is my third time changing my exhaust my first manifold cracked so I replaced it with an OEM one and it only took 5,000 miles for that one to crack so I went out on a limb and bought an LCE header and it fit in great and went together great and for the first two days it sounded nice and ran great I got to work today and now I have a bit of a rough idle and a massive exhaust leak that I can’t find but it sounds like the egr tube is leaking or broken. Is this a common problem with these trucks egr tubes ?

 

I've fought with exhaust leaks on my 3rz as well.
I replaced my cast manifold with a "mini tube header" that came on the later 3rz motors.
https://www.pirate4x4.com/threads/2-7-3rz-mini-header-confusion.727560/

From the beginning I had issues trying to get the EGR tube to seal up. OEM gaskets fixed that and periodically going back and tightening the bolts that hold it onto the intake and exhaust sides.

When I redid my exhaust with the new manifold, I didn't put this little support bracket back on and over time it ended up creating a leak at the connection to the rear of my cylinder to the exhaust manifold (due to the engine twisting back and forth under load and then translating that force into the exhaust since there aren't really any flex joints).



So I made a bracket of my own later down the the line to replace it and hopefully help.
Also did OEM gaskets between the connection on the downtube to the exhaust manifold. I had issues with it leaking there too. the aftermarket ones you get for that spot are all terrible quality and don't last long at all.

Use a piece of fuel hose attached to a wire with one end of it to your ear to probe around and try to find exactly where the leak is coming from.

I hope that helps

 

There is supposed to be a very similar bracket there right where your red fabricated one is located. I must be missing something.

 

Yea I bought the OEM one that's supposed to go right there but it didn't fit since things had gotten kinda bent/twisted over time without having it installed. So I had to modify it to make it work.

 

I’m also having issues with this on my 3rz. I replaced the gaskets and studs and nuts several times with oem, but i keep getting leaks. I use a torque wrench and go through several rounds of tightening to spec but they always seem to end up leaking. I have the oem mini-header design as well. My cat is in great condition, it isn’t plugged. I’m about to go insane with this…

has anyone here built in a flex joint to help relieve the stress?

 

I thought about doing a flexjoint too, but never executed on that. I've now started to develop a crack on the intermediate downpipe even after reinstalling that little support bracket piece.....

Do you have that little bracket that supports the intermediate down pipe installed?

 

I changed over to a long tube header and I’ve figured out the cause of my leak my motor mounts have gone out and your quad my header into my frame so LCE is sending me a new header and I’m going to change all mounts and hopefully that helps and if it still runs I’ll just put a dent in the pipe so it clears I know it sounds hoopty but at this point I’m tired of messing with it

 

This is my current problem right now

 

I just replaced my sway bar bushings w poly bushings and it made such a difference! Super easy job too.

i have new motor mounts ready to go in as well. Hopefully it helps…

 

Are you saying the Toyota gaskets (the round ones) actually work cuz I swear the Walker aftermarket crap is too small. Mine leaks just a fuzz, replaced those manifold ones many times. How bout the front pipe to convertor? Thanks.

 

Ohhhhhhhh that’s close…..

 

Yea they worked so much better than any of the aftermarket parts stores ones I could get. Even the felpro ones.
I used OEM gaskets at the manifold to header, header to front pipe, and front pipe to cat.
The two round ones between the header to front pipe were the ones I had the most issues with and leaked the most.

They would seal, but then when you put some heat into the exhaust after driving aroudn a bit, they would break down and leak

 

I tend to get leaks where the manifold and that 3 bolt on exhaust goes between the cat and header

 

Me too. I’ve replaced them many times. This is awesome, I will be by Toyota

 

Idk what to do how to fix it

 

Buy Toyota ones. Apparently that’s the secret. I know what I’m doing soon…. It’s not bad but it’s an annoying little phppphhhh and the final thing to straighten out on mine

 

What you mean I have Toyota headers

 

Buy Toyota OEM gaskets. Not the AutoZone crap

 

I did

 

Do you have the little bracket there that supports that pipe? The one that mounts to the bell housing of the transmission