Chat GPT keeps insisting that Ford stock exhaust setup for a 98 3 l is to use spring bolts on the manifold to downpipe connections and the downpipe to Cat-Back connection. I've never seen a single ranger with spring bolts on it but I have tried everything else to seal my exhaust up so I think I'm going to try them. Has anyone on here ever use them or does anyone know if they actually were stock for any rangers ever? Ron D would have known, miss you buddy!

 

I Wish people would stop using Chat GPT....

 

Me too it's wrong every single time, that's not where I got my information. If you tell chat GPT that the answer I gave you was wrong it'll say oh you're right I'm sorry and it'll give you a different answer. I got it off of Ford websites which is why I'm questioning it because I've never seen or heard of it from anybody else.

 

Thanks for the helpful answer though

 

See next post

 

Never saw spring bolts being used. Only HT bolts/studs with copper/brass nuts that are longer than normal steel nuts at manifold to exhaust and all other exhaust connections normal HT bolts with lock nuts. Not the nylock type. Use exhaust gaskets for all connections.

I replaced the bolts and nuts of my 2000 Ford Courier 2.5 recently during maintenance.

 

My 2003 3.0 XLT extended cab uses spring bolts for the connection between the muffler input and the last cat output. The rest are all stud/bolt and flange nuts. Manifold to downpipe/cats are studs attached to the manifold flange. The Y pipe to the two cats that run parallel to the transmission are three studs with flange nuts.

 

My 1998 XLT 4.0 has spring bolts at the junction right after the last cat and before the muffler.