1995 TOYOTA TACOMA — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

TOOK IN TO HAVE SHOCKS CHECKED AND MECHANIC FOUND EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO BE CRACKED OVER 3/4 OF THE WAY AROUND BETWEE THE MIDDLE TWO EXHAUST PORTS. MY BROTHER IN-LAW SUSPECTED A LEAK AS I WAS PUTTING BOAT AWAY OVER ONE YEAR AND 25000 MILES AGO. I DO NOT EVER REMEMBER THE TRUCK SOUNDING ANY DIFFERENT AND THE MANIFOLD IS UNDER A HEAT SHIELD SO I NEVER SPOTTED THE CRACK. I HAVE ALWAYS SMELLED EXHAUST BUT THOUGHT IT WAS COMMING FROM OTHER VEHICLES. I FREQUENTLY MAKE LONG TRIPS IN THE TRUCK AND HAVE HAD TO FIGHT TO STAY AWAKE THAT I NOW KNOW MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. I HAD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD REPLACED BY MY DEALER WHO PROBABLY HAS SAVED ME FROM FURTHER HARM OR EVEN DEATH. THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE MANIFOLD UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE TO WONDER WHY THEY HAD A REPLACEMENT MANIFOLD IN STOCK IF THIS IS NOT A COMMON OCCURANCE. I KEPT THE MANIFOLD AND WILL SEND IT WHEREVER YOU WANT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXAMINE IT TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE CRACK. I AM AN ENGINEER AND SUSPECT THAT AN APPROXIMATELY ONE INCH MANUFACTURED HOLE IN THE HEAT SHIELD ALLOWED WATER TO HIT THE MANIFOLD AND THERMAL SHOCK CAUSED WHAT APPEARS TO BE A CAST IRON MANIFOLD TO CRACK WHERE IT DID. ONE MORE INCH OF CRACKING AND THE MANIFOLD WOULD HAVE BROKEN IN TWO.*AK