BK Header cracked, not even a year old

[Bits4brains]

I replaced my stock manifolds with BK shorty headers last November due to the infamous OEM manifold warp and bolt pop. About a week ago I started hearing a loud ticking and thought I had something lose. After crawling under the truck with a mirror, I found a crack. I called BK and they were under warranty so they sent me new ones, however these were such a hassle to install I did not want to go through it again. I decided to have my stock manifolds milled down and have started to re-install the stock manifolds. Getting these off was worse than installing them. Im glad im not going back with them. Furthermore I dont trust the replacements would be any better in another year. You can see the crack in the mirror on the first pic. Then I took a better pic once I got it off. Ill take a good look at the passenger side once I get it off too. Im so tired of dealing with Hemi's and the exhaust issue! Hopefully my milled OEM manifolds, new gaskets and new bolts will do the trick.

 

[LITTLEREBEL]

Looks like they use cheap material. I was expecting to see a crack at the weld.

 

[Cbty2050]

Hopefully my milled OEM manifolds, new gaskets and new bolts will do the trick.

If you are not installing tie bars, you will eventually get the broken bolts. Install tie bars, you will end up with a cracked manifold.

 

[silver billet]

I replaced my stock manifolds with BK shorty headers last November due to the infamous OEM manifold warp and bolt pop. About a week ago I started hearing a loud ticking and thought I had something lose. After crawling under the truck with a mirror, I found a crack. I called BK and they were under warranty so they sent me new ones, however these were such a hassle to install I did not want to go through it again. I decided to have my stock manifolds milled down and have started to re-install the stock manifolds. Getting these off was worse than installing them. Im glad im not going back with them. Furthermore I dont trust the replacements would be any better in another year. You can see the crack in the mirror on the first pic. Then I took a better pic once I got it off. Ill take a good look at the passenger side once I get it off too. Im so tired of dealing with Hemi's and the exhaust issue! Hopefully my milled OEM manifolds, new gaskets and new bolts will do the trick.
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Otherwise you can try the BD Diesel manifolds as well. They apparently strengthened them vs stock manifolds, and they also use a much longer bolt with a spacer on top to minimize stud snapping. The theory is that shorter studs/bolts have less room for them to expand before they snap, the longer ones can take a bit more expansion.

 

[Bits4brains]

I got the passenger side off and it, too has cracked almost in the same place that the driver's side did. So yeah cheap materials.