egr/manifold questions again

[01explorerv801]

any way i posted a few days ago thinking i need to replace my passs side exhaust manifold, i now am second guessing my self and think it might be the egr tube.. any way its a 01 ex 5.0 xlt awd 100K, it started as a small tick almost like a valve tick and now is pretty f#$ing loud... to the point where my cars CEL starts to blink when towing things.

would the egr tube being gone do this? or is it in fact the manifold?
what am i looking for to determine if it is indeed a part of the egr system that is failing?

also lets say i go tot remove the ex man, and the nuts and bolts start breaking what do i need to do if they do remove old ones, drill and tap holes? what tools would be needed to do this? i am just trying to get everything together before i go tackle the job.

 

[01explorerv801]

anybodies

 

[Dilbert5]

My wifes 97 started leaking, I too first thought that it was the manifold. After looking at it closely I found that it was the egr tube. It's not too hard to replace, a set of crow foot wrenches helped at lot.

 

[01explorerv801]

well i took a better look around, and the egr tube looks fine... it does indeed look like the ex manifold..... looks like right where the bolts are the manifold started to fall apart or something.... any way i am pretty sure i will be able to get most of the nuts and bolts off, i am mostly worried about the two bolts the hold the manifold to the exhaust pipe... i think i am just going to chop them and put new bolts in, any idea what bolt pattern they are? also what tools are needed to do this job?

 

[Dilbert5]

I have not yet had to replace the manifold yet. So I'm not sure.

 

[01explorerv801]

still need help with this guys, tried to un bolt the egr but the whole thing just spins? i cant get 2 wrenches in to hold it either wtf....

on another note how the hell do i get at the collector pipe bolt on the motor side? these 2 things are the onlt 2 things left to do and i am jsut STUCK PLEASE HELP ME