We just got two quotes for replacement of cracked exhaust manifold $2k each. Is there any other option for an exhaust manifold that does not have a catalytic converter? We are in Southwest Colorado with no smog checks.

It is a 2007 H3. TIA.

 

No. Your PCM is monitoring that cat and without one you will have a near permanent CEL, not to mention that it is illegal to remove emission control components smog or no smog checks. Smog police are out there.

I always said that if/when my exhaust manifold cracked on my old 07, I would upgrade to an aftermarket header with Cat like MagnaFlow, but I would be doing all the work. There are aftermarket I5 H3 exhaust manifolds and headers available that are likely cheaper than an OEM replacement. If you go that route make sure there is a mini cat and an O2 bung for the sensor.

There is a PITA built into the price. Most times when doing the removal of the Exhaust Manifold a fastener (might be fasteners) is going to break off in the head requiring a bunch of tedious work time to drill out/tap or use of an extractor if lucky. IF nothing breaks, the job is not that bad.

 

$2,000 seems pretty steep for that job but a lot of that likely depends on the replacement manifold you choose to go with. I did this job back in May 2021 and, as Doc mentioned, I had three broken bolts that I had to deal with. If all of your bolts are intact and you remove them without issue, the job is really not that difficult. This was my first "real" project I tackled alone in my driveway instead of taking to a shop and while it was a massive PITA and almost made me completely lose it a few times (all from the bolt issues), I am glad I did not take it somewhere and pay 2 grand for them to fix it. You can read about some of my experiences in these threads: Exhaust Manifold/Catalytic Converter Replacement Advice and Exhaust Manifold Bolt Removal - Am I Screwed??

I would have liked to go with the Magnaflow manifold that Doc suggested, but at $1,100 it was a bit out of my budget. I ended up going with WALKER 16578 on RockAuto. At the time, it was less than $475 but I just looked and they want $606 for it today. I've had no issues with it to date other than one of the bolts coming loose which was 100% due to my error. If you are inclined, it's a job that you can handle yourself and save quite a bit of cash. I think it depends on a few things:

1. Are you comfortable with handling repairs yourself (beyond basic repairs)
2. Do you have the time/space to make the repair? Might be out of commission for a number of days depending on any other issues you encounter.
3. Do you have the necessary tools? Again, not much needed other than a ratchet unless you have to deal with some broken bolts/studs which are common by all accounts.

Because this specific repair introduced me to the world of shadetree mechanics, the exhaust manifold replacement is near and dear to my heart, lol. Happy to answer any questions or provide support if you choose to handle it yourself but I agree again with Doc that you don't want to try and find a way to skirt around the integrated cat just to save a few bucks.

 

Interesting comments on the manifold replacement and the price vs savings. I did this on a 1958 Jaguar XK150 years ago. Jaguar used porcelain coating on their manifolds and if you raised the hood on a rainy day and the engine was hot, you could watch drops of rain fall into the manifold and "PING"! That's what happened. A big roundish spot was now on the gorgeous manifold.

 

If the manifold is not rusted through you could heat soak it and weld it. Temporary? yes. This could of course hold up for numerous drive cycles if done correctly. I know you'll need to heat it real good and wrap it in a fire rated hi temp blanket. I've watched you tube videos where they have successfully done this with cast iron, steel. Of course you could also replace them with custom made shorty headers with NO cats and then install the cat further down the exhaust. Albeit you'll need to extend the sensor wires and there will need to be four bungs weld to accept you O2S.

You can also purchase the necessary items and do the job yourself or hire a local yolk to do it for you or with you.

 

Made any headway on this in the last 2 weeks?

Good luck.