Estimate on replacing Exhaust Manifold Gaskets

I have decided that this is a job I do not want to do myself. Too many things could go wrong. I am missing half of my Exhaust manifold gasket on my passenger side, and it is effecting my performance considerably. Has anyone else had this fixed? Can you give me a price range to expect? Thanks!

A blown exhaust manifold gasket will not affect performance in any way, but it will make it louder under the hood and can cause problems with toxic fumes. Since these gaskets can blow, I consider them an unnecessary fail point and as such, I simply don't run any gaskets at all on my exhaust manifolds.

First, what year is your car?

It's a 94 5.7l 9c1. The reason why I say it's messing with my performance is that it seems like I don't have the same amount of compression I used to have.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it true that from the factory engines didn't come with exhaust manifold gaskets?

Some did, most didn't.

The exhaust manifold gasket has nothing whatsoever to do with compression or anything else. If you're having a problem with performance, look elsewhere as replacing these gaskets will not get you what you are looking for.

Do you mean the donut where the Y pipe attaches to the manifold or the manifold to the culinder head gasket? I've never seen one fail at the cylinder head.

When I do have an exhaust manifold off, I never use a gasket either, just cast iron to cast iron works for me. It develops a "carbon" gasket by itself in a short period of time.

Bob

Ok, I will rephrase this. I want to replace the gasket, because I want to. What are my chances of busting one of the studs off on the block? I want the sound of the engine to come from the performance exhaust I spent so much time putting on the car. I just want to know about how much it would run me to have it done. I don't want to get halfway done with the job, and have to bust out my tap outs because one of the studs is busted. I'm working on trying to restore the car, not make it worse.

If the gaskets aren't leaking, don't bother. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

The heads are cast iron on the Caprice LT1, so you shouldn't have a broken bolt, but I won't come out and say you WON'T have a broken bolt - because anything can and does happen.

You know, you guys have inspired me. I'm going to do it myself this weekend, take that gasket right out of there and call it good. If I bust a bolt, oh well, it's like I forgot how much fun it is to work on my car. I don't know what's wrong with me, I almost paid someone else to do work I could do. I must be getting lazy.

if your concerned about taking of the ex manifold get a brasing torch (any good auto parts store 50 dollars max) heat up the bolts till there almost red hot and then slowly back them off with a wrench