Greetings Scotty,
2003 Ram 1500 quad cab 8 ft bed 4WD 4.7 L, about 130 K miles.......so far 2 mechanics told me the reason it is getting louder in the engine bay is the exhaust manifold rusting away. However, they are somehow unable to explain to me what I need to buy to repair it and quiet it down. I can save a bunch of cash buying aftermarket parts online, it's an old truck so I don't need anything fancy, I only intend to squeeze another few years out of her. I have searched online for these parts and there are so many different options that all fit my truck, my head is spinning!! What do you say sir?
the reason it is getting louder in the engine bay is the exhaust manifold rusting away.
they are somehow unable to explain to me what I need to buy to repair it
well for starters, the exhaust manifold as they said. But that's probably not the end of the story. The rust problem likely goes deeper than that. That means the manifold bolts/studs are likely going strip and the rest of the system won't be any picnic either. The reason they're hesitating is because it's likely a can of worms. Sometimes it's like trying to fix the deck on a condemned house that's about to fall over.
throw the truck away with 130 k miles?
Well, I haven't seen your truck, but two mechanics turned you down, right?
Maybe someone is willing to buy it.
So its not fixable then, throw the truck away with 130 k miles?