Quote Originally Posted by DMC5180 View Post
If you are just planning retain the stock exhaust. Any broken stud will have too be removed and new installed. Generally speaking it is Normal to Replace ALL the studs with new when doing new gaskets regardless of the Style of gaskets you use. The standard Gaskets are the individual port gaskets. All the vendors sell them. The Best ones are IMO the One piece 3 port SS composite ones sold by Rob Grady. I replaced mine with those almost 19 years ago and 60K miles since then.

I was a bit lucky when I did mine. Only 2 broken studs. They broke due to heat stress fracturing rather than twisting off from being seized. I was able to make a simple drill jig that allowed me to center drill the broken studs for an EZ-out extractor. Remarkably they came out with minimal effort. They were not seized. All the the other studs were removed using a doubled nut method on the studs. None of those broke during the removal process.

The 2 gaskets , 12 studs and 12 M7 BRASS nuts. (Not sure if the BRASS nuts are still available any more) Were a little over $75 for the kit back then.
Quote Originally Posted by DMCMW Dave View Post
Most important part of the job (other than not drilling holes in your heads when replacing broken studs) is to get the manifolds resurfaced. Flad sanding is OK if you check them, getting them machined is best. If you don't, any gaskets will blow out again in weeks. Or sooner.
Phew! This is going to be quite the adventure! I think Kenny_Z may have it right and I may just find an exhaust/machine shop and see if they'll swap out the parts. That why the manifolds can be checked and machined as well. I had no idea changing a simple exhaust gasket had so many steps oh well -- learn something new everyday, right?