I have a small crack in the exhaust manifold. What are the effects on the engine of driving the car while this condition exists? Can this be a potential catastrophic problem? Just had engine rebuilt, will this ruin the engine if I drive it like this too long?

You have the factory headers on a 94. Can you describe where the crack is, or take a pic of it?

have factory headers, the crack is just above the #1 cylinder bend.

If it'* not leaking ALOT, don't worry too much, but being where it is, it should be very cheap and easy to weld in place. I'd have it done by a welding shop sometime soon. Just don't be afraid to drive in the meantime.

Thanks!!

WRONG!
Speaking from expierance again! Get a used one from a wrecker for about $60 Cdn! Add some aftermarket gaskets too. READ: Attention EGRless Owners in this section..... http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...pic.php?t=6566
Continuing to drive it with a cracked manifold will cause internal damage over time. For one thing you're losing POWER & valuable gasoline. Secondly, you're slowly eating away the exhaust valve for that cylinder too due to the temperature differeance from Oxygen ENTERING the manifold & causing a hotter temperature to the back side of that cylinder'* valve! I've been there & had to fix it already.....Hence the write up in this section about this & the exhaust valves too.

Yeah, but that means VALUABLE downtime! I found that it was cheaper to just install a used one instead.

Al, that'* the #1. He can pull it up to the back door of a welding shop and have it Tig'ed right there.

Before or after the THIRD DEGREE BURNS though? LOL ** PLUS the Heat Shield has to be removed first too!
That and the fact it'* alot more work too....like disconnecting the cross over pipe too & those bolts are probably rusted on too. Then there'* the whole mess of getting it to line up again to re-connect everthing again. Unless you've done this at least a couple of times, I wouldn't reccomend doing it in a parking lot.