Header to Head leaks

[tortuga]

My header gaskets keep blowing little leaks resulting in that annoying ticking...I have been using the remflex gaskets without success. This is not a quick or easy R&R and i'd like to get over to the other side of the problem. I do have solid motor mounts and doubled aft header brackets holding stock SPF headers and Gas-N side pipes.

Thinking about going the no gasket route? Any advice on what to use and how to do it would be greatly appreciated?

To do this right i am going to have to remove the while system in order to check header flange flatness (again) and get everything really clean. I have replaced gaskets in the past by just breaking the header loose and swinging the whole mess out of the way...

Thanks
Steve H

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by tortuga

My header gaskets keep blowing little leaks resulting in that annoying ticking...I have been using the remflex gaskets without success. This is not a quick or easy R&R and i'd like to get over to the other side of the problem. I do have solid motor mounts and doubled aft header brackets holding stock SPF headers and Gas-N side pipes.

Thinking about going the no gasket route? Any advice on what to use and how to do it would be greatly appreciated?

To do this right i am going to have to remove the while system in order to check header flange flatness (again) and get everything really clean. I have replaced gaskets in the past by just breaking the header loose and swinging the whole mess out of the way...

Thanks
Steve H

Steve,


Have you thought about pulling the headers and having them milled flat for a tighter seal? Then a simple exhaust gasket, a decent set of header bolts with lock washers, and you are good to go.
It will make a good project for you on Friday while you wait for the snow (or ice in your case) to arrive.





Bill S.

[S1965C]

What Bill said. You shouldn’t have leaks using Remflex gaskets. Also, what fasteners are you using? I safety wire at the cylinder head and never have issues with loosening fasteners.

[tortuga]

Torqued to 25ft lb like the instructions say, none are loose. Gaskets compressed…They ALWAYS fail at the top too, and now that i think of it always between 3-4 0r 7-8…

[DanEC]

I have used red and copper high temp RTV to seal exhaust manifolds with good success but haven’t used it on headers. I use SCE copper gaskets on my ERA headers and also on a Hemi engine with factory manifolds. They have always worked very well for me and are reusable.

[DanEC]

What you can do to see if it’s a flange issue is clean the surfaces and with a big felt tip marker color them black, or apply a light coat of black paint. For a sanding block on an aluminum intake port surface I used a new, 24” aluminum level which was about 1-1/4” wide and dead straight as far as I could tell establish with my steel straightedges. I put a strip of 320 +/- self adhesive sandpaper on it and block sanded across the ports a few strokes to see what I was dealing with. That will pretty quickly tell you if you have a minor surface irregularity on the ports or a major one that may require surfacing. If it doesn’t look too bad you can probably switch to some 220 and with some work get them pretty flat - although blocking steel will obviously be a lot harder than an aluminum manifold surface. You might even carefully be able to address high spots with a side angle grinder, going slowly. It straightened out my intake mating surfaces up and allowed them to sit and seal up tight. Just a thought.

[bobcowan]

If you keeping blow quality gaskets at the same place, it's not the gasket's fault. That's a weak spot for some reason, and you need to figure it out. Look for a fault in the head surface, or the header flange.

Since it's always at the top, consider that the bolts are not crushing the gaskets well. Put a washer on the header bolts and torque again.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by tortuga

Torqued to 25ft lb like the instructions say, none are loose. Gaskets compressed…They ALWAYS fail at the top too, and now that i think of it always between 3-4 0r 7-8…

Forgot to add to my initial post:



Look up "stage 8 header bolt kit" for your application. I've used them on most of my Cobras, and all of my race cars, without ever an issue.







Bill S.

[bobcowan]

If you keeping blow quality gaskets at the same place, it's not the gasket's fault. That's a weak spot for some reason, and you need to figure it out. Look for a fault in the head surface, or the header flange.

Since it's always at the top, consider that the bolts are not crushing the gaskets well. Put a washer on the header bolts and torque again.