Not sure if this is tech but I figured I might get a quicker response than in the Exhaust forum. Are the new locking header bolts with the set screw in the center any good? I had Stage 8 ones before but with my SLP headers I had to grind a lot of the locks and a bunch of them eventually fell off. I saw the new ones in Summit and they looked like they might work.

Also what about header gaskets...is it better to get the soft metal ones from Percy or the new ones from Flow-tech I think that are designed to never leak? Are they that much better for the price?

 

i drill the bolts for safety wire, pretty much bullet proof

 

Not to sound ignorant, but what else do you wrap the wire around to keep the bolt from turning? Do you just go from bolt to bolt so they are all locked together?

Also not to be a jerk or anything, but I would like a cleaner appearance if possible.

 

bolt to bolt

 

One bolt can't loosen without the other one tightening.

 

That's what I thought, but I still don't want wire running all down the side of my engine.

These are the bolts I'm talking about using...
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...24&prmenbr=361

 

to me safety wire looks good when it's done right and it's very effective, when done right. only draw back with header bolts is i break a lot of small drill bits drilling the bolt heads.

 

Can someone explain how these work? I didn't catch the concept in the previous posts nor heard of safety wire. I may replace my header bolts because I think I have a exhaust leak.

Im thinking you hand thread in the head bolt and then use a allen wrench to tighten it down?

 

You tighten the bolts like normal header bolts. Then you tighten the set screw which essentially spreads the end of the bolt out and locks it internally.

 

What kind of wrench do these use? They don't look like typical box wrench bolts.

 

They are designed to be tightened with a 12pt socket...I believe a 6pt will work as well. The set screw in the center is an allen head.

 

If safety wire is good enough for the FAA, it's probably good enough for your header bolts. You don't have wires running all over, just between adjacent bolts.

<img src=http://www.ultralightnews.com/pilotslounge/images/ex5.jpg>

 

Well this sucks , no way I can get a socket around the area on my headers.

 

I have SLP headers also and I can get a socket on mine...a few are a chanllenge, but it can be done.

 

I've tried every which way, its impossible on those few to get them on without grinding down the headers. If I could, I wouldn't have an exhaust leak because i'd bust out my breaker bar (40 lb bar bell I use to lift weights) and tighten those *****'s .

 

Then you don't have the right tool. I have SLP headers, and I have no problem getting some tool or other on every single one of them.

Go to your local tool store (Sears Hardware is a great place to start) and buy every box end wrench, open end wrench, wobble socket, ¼" drive socket, etc. etc. etc. in the size that fits your header bolts. Don't hallucinate that one tool will get them all.

I have the hardware (bolts and washers) that came with a set of Mr Gasket copper gaskets on mine. The gaskets may or may not fit your headers (probably not); but they're worth the price just for the hardware. I use either Mr G Ultra-Seal gaskets or FelPro header gaskets; the hardware as described, except for places with brackets and stuff, where I have to use the stock hardware; and I tighten them as tight as I can possibly get them using a motley assortment of tools. I re-tighten them ALL (no excuses) after 2 or 3 heat/cool cycles, and then one more time after about 25 or 30 more. Then they stay tight and leak-free for years at a time.

 

i also have SLP headers, and i can tighten them all pretty good with an open end wrench. I have to twist a bit, but it can be done. A few i can get with the plug socket.

I have ARP header bolts. I retorque them after about 5-10 cylces. I'm yet to retorque them for the first time.

 

As a side note, Paul, when done right safety wire looks bad *** and I've seen a few cars at shows start sporting the set up.

As for those new type bolts, have not tried them but if you do please come and tell us how you like them.

 

No, you obviously are not reading what is going on, he said socket, I can obviously get a box wrench on it just fine or I wouldn't have headers on my engine. Im pretty sure I know what im doing and I gaurantee you I cannot get a socket on most of these bolts without grinding down some of the headers.

 

No, I can read perfectly, thank you. And I also know what I'm doing, and what works and what doesn't.... after all, I suspect I've been driving around SBCs with headers on them since long before you were born. I could be wrong about that but I think I'm not.

If he can't get his tools on the bolts, then he doesn't have the right tools. Period. Sockets and box wrenches are definitely not always going to fit all the bolts on all SBC headers all the time. If he has the situation where sockets and box-ends don't work, then those are the wrong tools, by definition. Sometimes you have to use an open-end or a crow's foot, sometimes you even have to put some one particular bolt on first, or more than one maybe even, because the tubes won't let it slide into the hole in a straight enough line to be able to start.

I refuse to grind on headers just so I can get a socket or a box on the bolts. That's just wrong, with a capital R.

Allen bolts are good too sometimes, as long as the particular headers in question don't have tubes that curve around in front of them to where you can't get a L-wrench or a bit for a ratchet in to them.

 

Which is exactly my point. I was forced to use allen bolts. I am not incompetant and as was stated earlier, I wouldn't have headers on my engine if I couldn't improvise or have the correct tools, I was trying to see if these would give me a easier time since im going to be re-doing the headers anyways. I really don't care what you have been doing before I was born because it doesn't benefit me one bit.

 

Where did all this hostility come from anyway?

I told what the right way to do stuff is, what tools to get, how to deal with a notoriously difficult situation, and so on, all based on years and years of experience; is that offensive to you somehow? I certainly didn't intend for it to be.

As far as the socket thing goes, there are 7/16" hex-head bolts on the market, which are a problem on most SBC headers with any socket; and also 3/8" hex-head bolts, which if you have those, a socket will virtually always fit, if the tubes don't curve around in front of them too close. There are also 6-point ones which an open-end will fit, and 12-point which an open-end won't. So not only can you deal with the problem by getting different tools, there's also different hardware that will help make it easier.

 

heres a secret that im suprised more people dont do.

when the tubes dont let you get a socket on, use a allen bolt.

when it curves in front so you cant, use a 7/16 head bolt

if its really friggen tight, get some 3/8" head bolts.


inotherwords, get the right bolt for the job...

that said, i run hedmans and while i do spend a good 3 mins getting the rear drivers side bolt out, i just use regular 7/16 head header bolts.. a socket on the ones i can, and a open wrench on the rest.

 

I had no intention of getting hostile, it just seemed that you were deeming me as incompetant of using correct tools...