My car started making this tapping noise, and it just kept on getting louder and louder. I took off the valve cover from the side the noise was coming from and tried to see if it was coming from there. I put my finger on each one and the noise didn't stop. D@m, that wasn't it. So I got to looing around, and discovered that my header bolts were really loose. I tightned them up and I would say it could out about 75% of the tapping. Only a little tap there now. Would this have blown my gaskets out, do I need to replace them.

 

headers bolts backing out is nothing new. every once in a while i have to retorque mine.

 

Anyone ever use any lock tite, or a lock washer or somethin to keep them from comin loose??? Two of the bolts are really hard to get to, I wander if there is any trick to getting them to stay tight.

 

I've got hedman lock washers on mine... people say that the stage 2 locking header bolts work really well, but they do come at a bit of a price. Loctite won't do a thing - the temps just get too high for it, even the "high temp." stuff.

 

i would'nt use any lock tight, what kind of headers do you have, what kind of bolts are you using? i have had headers on my car for a little over a year and only retorqued then 2 times. the first time was a few day after installing them and the i did it again back in ther summer. both times they were'nt even very loose.

 

I have edelbrock headers on my car and the bolts just look like normal bolts, nothin special.

 

maybe try some locking washers like said, that might help.

or make sure each bolt has the same torquing.

 

When you installed them , after you heated the engine up once, did you retighten?

also, check them every so often, which is a good idea, unless you want to invest about $40 into locking bolts.

I know when one of my bolts fell out, it burned the heck out of my fel pro gasket.

 

Stage8 header bolts. I've had mine on for over 3 years and would recoomend them to anybody with headers. Very wise investment.

 

If you don't want to retorque semiannually, go with the Stage 8 Header bolts, and Percy's gaskets. Yes, quality comes at a price, just check Ford's "Quality is Job 1" F150's... LOL

 

im using ARP bolts and im not having any real problem with them backing out.

 

replaced my header gasket and bolts today. The bolts I put back are longer than the ones I took out. So, I am hoping they will hold better. The old ones I had in had lock washers on them, but they obviously did not help. Here is a pic, check out how much long these bolts are. The bolts are spectre. It did not say what stage or grade they were, but I have never had any problem with there producs before. Besides, I really torqed them down and none broke off.

 

heres another pic

 

hope they fix the problem you had..

 

Bad,, Stage 8 is the company name, not a particular grade. They use clips to keep the bolts from backing out..
Tony

 

D@m! Thanks man, that had me confused. I had never heard of those before. I hope these work fine.

 

definatle go with Percy's gaskets. not only are they reusable and blow proof. but they look awsome compared to crappy paper gaskets.. only problem i had with them, is they moved my headers out about 1\16 of an inch, so it now comes into contact with my steering shaft

 

Actually, I bought the mr gasket. BUt not the cheap paper ones. These were 16 bucks for the pair. They are pretty thick.

 

Stage 8 's are great. Don't back out....