fredbear

Hey guys I was just wondering if anyone could tell me why my Iroc header gasket would be leaking again.

I just had it replaced last august, and it was stored the winter. It started leaking again recently in the same place.

its a 350 and it leaking and the drivers side

could it be the mechanics fault for not tighting that hard to reach bolt back there.

any info I can bring to the garage is helpful as they said they may only cover the cost of the gasket.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

People are going to come in here and post all about "I have so-and-so gasket and it NEVER leaks". Ignore them.

Take the header off WITHOUT DESTROYING THE GASKET, and look CLOSELY at both sides of it. Observe on the one side where the header flange seals to it, and on the other, where the head flange seals to it.

Most likely, it's leaking on the head side, because the gasket fails to cover it.

I've never had the least experience with "had it replaced", "mechanic", "fault", "garage", "cover", and all of that ....other drivel. Foreign language. Sounds like stuff my little sister would say. Can't help you with that because headers are a hot-rod part, not a stock grocer-getter kind of thing. Sounds to me like it's time for you to step up and grow a pair, and become a DOer instead of a PAYer.

As far as tightening the bolt, did it improve when you tightened it?

fredbear

^^^above thanks for the info. As for doing it myself I lack the money to buy proper tools I dont even have a garage. Let alone a full set of tools...I just barley do well to be able to maintain the car.

Many times I have tried and ended up making things worse.

novaderrik

i bought most of my tools- a big specialty mechanics tool set, a few different sets of wrenches, and more sockets, screwdrivers, and hammers than i know what to do with- as well as a 3 ton floor jack and 3 sets of jack stands and a decent Craftsman tool box combination- over a period of a few years when i lived in a 2 bedroom apartment and had to work on my junk in the parking lot...

you can buy a starter set of tools for less money than most shops will charge to let your car into their shop. go to Sears and get one of their 120 or so piece starter tool sets for around $100, a set of screwdrivers, and some pliers/vice grips as a good starter set and a $20 plastic tool box to put them in.. then you just add tools as you need them- or when a really cool looking tool catches your eyes when you have some extra cash- and pretty soon you'll have more tools than you know what to do with and you will be forced to upgrade to a house with a garage...

AvantiHall

Headers are a pain, how thick is the flange, the thicker the better. I won't use anything less than 7/16" flanges. After it runs for a short time re-torque the bolts, or use lockers. Keep an eye out for parts melting near the headers. Starter, solenoid, plug wires, battery cables, fuse links, the black plastic wire covers, everything!!! Start looking for stock headers and then you'll do it only one more time. I love my header customers! After I tell them I can make a boat payment from working on their car, they wake up.

fredbear

thanks will do

fredbear

borrowed some tools from work and all the bolts were loose....the shop is going to splitt he labour cost with me.

even after I tightened them you can hear it so I guess the gaskets gone....but it does sound better.

subroc

iTrader: (2)

Thats the thing with headers. If you dont use locking hardware (aka stage 8) then you will HAVE to retorque the header bolts after a 100 miles or so and then maybe even one more time as the gasket gets heated up and cooled a few times.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

This is how to do it and what to use.
felpro 1404 or 1405 gaskest (for stock heads)
1" long small head header bolts
anti-seize for the bolts

pull off old gasket, make sure surface is clean and headers are flat
put the 2 outer bolts in (make sure you have just a lil bit of anti seize on the bolts)
Install the new gasket
Install the rest of the bolts
Tighten the 2 center bolts then the 4 outer bolts
run thru a heat cycle or 2 then check, you should be just fine

I have been doing this for years without a problem. I have even reused a few sets of gaskets..