Ghettobird52

Hey all so im 99% sure im having an exhaust leak coming from my header gasket on the driver side. What header gaskets do you guys use nowadays?

3 years ago i grabbed some aluminum gaskets from autozone and used them with these headers, hooker 2055, well the passenger side has held up fine but the driver side is a diff story. I want to say they were Percy's but im not 100%. Im going to pull my headers completely and wrap them with some DEI header wrap because i never painted, or coated these headers when i should of. So what gaskets should i try this time?

Any information or advice is greatly appreciated

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Felpro 1404 or 1405 depending on the port size. Also, use 1" long bolts for better clamping.

LT1/TA

I use stock manifold gaskets,they are cheap and tough.I have been using these for years.
I would check the header to exhaust port contact(without gaskets)to make sure they are not bent.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

I've been using Remflex gaskets with no trouble. The SLP headers don't have one solid flange, but rather 3 smaller flanges, so I was concerned about just randomly picking a gasket. They're a little pricey, but they're supposed to be better for leaks. Honestly, I don't know how they'd be if you specifically had an issue, but thus far no issues for me. I can vouch for how thick they are, and how they crush when installed. It would make sense that they'd conform to any imperfections on the mating surfaces etc. etc.

midias

FEL-PRO MS9275 cost about $6 and works great

For the bolts I like these the 5/16 head makes them really easy to tighten and remove

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/arp-100-1110

Ghettobird52

Sorry to sound dumb but I don't see the difference between the two.
I have 187 heads connected to hooker 2055 headers. Which one would I use...?

I kinda wanted to try a regular gasket because of my no luck with this aluminum, although I did just grab one off the shelf so who knows what I had.

Hmm I like the idea with the smaller bolt head!!! Any one else use smaller bolts?
Also are those are 1" in length?

Thanks again everyone!

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Its just a difference in the port size, measure what you have and pick the gasket that doesn't cover your exhaust port.
These gaskets are made with the same stuff the SLPs used to be made from but are a 1 piece design and don't have the rib in them like the old multi piece SLP/ c4 corvette headers used.
I use the smaller head on the 1" long bolts and have for years. Also a little dab of anti-seize will go a long way.

midias

Yes per the link

Header Bolts, Hex Head, 5/16 in. Wrench, Steel, Black Oxide, 3/8 in.-16, 1.00 in. U.H.L., Set 16

The 5/16 head allows you to get a box end wrench on the bolts easy

redneckjoe

i have good luck with percy's aluminum collector gaskets.

it's always a good idea, even with new headers, to run a file on every flat surface. sometimes i find weld splatter or imperfections.

i've always had good luck with the drop-in, perforated steel gaskets by the head like these;
http://www.autozone.com/emission-con...140845_0_26536

Biledriver

I use multi layered aluminum gaskets. I would not wrap another set of headers again. I did mine and my wife's and two years later both of us had the headers break apart. The wrap does an amazing job at the expense of the headers.

Ghettobird52

Well the hookers are 1 5/8 primaries and the stock 187 casting heads so im guessing the smaller ones? (1404) def good point on the anti-seize.
Sweet i think im gonna go with those ones you linked! 16 bolts too, looks like i'll have a couple extra

Its funny you say that about the file because when i pull them off i think im going to. Because the passenger side has had no problems with the aluminum bought the driver side did...

Really?? wtf happened to the headers? pics?

The first header swap i did years ago i wrapped them before i put them on. I was young (18) used some crappy wrap that was the cheapest i could find and did a really crappy, quick wrap job (loose and not overlapped) yet it still did a crazy good job of reducing engine bay temps. They were on the car for about 4-1/2 5 years and when i pulled them off they did get a little discolored, but were in still usable shape.

3 years ago when i re did my exhaust fully i said to myself "no wrap/coating cant be that bad right?" well it is. My engine bay feels like a damn oven hits my face when i open the hood. The valley summers here in California are very hot with 30+ days in triple digits. So im pulling them out take my time and gonna wrap them with some good DEI wrap.

Ghettobird52

Wait do the 305 heads have smaller exhaust ports?

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/exha...rt-flange.html

Ghettobird52

Just to update this i ended up going with Remflex #2006. I love these things! They are so thick they crush real nice. I also got those ARP Chromoly #100-1110 Header bolts, i also love these damn bolts! It really made it easier to get a wrench on it and the extra length is perfect for Casting 187 heads. (swirlport tbi) They actually made installing the headers easier because of the extra length. The exhaust leak is gone! Nice to finally only have exhaust sound out of the pipes!

Its so crazy when you've done a job before how quick things go in and out on your 2nd time around.

Anywho just want to say THANK YOU to everyone. really appreciate all the time and info here! This forum seriously kicks ***

midias

if you wrap headers too tight or overlap the wrap too much you can crack the pipes my suggestion is to watch DEI video they show how to do it right you want a quarter inch overlay that is why they sew a line into their wrap.

Ghettobird52

Yeah i did watch as many videos as i could before i wrapped them. Tried to take as much time as i could, i think they came out pretty decent, we will see how they last up!!

skinny z

Remflex are hands down the best header gasket I've used.
Although it says re-torquing isn't required I found that after a few heat cycles, there was considerable looseness with the header bolts. You may want to keep an eye on that.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

And that's why I use felpro, 1" long bolts with anti-sieze on them, snug them up and done.

John in RI

iTrader: (167)

Earls.

Ja85z28

Percy's Deadsoft and don't look back

ssx2james

need header gaskets also. i hv the 350 motor, are the ports round? thinking of the felpro or the remflex.

Ghettobird52

6months later and I LOVE these gaskets! They have held very tight with zero leaks. I would recommend them!

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

I'm diggin mine too.

I also found this to be the case. Not LOOSE loose....but I definitely cinched em down a little more.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Check VERY CAREFULLY for the fit of the gasket to both the head and to the header. Then check at least as carefully for how the header flange meets up to the flange on the head.

I've seen MANY headers that had small round tubes, and the header flange was COMPLETELY INSIDE of the square head port; and MANY others with large round tubes, that the top or bottom (usually the bottom... right where it's impossible to really "see" the leak) was COMPLETELY OUTSIDE of the flange on the head. I've seen PLENTY of gaskets that the corner of the square hole in the gasket missed the round header flange, or vice-versa; and PLENTY where the round hole in the gasket missed the square port of the head. And so forth: once you get around to actually LOOKING AT stuff like that, you'll see why no matter what you've ever done, they always leeeeked.

There's no way you'll ever get ANY gasket to seal properly, no matter if it's forged by 10,000 year old gnomes in the fiery furnaces of Hell from purest virgin nonobtanium alloyed with a trace of extraterrestrial irreplacium from a Kuyper belt meteorite found in Antarctic ice, if the metal parts don't meet.

In all my days, short though they may be in this hobby (only 45 years or so), the SINGLE LEAST IMPORTANT facet of getting header gaskets to seal, was the material the gasket was made of. With the exception of those old white paper-like ones that felt sorta like leather when they were new but turned to crispy ash within a few hundred miles.

I've had the best luck, as far as fitment, with the Mr G copper ones, and with stock metal-clad ones. I have no doubt that some of the other metal or MC ones would work very well too, just haven't ever used em.

A coupla other old tricks that have cured more leaky headers than I can remember, is to wizz-wheel the metal in between the tubes off, such that the front and rear tubes can find their own way independent of the center ones. Watch out though, because sometimes when you do that, they sproing off into space so far away from where they're supposed to be, that it's impossible to get all the bolts in. Although you can usually fix that with a punch in one of the holes as a prybar, tighten the other bolt on the ornery tube, then put in the 2nd bolt. And, take your angle grinder to the flange, and round off the flange just a little bit, to where the center in between the bolts is taller than the edge right next to the bolts, so that when you tighten the bolts down and the flange bends in around the edges, it still puts compression on the gasket in the center.

And as pointed out, they ALWAYS seem to need to be re-torqued a time or 2 after a few heat cycles.

a62belair

I used 4 stock-type foil faced gaskets. put a bead of red hi-temp silicone on the paper side of one, and put the paper side of another to sandwich them with the foil side facing out on both sides. Then, a small bead of red silicone on both foil sides of the foil before installation (let it skin first). Collectors, I used aluminum, with a bead of red silicone again (both sides, let it skin first, again). I've had my bolts get loose, but haven't had any leaks for over 3 years (I re-tighten the bolts every couple of months) and use anti-seize on all bolts, nuts.