I have the headers tightened down tighter than a catholic school girl, but i can hear and see them leaking when the car's on. im using mr. gasket ultraseal gaskets because the copper ones started to leak before and i didnt feel like spending all that money only for it to happen again. what do you suggest i do to fix this problem? lord forbid my headers are warped... it's only been like 6 months since ive had them on... but what do you think im going to have to do to get the headers to seal right? they're hedman 1 5/8 long tube headers btw... thanks guys, i owe you one

 

The problem usually is, that the gasket doesn't cover the sealing flange on the head, or the header, or both; or, that the sealing flange on the headers, doesn't mate up to the sealing flange on the heads; or, that the bolts weren't re-tightened soon enough, and the gasket leaked (which only a very short time of will totally destroy the gasket), and they need to be replaced anyway.

Best thing to do, is to take the headers off carefully, so you can identify exactly why it isn't sealing; and either buy a different part # of gasket (there are several to choose from), or different headers, or different heads.

Globbing silicone on it won't work. Not for very long anyway.

 

what do you mean re-tightened soon enough? thanks for your input RB

 

What he's talking about, is that for the first few weeks, headers will be working themselves loose ALOT while they are "taking a set" and being broken-in to the heat. In the first few weeks of having new headers on an engine, or at least a set thats new to your engine, the bolts will get worked loose, and you have to re-tighten them up asap so that you don't ruin the gaskets.

After a few weeks, the headers will be 'broken in' and will stop trying to work the bolts loose, and all will be well. Untill then, you should be checking the bolts every couple of days.

 

ok... well, my headers aren't new... but i guess they'd still be worked loose some after taking the headers off and putting them back on right? the last bolt on the driver side header seems to tighten up to a point, and if tightened anymore, it'll come loose and you have to tighten it again... so i really can't put too much torque on the bolt or it'll work itself loose. any suggestions? thanks guys

 

That sounds like a stripped bolt or a stripped hole.

 

It does sound like it's stripped. Hopefully it's in a place where you can get to it. But first try this.
Since you're gonna have to loosen the headers, you might as well pony up for some new gaskets. I recomend MR Gasket super-gaskets (the grey ones) but I'm sure there are other quality gaskets out there. Anyway, take the header loose from the head, use a longer bolt in the questionable hole (pray), replace all of the other bolts but do not tighten them, (pray) tighten the questionable one first, (pray) then tighten all of the rest. (don't forget to pray).
Hopefully, that should do it. (did I mention pray).

If that doesn't work, then you'll have to heli-coil the hole, and depending on access, that can be a real PITA.

 

I use the mr gasket header gaskets (blue ones I think) pretty common. they work great. I had a problem a long time ago where they did what yours is doing and I have NO IDEA how but, there was rtv in the bolt holes????? I don't really use the stuff unless at the end of the intake or oil pan ends. (maybe some one thought they were being funny?) it was not much but enough to keep the bolts from getting fully seated

 

Actually, the way it sounds like that hole is stripped, there may be a patch-fix for it, and it will make your life easier in other ways too.

Go out and buy a set of Breslin header bolts. The way they work is sorta a "bolt inside a bolt" idea... you put the bolt in, tighten it up, then tighten the hell outta the inner bolt. The inner bolt expands the end of the threads outward so it grabs really hard against the inside of the bolt hole. This might help you with both keeping your headers leak free and helping with the stripped hole.

 

These are what I'm talking about:

 

also file down the header flange so it seats to the head good. sometimes the headers warp from heat and it will have a gap that the gasket will not be able to fill up and start to leak. also goes for manifolds

 

I wouldn't do that.. just lay a straight edge across the flange and if its pretty close, your fine.

 

but if its not fine or you have to big of gaps then what do you do? buy a new set of headers when you can fix the problem in 5 min.?

 

IMO, good call on the header bolt, that might work.
I've seen header flanges horribly crooked, I've even had to weld material to some of them and then file them back down to level. Check it witha straight edge, then try to find a file board like they use in body shops (sometimes called and idiot stick) use 36 grit on it and sand the flange flat. Keep in mind that if you sand through the weld, the pipe will not seal to the flange and it will definately leak. If the headers have individual flanges (like most pontiacs for example) then you may consider heating the tube in order to get it to match up with the head. Again, I had a set of heads that I used to test fit $75.00 headers on before I ever put them on the car. They were made by Cyclone and were the biggest POS headers ever made. This is crude, but you may want to glue up those gaskets with some exhaust sealant (available at NAPA, and other fine parts stores) When you install them.

 

If the problem is in the flange, just a torch and hammer would probably be all you'd need to 'massage' it back into the right place.

 

Aside from the seemingly obvious stripped thread. My opinion of Hedman headers is not high. I have the shorties on my car, they have leaked since day one. I have grown accustomed to the sound of leaky header gaskets. I even tried the copper ones. Leaked as soon as I started the car. The obscenities were flying in my garage! My father has a set of headers identical to mine, would you believe his don't leak at all? He never has a problem with them. Verdict.....Inconsistent quality at the Hedman plant.

 

There's no way to get headers (or anything else, for that matter) to seal, if the bolts are stripped.

First thing you gotta do, is fix the stripped bolt hole(s) if you have that. I'd recommend a Heli-Coil. http://12.130.38.20/products/helicoil.html You can get them everywhere; Auto Zone, Advance, CSK, NAPA, hardware & home improvement stores, farm supply, etc. etc. etc. Make sure you use the right drill bit, it'll tell you on the package; you might have to rent a right-angle drill, but it's worth it.

Then, look at the way the headers line up to the head. If the raised bead on the header flange misses the machined place on the head, it'll never seal, no matter what you do. Only cure for that, is to re-make the sealing flange if possible, or replace the headers, or replace the heads.

Then, make sure the flange is flat. Doesn't have to be perfectly flat, but it does need to be close; less than about ¼ of the thickness of the gasket out of flat. You can grind or file or belt-sand it, or possibly bend the flange, or maybe even, if the flange is one big piece that goes all the way from front to rear, cut it into 3 sections to make each part of it fit better.

Also, one of the morals of this story is: you get what you pay for in headers. More directly true than almost any other common bolt-on performance part. Cheap headers will always cause problems; either they won't fit the car, or you'll go through what you're going through, or they won't last long, or all three. Don't think you're going to buy the cheapest thing there is that calls itself a header, and expect it to work as good and last as long as one that costs more.

 

well... im getting a new set of heads soon (dart iron eagles) so i wont worry about the bolt hole. i just gotta figure out if my headers are warped or not. ive heard about people soaking the gasket in water and then installing them after they've soaked... is that a good idea or a waste of time? i'm going to be upset if it's not the gasket sealing right and it's that the header is warped... i dont want to file/sand anything down because ive never done it and i dont want to mess anything up

 

you soak the cheap papper gaskets (white or light tan ones). the better ones (blue ones don't need to be soaked)

 

My hedman LT's warped bad. Not sure why.

Right now I am just using 2 cheap paper gaskets on each side. So far so good. But if they blow I am going to use some regular fel-pro gaskets that are made to be used with manifolds and see how they do.

 

One other thing, the factory made some steel exhaust gaskets for the SBC, and guys have used then on problem headers with some success. The bad part is that thses steel gaskets were designed for the 265 SBC and the ports are way too small, you may try using them but you'll have to cut out the inside. FYI

 

Well if you do have stripped bolt and are planning on getting new heads dont waste $10 on cheap paper gaskets! I'm not a fan of copper gaskets either since a thin layer of copper material wont help if you have a warped flange. Flowtech, Percey's and a few others have "dead soft aluminum" gaskets $45 that will seal warped headers. There .060" thick multiple layer gaskets and I swear by them, infact they are the only gasket that sealed the headers on my truck. I was so pleased with this product that I got a set for the bird even though the felpro's werent leaking. CSK and Advanced stock these gaskets or can get them next day. Might also want to invest in a set of ARP header bolts. I havent had to tighten them once since I installed them a year ago.
This is a pic of the square SBC geaskets.

 

buy the earls header gaskets, they work nice. i put a set on my car, been about 2 and a half months and no leaking yet. didn't even retighten the headers either

 

you have a part #?

 

There are several part #s, with various size & shape holes. Round with a couple of different diameters, square or rectangular in a couple of sizes, offset above the bolt hole centerline or centered on the bolt hole CL, etc. etc. etc.You need to look at your headers and your head ports, and get whichever gaskets match your parts the closest. A part # that worked great on one combo, might not work at all on yours.

 

dead soft aluminium gaskets fixed my leaks. best things is they can be reused. ive taken mine off 3 times and no problems

 

well as for a part number i can only give you what i ordered, which i have the 350tpi heads so i'm sure you will be able to use the same ones i got.

the gaskets have little inserts in them.. they are the actual sealers, you can replace JUST them incase you take the headers out. so if for some reason you buy a set and alittle while later they start leaking, just buy the little inserts for them.. but unless you have to take them out, DON'T take them out. everyone at my job felt like messing around with them and then when it was time to put them in i kept having problems with them fallin out because everyone was messing around with them. what i had to do was put alittle silicon around the edges to help hold them in.. but unless you keep on taking the inserts out and putting them back in and back out you should be fine.

here they are:

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...de3b&x=14&y=16

don't mind that photo they have of it, thats not really what it looks like they are showing a different gasket as an example, but you can read where it says 262-400sbc. jegs has them too but i couldn't find them on their website, but it's in their catalog.. and i can't find one

 

I cut the flange between the tubes next to he heads. The reason is because the exaust port exits are not on a tight tolerance and when these are not in a stright line the header pulls out away from the head because of the differances of the ports on the head.

later

rick

 

The catholic school girls round here arent as tight as you'd think...

 

I'm debating whether or not if I should ask how you know this...