I keep on blowing out exhaust gaskets on my driver side. I replaced the driverside today and it is like the gasket isn't even sealing. This is the number 6 cyl I believe. The other cyls are fine. As soon as I cranked the car exhaust could be heard and felt comming from the gasket. I have headers so that could be a reason. Is there a way to get the gaksets to keep from blowing out. Anything that I can use to make them thicker. I am using Fiero gaskets b/c of the metal ring in the prot and they work great except for that one cyl.

 

A lot of racers opt to have their exhaust gaskets soak in water over night, then install them the following day (it's an old trick to help get them to seal properly). Also, some people will "cut" the exhaust manifold gasket (or even the header flange itself) in between ports. This helps each port seal tremendously....

Picture a full gasket being sandwiched between the flange and the head, now picture a "cut" gasket (a three piece gasket, per side, if you will) being sandwiched between the header and the head. The cut gaskets will seal much better, if not entirely....

 

What I did today was just cut off the gasket for the one cyl so that the other gcyls wouldn't be unsealed and just pushed the new gasket into place on the one cyl.

 

First off, are all the bolts in the head still there?

Second, if they are, sounds like you have a warped manifold to me. As long as every bolt is there and you are tightening them down all the way, you shouldn't have a sealing problem unless something is not flat.

 

All the bolts are there and are tight.

 

i would take off that header or manifold and check it for warpage. it sounds to me like you might have some warpage going on.

 

I had a warpage problem, so i cut the header flange b/t all of the tubes. I never tried the gasket soak method but it sounds like it would work. Also i covered both sides of the gasket with high temp liquid gasket.

 

I'll probably cut the flange to make each cyl independent when I get my motor swapped. I guess that I can live with it for the next few weeks. What is the high temp liguid gasket that you used?

 

I always cut the header flanges as well.

Because I am usually working with Buick and Olds engines, they don't always have two holes for each port, sometimes they "share" bolt holes...

I take the bolt holes around the center cylinders and cut a slice through the hole, from top to bottom. Just as thin as I can get by with. Usually just the width of the cut off wheel on the die grinder. Then I bolt them down. The heat and expansion still allows the flange to move a little with the heat but it still retains the gaskets..

 

Permatex High-Temp Red RTV Silicone Gasket, its rated to 650 degrees F. I know exhaust is hotter than 650 but it worked for me.