Header gasket tips?
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More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 636
Likes: 5
From: down a red dirt road
Header gasket tips?
my 360 FE has blackjack full length headers, put them on in 2005 and never had any trouble until 3 months ago the gaskets started leakin on the passenger side. so i got mr.gasket 251 gaskets and only replaced the pass. side. it sort of leaked immediatly just couldnt get it sealed, so yesterday i got another gasket and applied that copper gasket spray and again it leaks like crazy the bolts keep tightening more and more after running the engine and letting it cool off to touch. they seem to leak on the upper corners of those square ports on just about every port.
my next solution is to either double up the gaskets or use high temp rtv which worked on my mazda truck really well.
has anyone used these gaskets or suggest another gasket or have any better tips?
thankyou
my next solution is to either double up the gaskets or use high temp rtv which worked on my mazda truck really well.
has anyone used these gaskets or suggest another gasket or have any better tips?
thankyou
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: MO
+1 i have used stage 8's on two occasions. they work great
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
'just a couple of tips to offer:
-Use a blue Roloc disc to ensure a clean surface.
-Put a metal straight edge across the header flange to check for straightness. If out of wack, file down the warped surface to remove any bumps, ridges, or booger welds.
-Sometimes older headers take a "set" and when heated will warp in a certain direction because the molecular structure is accustomed to deforming in that direction. An option would be to relieve the stress by cutting the flange to separate that primary tube from the others. If I do this, then I try to keep the primaries in pairs.
-Use anti-seize on all the bolts. It contains ground glass. The medium will burn off and leave the glass crystals behind and allow for easier removal in the future. Glass is inert and will not form a continuous bridge between the metals like iron oxide (rust) will do.
-Stock cast iron exhaust manifolds only require like 18-25 ft.lbs. Lightly snug down the header bolts. Do not put "gorilla" torque on 'em. After repeated heat cycles, snug them down again and again to about the same tightness until the gaskets achieve their final crush. You should be good to go from there. Re-check with every oil change.
-Use a blue Roloc disc to ensure a clean surface.
-Put a metal straight edge across the header flange to check for straightness. If out of wack, file down the warped surface to remove any bumps, ridges, or booger welds.
-Sometimes older headers take a "set" and when heated will warp in a certain direction because the molecular structure is accustomed to deforming in that direction. An option would be to relieve the stress by cutting the flange to separate that primary tube from the others. If I do this, then I try to keep the primaries in pairs.
-Use anti-seize on all the bolts. It contains ground glass. The medium will burn off and leave the glass crystals behind and allow for easier removal in the future. Glass is inert and will not form a continuous bridge between the metals like iron oxide (rust) will do.
-Stock cast iron exhaust manifolds only require like 18-25 ft.lbs. Lightly snug down the header bolts. Do not put "gorilla" torque on 'em. After repeated heat cycles, snug them down again and again to about the same tightness until the gaskets achieve their final crush. You should be good to go from there. Re-check with every oil change.
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