ARP stainless header/manifold studs?
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
The 400 series stainless will rust and can rust through.(also has fairly strong magnetism) It is a heat treatable cheaper grade of stainless with a fair amount of carbon in it. In order to make the 400 series actually "stainless" it has to go through a passivation process. The companies are not going to spend the money on getting their headers and exhaust systems passivated. It holds up well to heat, has decent corrosion resistance and is not nearly as expensive as the 300 series stainless.
The 300 series stainless (303, 304, 309, 316, 321 and etc) contain large amounts of of nickel which greatly increases the corrosion resistance and helps with heat resistance as well. If you really need corrosion resistance and resistance to very high temperatures you step up to the more exotic nickel alloys like Inconel. A lot of high performance race applications use inconel for headers, exhaust, turbo compressor wheels and etc.
The 300 series stainless (303, 304, 309, 316, 321 and etc) contain large amounts of of nickel which greatly increases the corrosion resistance and helps with heat resistance as well. If you really need corrosion resistance and resistance to very high temperatures you step up to the more exotic nickel alloys like Inconel. A lot of high performance race applications use inconel for headers, exhaust, turbo compressor wheels and etc.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 4,654
Likes: 20
From: Tewksbury, MA
couldn't you paint them with high heat paint? my manifolds look like crap and they will probably fall off soon. I'm surprised that 7 years of plowing and 86k miles that they are still holding strong. I wanted to replace mine with the Gibson headers to get a longer life span out of them..hopefully.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,825
Likes: 43
From: Land of Taxes
I had the driver’s side leak too in my 08, 5.4 stock exhaust manifold. You couldn’t see any carbon tracking. You could feel it when the first starting up. I went to dealer and got new steel gasket, copper plated studs, nuts and the two studs and the nuts for the head-pipe flange, $130 worth of hardware. I was able to get everything apart even the broken rear stud, had enough meat left on it for me to tack a nut on it and out it came with air tools. Didn’t have to unbolt anything on the passenger side. I cleaned everything with die grinder with scotch brite discs. Leveled the manifold with a large file (would have liked to have it milled flat but it was 9pm on a Sat night and no Bridgeport in the garage) I then slapped it all back together using high temp copper never seize. Torqued it to 25LB/FT. Rechecked the torque after a few days...all ok. Been about 2 months of daily use and no leaks. Caution watch the steel insulation wrap on the head pipe. Its sharp as hell...don’t ask how I know.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,450
Likes: 70
From: South Jersey
I'll check with a magnet today to see. And its got cold yesterday here in NJ and the tick was gone oddly? But its warm today and that dam tick is back, I'm just gonna get the studs and buy a good header gasket. And xmont i might paint the headers a silver color when i get them off just to make them look good again for a few more years
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,825
Likes: 43
From: Land of Taxes
FYI...I soaked everything down a few days before the repair with PB Blaster, 3-4 times in fact. My 3/8 Snap On air hammer was invaluable as I don’t think I would have had as good of luck removing everything without it? A bunch of extensions and a swivel and out it all came. I tried using hand tools but didn’t like the feeling I was getting, that bolt yield to breakage feeling....Something about the hammering action never fails me with northern climate car/truck repair. Oh you'll need a star socket to go over the stock studs for install. Chase the holes in the heads too.
My brother had a 02 (NEW) RAM and both of his ex manifolds rotted off at 50k! That truck was a real POS! I have a 68 olds with original manifolds, of course it never sees salt snow or rain for that matter but really! What is it that manufacturers can’t get right today? How about some simple dust/debris shields over the gaping hole adjacent to the manifolds in the fender well...no brainer you’d think?
My brother had a 02 (NEW) RAM and both of his ex manifolds rotted off at 50k! That truck was a real POS! I have a 68 olds with original manifolds, of course it never sees salt snow or rain for that matter but really! What is it that manufacturers can’t get right today? How about some simple dust/debris shields over the gaping hole adjacent to the manifolds in the fender well...no brainer you’d think?
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Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,450
Likes: 70
From: South Jersey
i already have the gibson headers so i have normal stainless bolts at the ypipe connection. The problem i see is that with headers there is no way to get sockets on all the studs, pipe bends are in the way and closed end wrenches are the only way to remove/install the nuts. Wednesday it was almost 60 degrees here and my tick was back as well as a shake when at idle. Push bar looked like Jello jiggling, now its like 40 degrees and windy and my tick is gone again and the shake is also gone for now.....
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