if you install the right header gasket you wont burn thru gaskets. I run Percy gaskets and dont have a header bolt in the very back passenger side. been this way for over 2yrs now with no leaks. key is to run a 1" long header bolt, great quality gasket and headers with a thick header flange so the headers dont warp when they get hot.

 

Yeah I think I'll go your route and buy those gaskets and bolts soon. I already have everything bolted up now, and no codes coming up or anything and I don't smell any exhaust. I may hear an exhaust leak but honestly I can't tell for sure. If it is, I may have had a leak before because I think I heard that sound with my stock exhaust, which means that bolt may have already been broken because my manifolds didn't look cracked.

Anyways you said to get allen head bolts right because you can get them tighter? To me it seems like they would strip easier but I don't have any experience with those type of bolts really so I'm probably wrong.

I looked on summit and looks like I'll be spending around 100 altogether for the gaskets and bolts maybe a little more after tax and shipping. However, I want to make sure I get the right bolts. Summit doesn't list stage 8 locking bolts for a 96 302, but would these do instead?

1996 FORD Exhaust - Search Results for stage 8 bolts - SummitRacing.com

It says they are for 4.9 to 5.4, but I don't know if the thread size is the same or not. Also, would you know if I would need to do some slight modification to these to get them to fit in some of the header holes since the pipes are pretty close to the holes?

 

Ha ha My point is proven, not always will they leak.

 

I have not had to take my header bolts off so its possible the allen heads will be an issue. if your worried just run a 12point bolt, this way you can sinch things down better. I also ran some copper rtv on each of my header bolts. i was told this would help keep them from freezing up in the head but also not allow them to back out. time will tell