I pulled my L&L headers off and put orange Hi temp silicon instead of gaskets and so far so good, seems to work if anyone else has header gasket problems might be worth a try.

 

many vehicles dont even use exhaust manifold gaskets, and you dont really need to if your heads are fresh and everything is square. if your having problems continuously the headers are probably warped.

Ive used RTV quite often. ive even taken two gaskets with 1/4 of rtv in between lol.

i stuck my headers in a vise, sprayed some chevy orange across the gasket surfaces, scraped over the wet paint with a square, ground down the high spots, clean off paint with acetone, 'rinse lather and repeat' like 20 times and perfectly machine shop straight! took a lot of patience using a tiger disc on a grinder and a dremel

 

That is a good idea, did you have luck with the stacked gaskets? I thought that sounded good then I had second thoughts, like that maybe the extrs thickness might blow out easier.

 

there are a few companys that makes either copper or aluminum gaskets i have used both and they work great for these problems an old school mechanics trick also is to heat the headers up [1 pipe at a time,all bolts tight red hot] they will then bend and conform to the head if they are warped

 

no, i was using factory gaskets, i just let the rtv fully set up in between it never blew out, i was still having the same problem ended up i had a big bump on a surface i evidently couldnt get to lol, it was just blowing around a thinner wall

 

X2, i use Percy's "Dead Soft" aluminum header gaskets, leak-free going on a decade now.

 

yes x2 for sure i just couldnt remember the brand name but now i need to order some any ways i got into a project yesterday i real shouldnt have thought i would take a shot at changing the exaust gaskets on my s/c with a rebuilt 460 [po] i used an air chilsel to break all the d/s bolts free came out like butter p/s ended up breaking 4 bolts flush with the head upon getting the other 4 out i seen what some one had done there must of being 2 people working on that truck at i time the s.o.b used lock tight now i have to pull the engine to get the head off,drill out the bolts and finalt replace the gaskets

 

MIne are still leak free, I keep tightening the bolts everytime I drive it for a few more times, I keep getteing 1/8 turn out of a few of the bolts, I don't know if they are backing off or just smashing down on the rtv still, but I hope it lasts. Thanks for the idea.

 

When I installed L&L headers on my '78 F-250 / 4x4/ 460 in '97 I used the gaskets supplied with them. Nearly 16 years and 65,000 miles later still no leaks or other sealing issues.


Roger Carter

 

The problem with the L&L's is that 1/2" thick flange and the off the shelve bolts they give you with them. I have yet to find a header bolt that is long enough.

 

Should be able to find bolts as long as you need at the site below:

Header Hardware And Header Bolts

 

Thanks, I'll have to measure an old one now and get a hole depth. Not going to be cheep but at least they will be long enough and hopfully won't come loose so much.

 

Longer bolts huh? That is going to be on my to do list for sure, Thanks.

 

Been almost a month now, I've kept the bolts tight and still no leaks, drove it every day. I want to order the longer bolts though.