hedman headers(shortys) leaking
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hedman headers(shortys) leaking
I put on the headers and everything fit reasonably well for aftermarket headers however these have a cone on the collector for the flanges to fit on and about once a month i have to tighten them up again or they leak bad , is there any gaskets for the type headers with the cone collectors ? oh yea its a '90 f-150 302 auto , any help or suggestion would be appreciated
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doublenutted already
ok the collector is double nutted cant back off but because of the seal being so small on a tapered lip of the cone if the bolt gets heated i believe it may be stretching, therefore i wanted to know if any body is using a collector gasket wit any of these headers and are you using grade 8 bolts, thanks for the suggestions but I have already locked them down and secured them and no i dont want to tighten them once a month.
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I had two sets of them. First got replaced under warranty from hedman. They don't fit right and your y pipe is barely big enough to cover the exit at the collector and they end up smashing the bell there . After you tighten them up 3 or 4 times they ar done for. I got so fed up I finaly tossed them and went back to manifolds. I am much happier now. I tried some mac headers years ago. Mine is a 91 with 302. They were even worse! I took them back after 2 days.
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exactly what i am experiencing
thank you very much for the input , i am having the very same trouble , and you just answered all my questions, thanks again, never did have good luck with aftermarket headers
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From: MA
Well Hedman aret the best brand on the market. You will get what you pay for. I have never had any issues with the higher end headers(JBA, Bassani, and Gibson). THe current set of Bassani I am running have been on their for a good six months now, without even retorquing one bolt.
Rich
Rich
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well thats good
sometimes just because pay more doesnt mean you get more, and it doesnt offer any solution to this problem, im looking for possibly a gasket made to work with these cone type collectors,if any body has agood idea ,im going to try a high temp thick gasket I used to use with some shoenfeld race header tomorrow, see if it works , need to make a better sealing surface.
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From: MA
Is this the stock block? Have you checked the exhaust port deck to make sure its square? I have run those copper gaskets in the past, and they helped some (old set of dynomax). You might want to see if ARP makes locking header bolts.
Rich
Rich
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rich ok im ready
can you please tell me a little more about the headers you found were they a very good fit ? etc. im going to toss the hedmans tired of fighting , and they look horrible already too, wont last too much longer any way , Id appreciate the help thanks in advance
Joe
Joe
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From: MA
Yes, they fit perfectly. I am running Bassani's Ceramic Coated, equal length, shorty headers. I love the ceramic, because it will never change colors, and it is guaranteed against rust-through. As someone mentioned here, Gibson has some good reviews on their headers as well (but I have no first hand knowledge), but I do not know if they are equal length. You might want to take a look at www.proficientperformance.com . That is where I bought my complete bassani street thunder system. They had the best pricing I could find. Have you posted to either the F series, or Bronco forum (same vehicle back to the B pillar) about header choices? I know there are quite a few guys over in the bronco forum who run bassani, and have rave reviews. I hope that site gives you some choices.
Rich
Rich
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thanks rich
no , I havent posted to the other forum but Ive read alot of the exhaust forum here and you gave some very sound advise, and after thinking about it and evaluating the situation I feel you have the knowledge and straight forwardness to follow your lead on this. I appreciate the info it is a great help, Ill let you know how it goes.
thanks again
thanks again
Super Moderator
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From: MA
JBA is a well respected brand, but I do not have any personal experience with them either. The bassanis are 14 ga carbon steel, which are also a very good metal to use. I just looked at what PP had for JBA, and saw the ones you mentioned. I would definatley still go with the bassani. They have the high temp ceramic coating on them. The JBA do not. That coating reduces underhood temperatures. For every five degrees you drop under the hood, you theoretically gain one horsepower (thats up and above what the headers will provide). On the "NORMAL" temp. guage in my bronco, I was running on the "M" with the stock manifolds, whereas with the HTC, I only hit midway on the "R" when I am stuck in traffic for extended periods. So, I guess its up to you from here. Yes, SS is nice, but so isnt HTC. The HTC should act as a barrier to any crap that would be thrown onto them that might potentially rust them out.
Rich
Rich