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You can go cheap on e bay around 170.00 for Headman with the thin flange or you can go to some around 500.00.
Go with the thick mounting flange type & wont be worried everytime you turn around with the gaskets blowing.
Neil
What if you run a thin flange with a nice set of gaskets, and some locking header bolts?
Thin flanges will still leak. Locking fasteners do not fix the problems with cheap thin flanges, they just solve one small problem, and that is a fasterner losing torque during a heat cycle. Metal expands under the heat cycle, and this can have an effect on the ability to maintian a seal. Better gaskets are also a limited solution as these too will still leak eventually if the flange can no longer place enough force to keep the seal.
When a header is put through a heat cycle, the flange tends to warp and this warpage can cause the fasterner to loosten up as well as provide less clamping force. This lack of clamping force permits the fastener too fall out, or lose its torque which has an affect on the ability to maintain a seal with a gasket.
Even if the bolt can be locked down, the result of the heat cycle and the warpage can still occur and the leak may still be possible, and very probable.
Combine the two and you will still end up with a header that is not able to maintain the best or optimum force necessary to prevent a leak.
With cheap headers one can expect some leaks, this is greatly minimized by using better headers to begin with.
Notice that guys that run expensive headers dont have leak problems, nor do they have to use exotic bolts or gaskets. These are band aids for a problem that requires a better solution, that solution is a better product. That better product costs a bit more, but is more valuable in the long run.
In many cases the more expensive header will be less liekly to leak, and because it uses better materials may make better power too.
Win win situation here, and yet another example of "you get what you pay for".
I'm beginning to think all these headers not big enough tube. You take a 1 5/8" tube bolted to the head & its no bigger than a stock manifold opening.
Measure the port opening on a head & you'll see what I'm talking about. I know the design of the header with the long tubes have an affect on power output, but the size of the tube where it bolts on if its no bigger what good are the headers going to do.
If you ever planning on porting those heads, the exhaust port, you will want to open that up bigger for sure then those small tube headers wont work well.
I've heard of Kooks, L&L headers & a few others & read they have at least a 2" main tube.
Neil
I've had good luck with Stan's Headers in Auburn, WA on other vehicles I've owned. Thick, well made but fairly spendy. However, they have never leaked if installed correctly. I am still running the stock manifolds on my current truck so I cannot vouch for their products to fit a 460.
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