carfreak6970
Well-Known Member
So a little back story:
My exhaust manifold was leaking around the heat riser so I ended up finding what I thought was a NOS exhaust manifold (picked it up at a Dodge dealership that lost its franchise) and installed that back in march of this year. There was a 73 cast into it which leads me to believe it is a 73 exhaust manifold. The choke mounting area is not inside the flow path of the exhaust.
I only put on about 1300 miles since then. With in that 1300 miles I retorqued the intake/exhaust to head nuts to 10 ft-lb (well used an inch-lb wrench at 120 in-lbs, like the service manual says and the other bolts and nuts associated with the exhaust) 3 times. However last Tuesday I was out driving around and it started to develop this horrible exhaust leak, so I figured those nuts worked themselves lose again. I didnt get a chance to address it until last night. I retorqued the head to intake/exhaust nuts, intake to exhaust nuts and the exhaust flange. I tried to take it to work this morning and the exhaust leak is still there. I open the hood and see that the number 1 cylinder exhaust runner had a black carbon mark from an exhaust leak and the number 6 cylinder exhaust runner was blowing exhaust out (felt by my hand).
So it would appear I blew my exhaust/intake gasket... lovely. So my questions presented to everyone here:
What do you use to secure your intake and exhaust manifolds to the head? I still use those factory wing washers with just regular stainless steel nuts threaded on to studs. I have a feeling that the heat cycles are the cause for the nuts working themselves loose. I also find having to retorque these nuts more than once within 1300 miles on factory components to be excessive. So is there any fastening method that would prevent the intake/exhaust nuts working themselves lose under the heat and cool cycles?
What intake/exhaust gasket would be the best for reliability on a stock engine using OEM parts?
And for more information: it has been pretty hot here in Pittsburgh the past week or so. its been in the high 80's to the low 90's with some decent humidity. I have a 160 degree thermostat installed and the temperature gauge indicates that the water temp doesnt go above 180-190. Which is higher than I would like it to but definitely not in the danger zone. As long as I dont get stuck in traffic the temp stays around 160-170 in motion during these high heat days.
My exhaust manifold was leaking around the heat riser so I ended up finding what I thought was a NOS exhaust manifold (picked it up at a Dodge dealership that lost its franchise) and installed that back in march of this year. There was a 73 cast into it which leads me to believe it is a 73 exhaust manifold. The choke mounting area is not inside the flow path of the exhaust.
I only put on about 1300 miles since then. With in that 1300 miles I retorqued the intake/exhaust to head nuts to 10 ft-lb (well used an inch-lb wrench at 120 in-lbs, like the service manual says and the other bolts and nuts associated with the exhaust) 3 times. However last Tuesday I was out driving around and it started to develop this horrible exhaust leak, so I figured those nuts worked themselves lose again. I didnt get a chance to address it until last night. I retorqued the head to intake/exhaust nuts, intake to exhaust nuts and the exhaust flange. I tried to take it to work this morning and the exhaust leak is still there. I open the hood and see that the number 1 cylinder exhaust runner had a black carbon mark from an exhaust leak and the number 6 cylinder exhaust runner was blowing exhaust out (felt by my hand).
So it would appear I blew my exhaust/intake gasket... lovely. So my questions presented to everyone here:
What do you use to secure your intake and exhaust manifolds to the head? I still use those factory wing washers with just regular stainless steel nuts threaded on to studs. I have a feeling that the heat cycles are the cause for the nuts working themselves loose. I also find having to retorque these nuts more than once within 1300 miles on factory components to be excessive. So is there any fastening method that would prevent the intake/exhaust nuts working themselves lose under the heat and cool cycles?
What intake/exhaust gasket would be the best for reliability on a stock engine using OEM parts?
And for more information: it has been pretty hot here in Pittsburgh the past week or so. its been in the high 80's to the low 90's with some decent humidity. I have a 160 degree thermostat installed and the temperature gauge indicates that the water temp doesnt go above 180-190. Which is higher than I would like it to but definitely not in the danger zone. As long as I dont get stuck in traffic the temp stays around 160-170 in motion during these high heat days.
