what do you guys think

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slantscamp

slantscamp

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so i had my exhaust done last week on the wagon. yesterday when i started the car i noticed that it sounded like the exhause hit my torsion bar, then when it started there was a leak at the collector. i was in a bit of a hurry so i figured i would tighten it up later. well i got on the freeway and the whole gasket blew out which led to the exhaust flopping around hitting my torsion bar. i looked underneith and the only place he supported the system is at the mufflers. it looks like there needs to be another support up by the transmission maybe. later that day i tightend it up and it wasnt so bad. it still leaked since there wasnt a gasket, but it wasnt flopping around. well this morning im driving over to my dads and the other header blows the gasket out and now my exhaust is flopping around and hitting my transmission. he said it had a 2 year warranty. it didnt even last two weeks! so im pretty pissed off at the moment. and i will be waiting outside the shop with my car tomorrow morning to have him fix it right. why cant anyone just do a good job anymore. i mean i dont do exhaust. but it seems like there is alot of stress on the headers because there is no supports. what do you guys think of this.
 
Which gaskets blew, collector or at the head? I've personally never seen or used hangers any further ahead than at the mufflers. Is it possible your motor mount rubbers are wore out and the extra movement of the motor is stressing the seal at the collector? That the best guess I can give, I'm no exhaust expert either. That, or the collector bolts were never tightened down enough to begin with. Good luck.
 
hey jd. thanks for the reply. i wasnt sure about support places on exhaust systems. my motor mounts are all new and the motor doesnt really move around much. its the gaskets at the collectors that both blew. what type of bolts/nuts should they use on an exhaust. he used 5/16 bolts with double nuts on the back side on one header. no lock washers or anything. and on the other header just bolts and one nut on the back side. that one blew out first. and the other header after.
 
the bottom header is missing the whole gasket, and this morning the top header blew the top part of the gasket off. (the area circled in yellow)

exhaust.jpg
 
SOmething doesnt look right there. He didnt weld a ball flange on the down pipe did he? It looks like theres too much room b/w the two flanges. Is that the gasket just floating in between the two of them?
 
well its squished between the two pipes flares, but it still doesnt look right. my dad said there was probably a small leak which led to it burning up the gasket. i have never had headers before and i never looked at a setup like this up close before so i dont know what it is supposed to look like.
 
A couple questions, are the two diameters the same size, are the flanges fixed or does one rotate and the other doesn't, also does the gasket cover all the way to the inside edge of the pipe
 
I would try a set of thick copper seal gaskets. Looks like you need something that is going to form to both flanges and seal it up. I think your gaskets are too thin.
 
With all the new stuff under the hood etc.. with the heat cycles you should re-check everything. All the collectors iv'e ever had did the same thing, it's part of the deal, unless you use real thick flanges.
 
i know the flange on the headers spin. the other flange that came with the headers was also the style that spun. but im not 100% sure he used those ones. but im pretty sure it also just spins on the pipe untill you bolt them both together. i do know that the pipes on both sides are flared so the flanges cant actually touch unless you bend them. these are also the gaskets that came from clifford performance with the headers. it looks like a copper gasket would hold up better though. i have been told that with headers you need to check things and make sure they stay tight. but i only put 80 miles on it since it was done.
 
i will deffinitly be keeeping an eye on those bolts after the shop fixes it. i did check the intake exhaust studs and those were all fine.
 
well i dropped the wagon off at the muffler shop this morning. the guy actually asked how i was doing. like he couldnt hear the exhaust leak. i told him "not good" he looked shocked that they both blew out and then said it must be because its running lean and hot, and i told him im trying to tune it up, but its kind of hard to do when the gaskets blow out when you get on the freeway. he is going to put new gaskets in but said if they still leak the only way to fix it is to take the flanges off and weld a piece of pipe in. but that doesnt seem right at all to me, and i see a bunch of people running these headers. i guess if it leakes again i will fix it myself with copper gaskets. there must be a way to fix it.
 
well i got my car back. here is a picture of the gasket blown out and the new gasket they put in. so i will keep an eye on it and maybe it will last. but im not expecting any miracles. if it leaks again i will just fix it myself with different gaskets and better bolts. maybe even use real all metal lock nuts and not double nut job that these guys used.

P8173964.jpg


P8173966.jpg
 
UMMMM your new gasket is not even sealed tight.That gasket should be pinched tight between the two flanges.The Guy at the muffler shop must be a Moron.
I always use high-temp RTV on my collector gaskets.They seem to last alot longer when I do this.Even if you blow both gaskets the pipes should not come loose.There is somthing wrong here.Wrong type of flange? wrong gasket ? Or both. Jim
 
You might have to double up on gaskets if the two mating flanges are not real straight. I have seen some people weld a small brace from the collector to the block to cut down on the stress at the head flange, but in your case it may take some stress off those collector joints.
 
i dont understand the flanges cant really get any closer because the pipes are flared inbetween the flanges. the gasket is sealing the flares. i could see if the flanges were just welded onto the header flush and flush on the exhaust side, then the gaket would be completely squished. but the way these headers are even with no gasket, the flanges wont be able to touch.
 
huh ? I agree something is wonkey here. Save yourself frustration and take it to another muffler shop and just ask this question " I dont like this set up.. what would you do differently on it?" and see what there reply is. If they say .. "looks ok to me" then you have your answer.. if they start laughing and say " WTF is that mess" then you have your answer.

simple.

when it comes to header gaskets I have a freind who swears up and down about using the gasket as a template and cut out a bunch of tinfoil gaskets and use them they compress together.... I dont know how great of a idea that is... all I know is he never has header leaks.

-RPM
 
if the are cone then the pipe needs to be tapered to fit tight around header
 
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