[Roadsters] Header Frustration - ideas?

[Pat Horne]

If the flanges aren't flat on the collector and header pipe it is 
possible for exhaust gasses to eat up a collector gasket in short order. 
Make sure both surfaces are flat and parallel. Tighten down the bolts a 
little at a time so that the pipe and header will come into alignment 
and not be crooked. I've never tried a copper gasket, but it seems as if 
it would take more tightening to get it to seal, which could distort the 
header and pipe flanges if they are not thick enough to take the extra 
stress.

I bought a header for my 1600 years ago from one of our vendors. Once I 
got it installed I noticed the smell of exhaust inside the car, so I 
went back to the shop that put the header and the rest of the exhaust 
system onto the car. He found that there was a small hole in the middle 
of where the 4 collector pipes came together. The easiest way for him to 
repair it was to cut off part of the collector so he could weld from the 
ends of the pipes, rather than trying to get in from the front. After 
the repair he welded the collector back on and it hasn't leaked since. 
That was in the early 90s.

Peace
Pat

Thusly spake Nathaniel Leeds:
> I'm having a bunch of frustration with my header.
>
> First frustration: it keeps eating the head-pipe gasket. I've now blown two
> apart in 500 miles. Now I'm not a master mechanic but how do you mess up
> putting in a head-pipe gasket? One friend said that I need to go to a copper
> gasket. Anybody with a similar experience?
>
> Second frustration: it looks like my header is leaking at the base
> (head-pipe side) where the four tubes are welded together. I took it in to
> the welder who fixed it the first time and he said that he'd had a hard time
> fixing the header the first time and with a second leak 500 miles later he
> suggested I save my money and just buy a new header. What are people's
> experiences with the after-market headers -- do they last, or am I going to
> be sending my welder's children through college?
>
> Nathaniel
> p.s. Thanks warning me about the jack.
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>   


-- 
Pat Horne, Owner, Horne Systems 
(512) 797-7501 Voice		5026 FM 2001
Pat at HorneSystemsTx.com	Lockhart, TX 78644-4443
www.hornesystemstx.com
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