I took offa turbo and put a new one on and now I have a little exhaust leak from the passenger's side header.It never leaked without a gasket before.I was wondering if I should use the Fel-pro 1400 gasket.Do they hold up well???Another thing is when tightening the header bolts to the head the middle and first top bolts seem to strip every time.Maybe this is due to not sequencing the bolts in order.I have iron heads and I know there not stripped just wonder why the bolt about 3 quarters down strip all the time.I went with a longer bolt and it did not strip.Maybe I need to use longer bolts on the 3 on the top???Are you supposed to tighten these bolts a little at a time???
stock headers???
- Thread starter Realspool
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I tightened the header today before driving the car and after and i don't hear any exhaust leaks anymore but with that noisy turbo engine it could be still leaking.I have the fel-pro 1400 gaskets but I was reluctant to use it because I have never used gaskets before and i thought twice about using them??.I do have a problem with bottom end torque when i just jump on the throttle with out giving it RPM but I have a PTE-44 turbo with a 3000 stall converter so maybe that is part of my problem.I don't know why first gear does not hit hard with this combo.I think when i have the time i am going to put the fel-pro on.
I always use the gaskets. The holes are big enough to prevent any air flow blockage per a lip.
As for your stripped bolts, it sounds to me like maybe you've cross threaded them a few times, and distorted/stripped the threads.
I would run a tap in the bad holes, and run a proper die over the bolts giving you trouble.
There's no other logical reason for your bolt dilema, other than the threads having become damaged due to over tightening and/or mis-aligning them in the hole.
As for your stripped bolts, it sounds to me like maybe you've cross threaded them a few times, and distorted/stripped the threads.
I would run a tap in the bad holes, and run a proper die over the bolts giving you trouble.
There's no other logical reason for your bolt dilema, other than the threads having become damaged due to over tightening and/or mis-aligning them in the hole.
Im pretty sure that the bolts were misaligned because when i had it at the shop and the mechanic tightened the crossover, which i could not get to tight, because I don't have a lift in my driveway and did not have much room underneath the car to torque it real good.Anyway when i got it home the bolts could be tightened more without stripping them(Hmm I guess they were misaligned). I also have a big tendency to overtighten any bolts.I am only installing the Fel-pro 1400 on the passenger side because I have a new stock direct replacement header from ATR which only has about 3000 miles on it.The rule I have heard is that a new header can just bolt up to the block but a 100,000 mile stock header should always be used with a gasket.Is all I have to do is loosen a little bit the bottom 3 bolts and then the gasket rests on those 3 bolts after of course taking the top 3 bolts out??Also I am having big trouble trying to get the lower bolt in the back of the passenger's side(its a bitch).Im wondering if i have to put it up on jack stands and get underneath it because thats how i tightened it before but I didn't have the crossover tightened at that time, but will the crossover pipe interfere with loosening and then tightening this bolt the way it is now??I tried alot of tools to get to it but from above the engine it is very hard to get too.
tim87tr
Obsession or Digression?
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Take the passenger wheel off and access from there with a 3/8s ratchet, extensions and swivel. The 3/8s instead of 1/2 rachet may help your overtightening tendancy, and I recall the torque spec is only about 30 or 35 lb-ft, so not too tight.
Another option that I've used on the gasket is clean the mating surface of the header, add a thin bead of orange high temp RTV and let it set up, then reattach the header (no gasket). I've only done this once but it worked for me. Good Luck.
Another option that I've used on the gasket is clean the mating surface of the header, add a thin bead of orange high temp RTV and let it set up, then reattach the header (no gasket). I've only done this once but it worked for me. Good Luck.
When i took my turbo off i did see some RTV sillicone on there.I did not think about taking the tire off to get to that one tough to get bolt.(good idea though)Well i got the whole header sandblasted and then i sprayed it with VHT 1600 degree spray to keep the header from getting to hot and cracking.One mistake i may have made was that I sprayed the VHT on the header where it meets the cylinder head.I think in my case I am just going to use a gasket there.I don't think with using a gasket I will have to sand the VHT of the headerpipe where it attatches to the heads.Does anyone know does it have to be bare metal to seal right with a gasket or will that thin coat of VHT be a problem.I personally don't think its a problem because the headers right now can not be heard leaking but its a noisy turbo engine and i would bet it has a some exhaust leaks and is happening in more then 1 spot.
