Exhaust Difficulty of fixing exhaust leak at manifold

dqureshi06 · Aug 27, 2026

So I have leaking exhaust where the midpipe meets the headers on both sides, but the ticking noise from the leak is coming from the drivers side. I’m planning to fix it this week. I was wondering if any of you have had luck fixing these leaks without unbolting the headers from the cylinder head, and instead adjusting the midpipe by loosening it from both sides. Midpipe and headers are both BBK, by the way.

DadLife0724 · Aug 27, 2026

Get them warm and let them cool a little and then try tightening them up. I got rid of a tick on my fox that way. Don't hammer them down too hard but you will probably get some movement.

General karthief · Aug 27, 2026

Ball and socket connection?
Do you see where it leaks?

AeroCoupe · Aug 27, 2026

If it’s been going on for a while the gasket may be toast, literally. If the headers are unequal length you may spend more time trying to adjust things than just pulling them and replacing gaskets. I’m not saying do t try but just be prepared.

Speaking of gaskets when gaskets did you use?

keel · Aug 27, 2026

I have had good luck getting header gaskets and ball and socket joints to seal better by putting a thin film of high temp copper gasket maker on the mating surfaces. You still need the actual gasket though for the headers.

limp · Friday at 7:15 AM

Any of your local muffler shops have one of the giant belt sanders?? Not sure if you can do headers on one but getting my exhaust manifolds surface " planed" by one of these huge sanders does wonders for them...

rednotch · Friday at 12:17 PM

Bbk ball and socket system is terrible for leaks, you may need to either expand the ball on the header or compress the socket on the mid pipe and load it with red or copper rtv, I cut them off at this point if there long tubes and use a v band or Torca clamps like these branded under Holley, many OEM's use those these days now. https://www.holley.com/products/exhaust/builder_components/brackets_and_clamps/parts/41172HKR. Don't confuse the torca clamps with cheap ass band strap clamps there no where near the same.

dqureshi06 · Friday at 12:46 PM

keel said:
I have had good luck getting header gaskets and ball and socket joints to seal better by putting a thin film of high temp copper gasket maker on the mating surfaces. You still need the actual gasket though for the headers.

So I need to remove the headers from the cylinder head?

KRUISR · Friday at 1:33 PM

dqureshi06 said:
So I need to remove the headers from the cylinder head?

It depends where the leak is coming from. If the header to mid pipe flange is leaking, fix that. If it is leaking at a specific port, then probably best to remove the header, clean the head surface and install with new gasket.

dqureshi06 · Friday at 1:54 PM

KRUISR said:
It depends where the leak is coming from. If the header to mid pipe flange is leaking, fix that. If it is leaking at a specific port, then probably best to remove the header, clean the head surface and install with new gasket.

Yeah it’s at the mid pipe flange. I already leak tested it

General karthief · Friday at 10:08 PM

Take the mid pipe off the header and look for witness marks, you may need to massage the bell (socket) with the ball end of a ball peen hammer then slather the ball/socket with copper hi-temt exhaust goo and tighten evenly.

Exhaust Difficulty of fixing exhaust leak at manifold

dqureshi06

Active Member

DadLife0724

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

keel

Active Member

limp

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

rednotch

I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

dqureshi06

Active Member

KRUISR

dqureshi06

Active Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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Exhaust Difficulty of fixing exhaust leak at manifold

Active Member

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Active Member

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

Active Member

Active Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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