Exhaust leak at manifold, problem?

BurningRubber

10 Year Member
Dec 6, 2004
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For some reason I cant get the drivers side of my X pipe to seal to the manifold flange. It has a small leak that is somewhat noticable under load.

Is this bad for the car? Ive been driving it like that for a little while now... I try to tighten it up and it doesnt seal.

Any problems with the air/fuel ratio being thrown off or anything?
 
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BurningRubber said:
For some reason I cant get the drivers side of my X pipe to seal to the manifold. It has a small leak that is somewhat noticable under load.

Is this bad for the car? Ive been driving it like that for a little while now... I try to tighten it up and it doesnt seal.

Any problems with the air/fuel ratio being thrown off or anything?

IF YOU CAN TRY FINDING THE SPECTS FOR THE TORQUE TO THE MANIFOLDS AND SEE IF THAT WILL HELP THE "TINY" LEAK!
 
BurningRubber said:
For some reason I cant get the drivers side of my X pipe to seal to the manifold flange. It has a small leak that is somewhat noticable under load.

Is this bad for the car? Ive been driving it like that for a little while now... I try to tighten it up and it doesnt seal.

Any problems with the air/fuel ratio being thrown off or anything?

I just installed a UPR O/R X on my car. I put the Driver side on first. It was pretty easy. I dunno if doing that side first had anything to do with it though.
 
I dont think it does since you put it on in 2 peices. I allready loosened the drivers side from the rest of the X and tried to re-adjust it. Its frustraiting, it sealed fine on the car before mine.
 
Is it on the side that is flanged or the side with the gasket? I had a gasket blow apart one time ... I also had the flanged side come a little loose one time, it sounded like a school bus. But I put the impact on it and it ain't leaking anymore. If it's the gasket side, check to make sure the gasket isn't trash.
 
This subject has come up like 50 times already. On the driver side it is the ball and socket style flange. There are two steel dowels that prevent over tightning, but on aftermarket pipes it makes it to where you cant tighten it down corectly.
 
i don't recall a gasket on the drivers side manifold flange. check to make sure where the 2 pieces come together that nothing is obstructing them. if its the passenger side, are you using the metal "ford" manifold flange gasket? don't use the one that the exhaust company sends. best to just get a new manifold flange gasket from ford.
($8.50)
 
Yeah probaly repost, but at least I know whats what and am able to pinpoint the problem.

I replaced the gasket on the passengers side because it was blown, and that sob was loud as hell when I started it up. Its in good shape, I can isolate the sound to the drivers side at the flange.

I dont know if its not aligned right or not, ive loosened and re-tightened it 2 or 3 times. Or maybe like fastangboi said it wont tighten down enough. If thats the case, how do I fix it? I put a few washers between the nut and the pipe to try and help out, that didnt cut it.

Im worried about it throwing the a/f ratio off, and it making me go retarted with the fumes in the car if im sitting still.

So whats the fix for the aftermarket pipes not letting you tighten it down all the way?
 
03MaCh1nE said:
IF YOU CAN TRY FINDING THE SPECTS FOR THE TORQUE TO THE MANIFOLDS AND SEE IF THAT WILL HELP THE "TINY" LEAK!
Geez man, you don't have to yell at him, lol.

I don't think you have to worry about your A/F ratio. When the shop did my x-pipe, they didn't do it right and it leaked. I drove it for 2 weeks like that without any problems before I took it off and re-installed it correctly. However, it DID seem to rob a little hp when it was leaking.