fed up with header bolts

jef0509 said:

I have another exhaust leak at my headers. I tightened the bolts up again today but it looks like I'm going to have to swap the gaskets to get a good seal. This is the second time I've had to swap them out since I put headers on my 91 gt. I even tightened them a week after and a month after I installed the new gaskets, starting from the inside bolts moving outward, I put about 25ftlbs on them every time I do it. I don't really want to spend a lot of $$ on locking bolts, is there anything else I could do?

BTW I have BBK shorties, with long bolts (1inch I beleive), they wiggled out this time on a 1100 mile trip I took when I couldn't tighten them.

Thanks for any help

Click to expand...

$40 for some stage 8 locking header bolts would be better than replacing header gaskets all the time to recreate a good seal. Often times, cheap stuff ain't good and good stuff ain't cheap. That being said, I have stage 8 locking header bolts ready for when I throw my headers back on...heard too many bad stories about exhaust leaks and I don't wanna mess w/ it. Not sure, but maybe loctite might work...i'd check around before doing it to make sure it won't cause problems

Try spraying a little copper sealant on both sides of the gasket when u put them on... it will hold the seal better if the bolts don't stay tight until u can retighten them. Other then that... I'd say locking bolts. Good luck, it's a common problem among stangers

It kinda sucks but just pony up the cash and get a set of "stage 8" locking header bolts. Well worth the money. I had teh same prob that you have with the BBK bolts. After having to replace on set of header gaskets I bought a set of locking header bolts and don't have to worry about it anymore. If you do get a the stage 8 bolts make sure that you put them on you are on a concrete driveway in case you drop one of the e clips. Much easier to find.

yep, on some things you need to bite the bullet and use good stuff. as The User said, this is one of those times. i have heard nothing but really good things about them. for the price of two tanks of gas, you dont have to worry about it anymore, especially when you are on a trip, like you were this time.
good luck.

You can get 1/8" longer header bolts and use hardened lock washers.
this works.
I got them at my local speed shop.

Do away with the gaskets and use some permatex ultra blue RTV and be done with it. The gaskets expand and contract as well as let the headers wiggle giving the bolts a chance to loosen.

Jamie

What Jamie said. The fact is, there are so many horror stories about header leaks going around because most people don't realise what's going on. When you put on new headers and gaskets, you have to re-tighten them every day, not a week later and a month later. Locking header bolts won't stop a leak on a new gasket. Every time the headers go through a heat cycle, the new gasket crushes a little more. The bolts aren't loosening up, the gasket is crushing. It was designed to. You will see that for the first week you can probably get another 1/4-full turn out of most of the bolts every morning when it's cold, before you start it. If you don't do this every day for the first week or too, then when the gasket crushes and the bolts don't get tightened to compensate, they do start to loosen up. You have too stay on it for a few weeks, every time you run it and let it totally cool down give them all a twist before you start it up again. It's a PITA, but you won't have a header leak.

Or, just do what Jamie said and forget about the gasket problems.