Leaky header make this sound??

kdog_x · Sep 2, 2004

On the way home from work today I got on the gas a little bit and when I hit 4k RPMs I heard an awful noise, so I let up and babied it for a while. Seemed like it was driving fine so I tried it again -- got the same sound again. The best way I can describe it is, it sounded like I was dragging some tin cans by a rope off the back of the car. It only does it for a sec. and only when I'm getting on it. I slid under the car to see if the flanges came apart or something but the only thing I notice is that it sounds like the exhaust leak on the passenger side (I think it's the header gasket) is getting worse. Would a header like make a crazy sound liek that? It sounded like it was coming from the back of the car, but it was kinda hard to tell.

1fast94svt · Sep 2, 2004

hahh my car just started making a noise like that today. I got under the car and notice that the hpipe was rubbing the underbody of the car. Than i noticed my left side dump was hiting the axel. Yours sound to me like a bad header leak, or something terribly wrong with your rear end.

90stangLX302 · Sep 2, 2004

My friend has a lowered Stang and it makes that noise when he gets on it. We found out that it was the driveshaft dragging on the parking brake cable bracket. It could be your driveshaft draggin on something,... so look for scratches on the driveshaft that would be caused by it draggin on something

Gearbanger 101 · Sep 2, 2004

Mine just started leaking the other day too. (Damn Mac's ). Sounds like really noisy ticking. Almost like piston slap, but more pronounced. Not to mention all I can smell when I get on it is exhaust!

The Shape · Sep 2, 2004

Mine does it as well. I am always undecided if it is a header leak or pinging, but after I romp mine a few times it will go away. I still think it is the header to -pipe joint though beacuse it does make a slight ticking noise from there at idle.

Ray III · Sep 2, 2004

sounds like a header leak to me, re-torque header bolts?

04sleeper · Sep 2, 2004

This is a common problem with MAC products.

The Shape · Sep 2, 2004

Yep and I have found that trying to tighten it up more doesn't really help it just distorts the ball and socket joint more and makes the leak worse.

BeerElf · Sep 2, 2004

A header leak sounds like a ticking noise that increases in speed as RPM increases and the longer it goes the louder it gets. Chances are you've already burned through the gasket in which case re-tourqueing won't help at all. You need to replace the gasket.

Gearbanger 101 · Sep 2, 2004

The Shape said:
Yep and I have found that trying to tighten it up more doesn't really help it just distorts the ball and socket joint more and makes the leak worse.

I found the only way to seal it when it's like that is to take them both off and thoroughly clean them. After that, generously coat the outside of the collector and the inside diameter of the H-pipe receiver with Ultra Copper seal silicone. Let it dry and then re-apply another finger full to both pieces right before assembly. Worked like a charm for me.

The only reason I think mine were leaking other than the fact that Mac has crappy thin gauge individual flanges on their headers, is because I hadn't been paying attention to my header bolts and the one nearest the firewall on the passenger side worked itself loose, burning the header gasket. You'd better believe that when I replace them I'm going to be using some copper seal around the flange/gasket and some green loctite on the header bolts afterwards!

Ray III · Sep 3, 2004

Blue loctite is better for header bolts.

kdog_x · Sep 3, 2004

I pulled the h-pipe to header connection apart and put some high temp silicone on there about a week ago. It quieted down a little bit but I still think I may have a header leak cause it's still getting worse -- I can only hear it from under the car (not the engine bay), but with my ear up to the header->h-pipe connection it sounds like it's coming from the bellhousing. Hopefully that's just because of the echoing, I'm gonna try replacing the gasket sometime soon.

Leaky header make this sound??

kdog_x

1fast94svt

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The Shape

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