Which exhaust header gasket for 289 heads?

[19stang66]

I already blew the gasket on the drivers side header. So now I need a new one. I searched Summit's site and they're so many choices. Which one do I need for a stock 289 head with tri-y headers? What material should I go with? What company makes the best? How do I know what port style/size I have? Thanks!

http://store.summitracing.com/egnse...94886211+4294908331+4294924702+115+4294840071

 

[fasttback]

I like Fel-Pro's FPP-1415. Just got tired of changing the brittle paper ones. Used them with 351W heads ported and Headman headers and 289 heads ported with Tri-ys. Also I have reused them before with no problems.

 

[iskwezm]

just buy the cheape-e mr gasket ones. Make sure the flanges arent warped. put a little hi temp silicone around the ports and tighten from in to out and heat cycle a few times then check once a week.

I just lost a header bolt after a year of driving and a few more were loose.

 

[19stang66]

So i'm getting the Fel-Pro 1415s from NAPA tomorrow and the guy there said they are for racing ports, they are bigger ports than stock. On Summit's website they say the gaskets will fit stock ports. Will these gaskets work then on my stock ports?

 

[fasttback]

So i'm getting the Fel-Pro 1415s from NAPA tomorrow and the guy there said they are for racing ports, they are bigger ports than stock. On Summit's website they say the gaskets will fit stock ports. Will these gaskets work then on my stock ports?

Yes the gaskets would be fine on stock ports. Stock size ports have a large flat area around them to seal. The gaskets are rather thin near the bolt holes, but it's made of a durable material.

It's time to port the exhaust.

 

[19stang66]

Maybe if I wasn't leaving for college in 10 days. Someday i'll get new heads or port the stock ones, most likely in 5 years after I graduate college.

 

[ga289stocker]

just buy the cheape-e mr gasket ones. Make sure the flanges arent warped. put a little hi temp silicone around the ports and tighten from in to out and heat cycle a few times then check once a week.

I just lost a header bolt after a year of driving and a few more were loose.

I agree, get the Mr. gasket ones, i bought them for my 289 w/ tri-y's, little trick that worked well for me a old timer gave me. He said to put the gasket's in water for half a day to adsorb then put them on. Well after the expensive copper gaskets I bought first didn't seal w/ a crap, i tried his idea
and they sealed great, no leaks and still going strong a year later..

 

[thenewguy65]

just buy the cheape-e mr gasket ones. Make sure the flanges arent warped. put a little hi temp silicone around the ports and tighten from in to out and heat cycle a few times then check once a week.

I just lost a header bolt after a year of driving and a few more were loose.

I don't have headers yet but that's my next project. I heard the bolts need frequent attention to make sure they are tight. Is that common ? Seems like a pain to constantly have to check bolts.

 

[iskwezm]

I don't have headers yet but that's my next project. I heard the bolts need frequent attention to make sure they are tight. Is that common ? Seems like a pain to constantly have to check bolts.

They arent that bad. I have tried the Stage 8 locking bolts, the locks dont fit around all the primaries. Tthey do sell some header bolts with a hole drilled for a lock wire. But for the 10 minutes a spend once a month for the improvement over stock manifolds, its way worth it.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

I checked the header bolts on my car for the first time since I got it running last October. Some weren't tight anymore(just snug), but none were even close to falling out.

I use the FelPro metal and fiber gaskets that come in the gasket kits. Heck, I have spares. They only seem to blow out for me if the bolts completely loosen up and I only ever had that problem on my '89 GT with Flowtech shorty headers.

 

[66forfun]

Earls with the graphoil inserts get my vote...very good sealing, a bit costly but worth it.