Exhaust manifold gasket

[409T]

Has anyone installed Sanderson headers with RTF instead of a gasket as they suggest? If so, how well does it work?

Jeff

 

[donsrods]

It blew out on us. We went to a good set of header gaskets and never had another problem. I know they swear by RTV, but it didn't work for us.


Don

 

[akitagandy]

I used to blow header gaskets all the time until I went with stock Chevy gaskets with high temp rtv on both sides ,let them setup and they want blow any more

 

[TexasT]

I installed a set of Sanderson block hugger headers on a 47 Ford with GM fast burn heads almost two years ago and no leaks yet but one heck of a rust issue thru the ceramic coat

 

[LumenAl]

I use these... dang near bullet proof... Made by Percy's. They are reusable flange gaskets are multi-layered and made of a special ''dead soft'' aluminum... (what ever the heck that is...)

 

[Ted Brown]

If your header flanges are real good and flat any high heat spread seems the work fine, now when ever using a regular header gasket, after every drive, when engine cools, (BEFORE THE NEXT START UP) you must retighten all the header bolts to the head, sometimes this will take as many a 7 to 10 runs to get the bolts to stay tight, (compresses the gasket more each time) when cool the gasket relaxes and loses it tension on the bolt and will then loosen up and leak... Took a few years to learn how to do this... and race cars do not worry about leaks with open headers.

 

[Hotrod46]

I used to blow header gaskets all the time until I went with stock Chevy gaskets with high temp rtv on both sides ,let them setup and they want blow any more

Same method I use. The metal backing holds the gasket together.

I also do as Ted said and retighten the bolts several times while they're hot. I'm going to try the Stage 8 locking bolts on the new car and see how they work.

Mike

 

[Martin]

I put a set of JBA headers on my truck a couple years ago. I ground the flanges flat first, one was close enough that it probably would have worked, the other was bad enough that it probably wouldn't have sealed with any gasket. I put them on with the gaskets that came with them, retightened the bolts a couple times. I drive it every day, no leaks yet.

One other thing I did was throw out the hex bolts, as you never can seem to get a wrench or socket on half of them, and got some hard socket head bolts instead.

 

[Ted Brown]

Why header builders do not dimple the pipe where the box wrench fits on the bolts, is beyond me, as it is so simple when building them in the first place... Allen Bolts, I have never really cared for, when using them you MUST buy a real good quality set of wenches, or you can have problems...and remember to always use antiseize with allen bolts...