Header leak help - Page 2 - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Pampered-Z · 08-16-2010, 12:15 PM

Haven't followed this entire issue,

What headers are you running? If you have the #1 cyclinder as a slip fit joint ( Jethot, Macs for sure ) they can leak. You need to pull the tube out, use a good bead of O2 safe sealer and then slip the tubes together.

Also make sure yu didn't crack the EGR tube or it's not loose at the intake?

Remove the hoses from the AIR Check valves/fittings and run the car, if the check valve is bad and exhaust is pushing past the valve that will also sound like an header leak.

If you do switch to Felpro gaskets a strongly recommend you spray them with copper coat before installing. The Felpro gaskets do not have much material on the ends and it's fairly commong for them to blow out at te ends.

SeanC · 08-16-2010, 02:10 PM

The headers are Pacesetter longtubes (with emissions obviously). I dont think the exhaust is leaking through the check valve. The actual fitting that screws onto the header is not bottoming out and forcing the tube tight against the fitting (I dont know the technical name for this type of fitting). If I grab the metal tube, I can move it up and down a little bit....Obviously if there is a check valve to keep exhaust gases from going back to the AIR pump, then this tells me that there IS exhaust leaking out of this fitting if it is not tight. Not sure why I didn't think of this previously. I'm not completely convinced that the headers are sealing properly at the flanges, but sounds to me like the AIR fittings are definitly part of the problem...

JL8Jeff · 08-16-2010, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanC

The actual fitting that screws onto the header is not bottoming out and forcing the tube tight against the fitting (I dont know the technical name for this type of fitting). If I grab the metal tube, I can move it up and down a little bit....Obviously if there is a check valve to keep exhaust gases from going back to the AIR pump, then this tells me that there IS exhaust leaking out of this fitting if it is not tight. Not sure why I didn't think of this previously. I'm not completely convinced that the headers are sealing properly at the flanges, but sounds to me like the AIR fittings are definitly part of the problem...

Yeah, the Pacesetter emission's headers I put on my old 96 SS didn't have enough threads on the AIR fittings so the stock AIR pipes wouldn't stay on tight. I put a washer on top of each fitting that was small enough to fit inside the AIR fitting and that took up the slack and still sealed it up. It's surprising they still haven't fixed this issue but they probably don't make the headers anymore and it's just leftover stock at this point.

SeanC · 08-16-2010, 10:21 PM

Well there are plenty of threads in my case...I have absolutely no idea why (and pacesetter claims the same), but the threads on the header do not match up well to the threads on the AIR fitting. I dont know if its the coating messing up the threads or what, but after finally getting the threads to grab, I had to crank down on it with a huge wrench to screw it down. It gets harder and harder, and i'm afraid to crank it down anymore with fear of breaking the welds on headers....If I could go back, I would NEVER buy from pacesetter again. They may be a good "bang for the buck" header, but they're quality really sucks....I'm hoping I can get a washer thick enough to take up the excess room.

Did you ever run your car with the AIR fittings not completely seated? If so, did it sound like you had an exhaust leak?

JL8Jeff · 08-17-2010, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanC

Did you ever run your car with the AIR fittings not completely seated? If so, did it sound like you had an exhaust leak?

It will definitely leak if the AIR pipe is not seated all the way on the fitting. It's basically a compression fitting. Even with the washer, I had to make sure the pipe was sitting flat and flush on the washer.

SeanC · 09-12-2010, 03:16 PM

So I got the AIR fittings tight...The EGR connection is leaking like crazy though (God why did I get emissions

). I unbolted the EGR pipe from the header and the gasket was hard as a rock....It was leaking out the upper part, the opposite end of where the single bolt is. I'm trying to find a replacement gasket; any ideas where I could find one? Rock auto doesnt seem to have one. I'm hoping that I can get a new gasket, put some high-temp RTV on it, and tighten it enough to seal it up. Why in the world would that only have one bolt at the bottom?

JL8Jeff · 09-12-2010, 08:23 PM

That EGR pipe was a real PITA to get hooked up. The EGR tube is flexible and you should be able to bend it enough to get it lined up straight to stay flat and seal up properly. The stock cast iron manifolds have plenty of strength to keep it straight compared to headers which get welded manually and may be out of alignment. NAPA should have that gasket, did you check the website?

LTb1ow · 09-12-2010, 08:25 PM

I have an EGR gasket me thinks, I can look around and if I have it, just mail it to ya.

SeanC · 09-12-2010, 08:36 PM

Napa doesnt show the gasket on their site (going to a store in the morning). They only seem to have the gasket on the manifold side online. I can bend the tube easily enough to get it in to the header...its really hard to tell if its seated properly when its all bolted up. I noticed when I removed it this afternoon that the end of the tube looked deformed...almost like it got deformed from the heat escaping out (I dont remember the tube looking like this before).

Lts1ow, I unfortunately need to get this buttoned up by Wednesday morning (moving down the Maryland), but could you check to see if you have one anyways? I would really appreciate it. If Napa doesn't have the gasket, i'm going to buy some gasket material and some kind of high-temp RTV and make my own...I'm praying I can get this sealed up...If not, I guess i'm making the road trip to Maryland with it leaking.

I dont think there is any way I can bend the flange coming off the header..There is barely any room to work, even with the starter removed. Any other ideas?

Tru2Chevy · 09-12-2010, 08:38 PM

If Matt drops it in an envelope for you tomorrow, you should have it Tuesday and can fix it that night.

- Justin

SeanC · 09-12-2010, 08:43 PM

Good point...I just found out from someone that the stock manifold didn't use a gasket, so i'm not going to find one in the stores (couldn't remember if there was one or not). Let me know if you have one Matt!

LTb1ow · 09-12-2010, 08:49 PM

Sorry to say, I have the intake to EGR tube gasket, not the header to tube one.

My bad man..

SeanC · 09-12-2010, 08:59 PM

Its all good, thanks for looking for me! I'm going to buy some RTV in the morning and give that a shot. I dont know how im going to get RTV up in the but ill figure it out haha. Praying this works...

RamAir95TA · 09-13-2010, 10:39 AM

I was going to say...you don't need a gasket. Just some sensor-safe RTV.

JL8Jeff · 09-13-2010, 10:52 AM

I think I ended up ubloting the EGR from the manifold and made sure it bolted to the header nice and straight/flush before reconneting it to the manifold. Since the manifold side has a gasket that can be replaced. I remember how tight it was back there and the Auto trans tube gets in the way as well.