I've got some messed up headers on a 302, they burn out gaskets in a couple of weeks. So, I thought i'd try copper gaskets (Mr. Gasket). They are leaking on what sounds like every friggin cylinder. The bolts are tight, very tight. What i'm I doing wrong? I friggin hate headers...
Mill your header flanges dead flat. Paint the flange surface, the head surface, and both sides of the copper gasket with high-temp real aluminum paint and install while tacky. See if this works for you. But it won't work if your flanges are warped. BTW, what thickness are the flanges? Anything less than 5/16" is warp-prone. 5/16 is "OK", 3/8 best.
Throw that copper crap in the garbage and put on FelPro exhaust header gaskets, and be done with it. If copper gaskets of any kind were the proper and best way to seal an engine, Ford, GM and every other car manufacture would have been using them for the last 50 years.
I guess i'm gonna have to chuck them. I hate headers, this crap isn't worth 10-15 hp. Mine are cheap and mangled, the car has landed on them several times, the primaries are beat up, but I can't afford new ones and have the pipes modified.
if the headers are welded on the inside with the raised ring around the port, you can causw leaks by tightening them too much. they ted to warp over the "sealing ring" of weld on the flange. i usually grind them flat and use copper rtv. have had good luck doing it this way for a long time. jerry
my collector gaskets leak like bastiches. hooker headers hang TOO FUCKING LOW on a 65 shivvy. i bought those aluminum 20 dollar jobbies, they didn't do much. i think i'll deal with it until i put the car to sleep for the winter, and get shorty headers this spring. you guys think that fel-pro collector gaskets will work?? and where can you get that rtv??
Inexpensive headers are just plain cheap. If you put any money into a set with less than a 3/8 inch flange you will get leaks, guaranteed. A good set of quality headers are worth the extra money invested.
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