Header gaskets? Need input...

[CRUZTAKER]

After 2 years of harrassing my car...the KOOKS have again smoked gaskets. I have so many leaks at this point I do not know where to start.

The copper gaskets from Summit I ended up getting for the collectors hold up well. But now I am getting leaks at the headers themselves.

Have any of you folks found a replacement gasket for the header to motor application that hold up?

If so...point me there....please....:o

[DirtyDog]

I used a new set of stock ford gaskets on my install a little over a year ago. No leaks.

[FordNut]

I used a new set of stock ford gaskets on my install a little over a year ago. No leaks.
I simply re-used the oem gaskets on header-to-head flanges, no problems.

I got the collector gaskets from summit. They are made with a mesh weave sandwiched between two layers of a sealant type material. Works great. I also got some self-locking nuts for the collectors, every time somebody else works on it they put the standard type on and they come loose. Every time I have had a leak it has turned out to be loose collector bolts (at least until I got the self-lockers, Mr Gasket brand)

[Joe Walsh]

^^^^^Me too!^^^^^

I re-used the OEM sandwich steel header gaskets and have had no problems.

As for the collectors...I had Nick make my headers with the 'ball & socket' style collectors similar to what BBK and Mac make. They work great!
It is very easy to adjust the pipes and then tighten them up with no leaks.

[Constable]

Utilized new OEM gaskets and sealed 'em up with some high temp (silver/grey) exhuast style silicone sealer. No leaks... and they've been through alot.

[Logan]

Did you not re-use the original manifold gasket Barry? I don't anyone who didn't re-use the Ford steel gasket, anything else is just going to leak.

[CRUZTAKER]

The guys who did my install used the OEM gasket on the manifolds. Perhaps there is a loose nut or two....or three...:rolleyes:

I was supposed to see the dealer this morning, but they cancelled my appointment late yesterday. Now it's another week of leaking this and that.

[Logan]

I had a biatch of a time getting a couple of them properly tightened, so it may very well be they were unevenly torqued down or something, or not at all. :)

You know what they say, you want something done right, do it yourself, everyone else is just going to screw it up. :)

[fastblackmerc]

I had a biatch of a time getting a couple of them properly tightened, so it may very well be they were unevenly torqued down or something, or not at all. :)

You know what they say, you want something done right, do it yourself, everyone else is just going to screw it up. :)
You might want to check that the header flange(s) are straight, if they are warped you'll have problems sealing them.

[Zack]

Turn up the radio, works for me :)

[CRUZTAKER]

Thanks for all the replies....I truley appreciate it.

As far as the radio solution...that just mkes my package shelf welds rattle, and that annoys me far more than the headers.;)

[Dennis Reinhart]

After 2 years of harrassing my car...the KOOKS have again smoked gaskets. I have so many leaks at this point I do not know where to start.

The copper gaskets from Summit I ended up getting for the collectors hold up well. But now I am getting leaks at the headers themselves.

Have any of you folks found a replacement gasket for the header to motor application that hold up?

If so...point me there....please....:o

I have never used any thing but the stock OEM steel gaskets I have never changed them and never had a leak on any Marauder Cobra or GT Mustang with LTH

[cyclone03]

I have a pair of the green ones Kooks sent ,unused if you want them.


But.... The stock ones are better.
BTW in 1 year and 3 months I have retorqued mine twice.
I also use a copper gasket at the collector.

[BillyGman]

I did NOT use the stock OE gaskets when I installed my Kooks headers on my Marauder. I used the black ones that Kooks supplied with the headers, and after 18 months of daily driving since the header installation, and 18,000 miles later, they are not leaking yet. However, I also used the Stage 8 locking header bolts, which prevent the bolts from backing off which BTW I believe is the usual cause of header gasket leaks (and apparently the Stage 8 company does too since they make and sell these locking bolts in the first place).


So hopefully, my Headers will continue to be leak free. I used the same type of gaskets on my Vette headers (which also were NOT steel shim gaskets) and they never leaked after 6 years of use. However, I constantly re-tightened the header bolts since they were loosening up every two weeks. Had I not re-tightened them every couple weeks, I believe the gaskets would've eventually leaked due to the loosening of the bolts. But the Marauder header bolt/nuts are much harder to get at than the ones on my old vette were, and therefore, you're not going to be re-tightening them all the time like I did with my old vette. so I opted for the locking header bolts on the Marauder.;)

The walls on header tubes are a lot thinner than the walls of the stock exhaust manifolds are, which makes the headers more prone to vibrations which can, and often will eventually loosen the header bolts/nuts. And that is precisely the reason for Locking header bolts. BTW, Stage 8 also offers locking collector bolts, but do NOT buy them for the Kooks collectors since the flanges are so thick, that the stage 8 collector bolts are too short.

So for the header collectors, you should use lock washers, and/or double nut them That's what I've done, and they haven't leaked either.

[FordNut]

As for the collectors...I had Nick make my headers with the 'ball & socket' style collectors similar to what BBK and Mac make. They work great!
It is very easy to adjust the pipes and then tighten them up with no leaks.
That was a great idea. I wish I'd thought of that.

[wesman]

Mine are leaking now after 6 months. Looks like they used the kooks gaskets. I used the Stage 8s that BillyGman recommended. I did not recheck them after heat cycles though. I am thinking of those breslin ones he recommended afterwards http://www.go-breslin.com/text.html with the stock gaskets.

Any suggestions? How much is a stock gasket?

[2003 MIB]

Mine are leaking now after 6 months. Looks like they used the kooks gaskets. I used the Stage 8s that BillyGman recommended. I did not recheck them after heat cycles though. I am thinking of those breslin ones he recommended afterwards http://www.go-breslin.com/text.html with the stock gaskets.

Any suggestions? How much is a stock gasket?
Don't buy them. I think I've got set laying around the house. $25 and an address and I'll send them to you.
-Dan

[BillyGman]

Mine are leaking now after 6 months. Looks like they used the kooks gaskets. I used the Stage 8s that BillyGman recommended. Hmmm, I'm sorry to hear of this. I installed my Kooks headers back in 2003, and I have 24,000 miles on the car since then, and I haven't had any leaks from the Kooks gaskets and Stage 8 locking header bolts. BTW, who's "they"? And are you sure that "they" really installed the retaining clips on all of the 16 Stage 8 header bolts? I'd get under there with a flashlight to check it out if I were you.

I'm asking you this because when I did the job on my Marauder, I noticed that there were atleast 4 bolts that were real difficult to get those clips onto, so I'm wondering if whoever installed your headers for you simply decided to forget about the retaining clips on some of the bolts. And if so, then they weren't locked into place at all, and simply need to be re-tightened. Ofcourse w/out the retaing clips, they just might loosen up again eventually.

This is why I do most of the work on my car myself. You just can't trust people to do the work right these days.

[wesman]

Thanks Billy, I will get in there and check it out. 'They' is the local Wheel and Tire Zone, who are great for tires and not much else. Almost everything they have done for me has had to go back or be repaired by someone else. I am done doing business with them. I have a race team looking after my cars now.
The problem is one stage 8 (#2 cylinder) has backed out enough to blow out a chunk of the gasket. Now the gasket is ruined.
By the way, I have ordered the breslins & stock gaskets, it should be purring for Marauderville III.

[Marauderjack]

If they make them for the MM....Earl's are the best!!! :bows:

Check Summit or Jeg's....If you can get them they will cure your problems!! :banana2:

I had awful leaks on my Cobra and the Earl's setup cured them completely for over two years now!! :D

Marauderjack :beer:

[snowbird]

I also think, as some others point it out, that it probably have to do with a lazy install. There's 2-3 bolts that are a pain in the bottom back. Also, the stock gaskets are the only ones i trust at this point.

I feel your pain since i do hate to redo a job 2-3 times until it"s just done right.

IMO, your worst case scenario is to redo the whole thing with a brand new set of stock gaskets with a good cleaning of the surface in between, and a competent tech who is not afraid of difficults bolts.

[Dennis Reinhart]

I have never had a stock steel gasket fail I have used these on 2V as well as 4V

[CRUZTAKER]

Since this thread has come alive again...allow me to update.

I did use the OEM'S on the header. I had the dealer re-torque all the header bolts. They were good.

Ever since I put the copper gaskets at the collectors. No more leaks.

All is well with my exhaust for some time now. ;)