Blew ANOTHER header gasket on the way to work this morning.:moonu: What a crappy sound! And I really wasn't in the mood to jack the engine, pull the gasket, scrape both the header and head clean and reinstall the header. I have better things to do. Well, at least I won't even get my fingers dirty. It's been apart so many times I can do anything I want without ever needing to wash up afterwards. I guess I know what I'll be doing tonight.:gt: damn.
The trick to header gaskets was told to me long ago......keep Torkin' them......every chance you get. 3 to 4 times a year i put the wrench on them and grunt......plus every time i get under the car i bring along my shorty 3/8" wrench - for the back ones on each side. Mines been together for 3 years now and never a blow-out.
i stepped up to the 16 bucks a set purple gaskets from TA performance and havent had ANY problem with them. and this is on a regularly street driven car in HOT southern california.
i've had better luck with hooker gaskets than TA's...i was using the normal ones, though, i think they were white. (350)
Header Gaskets! Hey Jeff, TA's gaskets work well for us. A few things you might want to try this time when you install your new header gaskets. Make sure the bolts are plenty long i.e. 1 1/4 and try to get hardened alen head bolts. Tighten'm up good and tight. Run the car for about 100 MI. Take each header bolt out one at a time, add lock tight to the threads and torque'm down real good again. You'll probably get another 1/2 turn more or so this time. The gasket has a tendency to shrink a little durring its first few days of life, not as bad with the TA gasket. After doing this with my GranSport I never had another gasket fail. I think you'll be happy with the results.:TU:
the last time i replaced the gasket with hookers i got almost no backing out of the bolts.o No: and in my 350 i'm using 3/4" bolts...can i/should i go longer?
Jeff- A couple of pointers to try to help... First of all, I have cut my gaskets into sections. That way if I blow out a gasket, I only have to replace the section that blows. Each side is cut into three pieces- one for the front tube, one for the middle two tubes (three bolt holes) and one for the rearmost tube. Secondly, I never use any gasket sealer, and my gaskets never stick to either surface - if they do ever blow, they just fall out and I install the new section dry (only takes a couple of minutes). Lastly, everyone seems to have their favorite gasket- if one keeps giving you problems, keep trying new ones until they work. I had a header bolt back off at the track last night and ran twice with it loose- the gasket was still intact so I just tightened the bolt and drove home. -Bob Cunningham bobc@gnttype.org
One thing I found that works is to use a flat washer under the head of the bolt. It seems to help keep the bolt from backing out. Like the other guys, I retorque the bolts after the first heat cycle. That should be it. If the header sealed up when installed it never leaks again. Mike D.:laugh:
