Started changing head gaskets tonight and header gasket question.

[68EFIvert]

I have been having a problems with my MLS head gaskets seeping water on the drivers side so I decided to replace them this weekend. It will give me a chance to detail the hard to reach areas of the engine compartment at the same time. I just spent the last 4 hours in the garage taking off the top side of the engine, blower and headers. I am bushed. It looks like I also had a header gasket leaking on the drivers side. I was using a header gasket that was recommended by AFR. I there any better ones out there that are less likely to leak. I was using a fel-pro gasket. Or is there a trick to get these to seal. It is so hard to get good torque on the header bolts and I am scared to stripping the heads.

With any luck, yea I know I don't have any of that with this car, I will have this done by Monday. Time to go to bed so I can be up at 6 when my 1 and 4 year old decide it is time to play with Daddy.

 

[jcode68]

I used Percy's header gaskets with my AFR's and Hooker Comp's. Haven't had any issues with leaks. They are made of sandwiched aluminum and crushes for a tight seal. They are also reusable. don't have experience with the Felpro header gaskets.

Don't worry, shaking the bugs out of a new build is part of the process. I had a handful of issues that took me months to finally resolve, but they are all behind me now and the car is exactly the way I want it.
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[69gmachine]

I'm using the Fel pro gaskets with my AFRs. I also use hi temp RTV sealant on both sides (I've used both black and the GM orange). No leaks so far.

 

[brianj5600]

I had good luck with FelPro 1415's. I reused them 4 or 5 times w/o any leaks. Make sure the header flanges don't hit on the ledge just below the port. My new headers had to be massaged to get them to sit flat because of it.

 

[D.Hearne]

+2 for Percys............... As for head gaskets, this may not be applicable for a blower, but Felpro's stock O.E. Expanded graphites have held now far longer on my 331 (10.4 to 1 compression N/A with milled by .060 Canfields) than their "high performance" Printoseal gaskets. Those lasted all of 4 months last time I used a set. I liberally coated the graphite gaskets with Kopper kote before installing them.

 

[68EFIvert]

Thanks for the tips guys. It looks like I need to use some sort of sealer.

 

[10secgoal]

What kind of tube is the header running ? It's hard to get a square port gasket to seal an oval port header.
They are expensive, but I like the 5/16 SS header bolts from ARP. They don't need to be SS, but the 5/16 head instead of 7/16 makes all the difference in the world when it comes to torquing down headers with thin flanges that aren't flat. You can get the box end now on almost all of them with that size.

 

[68EFIvert]

I have a set of new ARP SS bolts on there now. Are you referring to the size of wrench you are using. Mine have pretty small heads and I a 3/8" end wrench and socket set to torque them down. I probably didn't torque them down enough. My headers are the basic Headman 88300's. My problem is likely another operator error/learning curve one. I'm starting to get tired of the learning curve. I hope I start to learn a little faster because this learning curve crap gets expensive and time consuming.

 

[10secgoal]

Yeah, 5/16 is the size of the head on the bolt. Makes it real easy.

 

[HookandLadder]

Make sure to re-torque the header bolts after a couple of hot/cold cycles.

 

[68EFIvert]

I just spent an hour trying to get the drivers side header on. I still don't have it on. Headers have to be the worse thing to install in the world. I was so pissed I contemplated kicking the car . I felt it was time to quit for the night. These headmans go on pretty easy on the passenger side but the drivers side is another story. That second bolt from the front has to go on before anything else and is such a pain. I'll give her another try tomorrow and see how it goes. Do any headers install easily or are all of them a PITA?

I need to get me some of those 5/16" head bolts.

 

[10secgoal]

HAHA, just kicking the car ?! Sometimes I want to lower the lift down to chest height just so I can push the car off. You'll get it, or have a dent to fix. Either way, you'll get it. Just try to leave the dents out.

 

[D.Hearne]

When I installed the headers in the Comet (77 model, has the same suspension and unibody as the older Stangs) I had cut the shock towers back (that helped in bolt installation) and had the car up on stands, raised the motor as high as it would go (the C-4 was tight up against the trans tunnel roof) The Hedman 4 into 1's slid in place like butter from under the car. Also had the motor mounts completely off the car.

 

[68EFIvert]

Cooler heads do prevail. I went out there tonight and within 5 minutes I had it on. Whats up with that? Tomorrow I will put on the intake manifold and if lucky the blower.