Using exhaust gasket material with Band Clamp?

I have an interesting question. After installing Kooks longtube headers, I have one exhaust leak located where the Y-Pipe conncts to the I-Pipe. The air leaks out at the band clamp. Can I put exhaust gasket material under the band clamp and have it seal without blowing out? Does anyone have any other ideas?

Take it to a muffler shop and have the shrink the outside tube or expand the inside tube to make them fitter tighter.

I am trying to avoid that as I have already taken it in once. I want to know if anyone has experience using a gasket secured by a band clamp. I was hoping that someone had tried it!

If you want a ghetto repair try taking some header wrap and wraping it around both ends and put the band clamp over it. Should help.

It should work I think. I was planning on doing it too, and the guy at my exhaust shop said it would be ok. Just get the highest temp rtv you can find.

If you just need it to clamp tighter, get some short pieces of exhaust pipe maybe 2"-3" that are the same same diameter as the pipes your connecting, 3" I guess. Take them and split them along their axis with a hacksaw so you can bend them open. Take off the band clamps and wrap the piece you just made around the section of pipe that the clamp wont tighten down on. Put the clamp back on and the piece you just made should have taken up enough slack to get things to seal. Did this where my y-pipe and intermediate pipe connect, works great and doesn't even look ghetto'd.

A coke can split open and laid over then the band clamp might work.



David

Go to NAPA and pick up some stainless clamps normally used for diesel truck exhausts. Jegs (http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_744706_-1_11527) and Summit (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=WLK%2D33226&N=700+4294923429+4294919986+115&autoview=sku) both sell them, but they are cheap right at a local Napa (only place I've found them locally). They will deform under the clamping pressure and seal the joint up tight. Regular horseshoe looking band clamps are crap once you use these things. You'll never use anything else again, I guarentee it.

Good luck :)

Dave C.

Go to NAPA and pick up some stainless clamps normally used for diesel truck exhausts. Jegs (http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_744706_-1_11527) and Summit (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=WLK%2D33226&N=700+4294923429+4294919986+115&autoview=sku) both sell them, but they are cheap right at a local Napa (only place I've found them locally). They will deform under the clamping pressure and seal the joint up tight. Regular horseshoe looking band clamps are crap once you use these things. You'll never use anything else again, I guarentee it.

Good luck :)

Dave C.


I have these band clamps with my setup and they still leak.:(

FASTFATBOY, are you saying a regular 12 oz. aluminum can cut and wrapped around the pipe will seal it? What's the diameter of a coke can? If you have 3" exhaust will it wrap completly around?

If your still getting leaks with this type clamp, then you might wanna consider what the others said as well. Your either need to resize the pipes so they fit together tighter, or add material to fill in the space. Then there's always the MIG solution..

Sorry man, thought I had it there :)

Dave C.

Well, the slip fit is pretty tight, at least in my opinion. Maybe I just don't know what tight is. :p

I agree that those clamps are nice in design. They are easy to use. I know mine leaks because where the band comes together and the piece of carved metal stock fits, on each side of the exhaust piping there are carbon/black leak spots.

It's not a MAJOR leak, just buzz's anytime the car is around 1,500-1,800 RPM's. I have drove the car for like 15 min. and then get out and go into the store for about 15-30 min. and hop back in and the buzz/leak be gone completly. Did the band heat soak and tighten up? I don't know. But I do know that I just might be crazy and tired enough of them leaking to give the coke can a try. :nuts:

I used these. No leaks as of yet. http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=WLK%2D33272&N=700+4294919985+115&autoview=sku

I used these. No leaks as of yet. http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=WLK%2D33272&N=700+4294919985+115&autoview=sku

That is what he has, I have the same thing and the leak where the clamp actually CLAMPS together.

Where it is leaking...do the pipes slip over each other or butt up to each other?

I am gonna try the Coke can on mine, use 1/2 the can and slide it in where the bolts come together on the clamp, about 1/2 the diameter of the pipe. I have a 3.5 inch y pipe. Course my car is SO freakin loud I can't hear the leaks...but I see them.

David

Exactly, I have the same clamp shown in the above post. I started the car up on blocks of wood and sure enough, I can feel the exhaust shooting out where the clamp actually tightens.

The coke can seems like an excellent idea. I am going to try that next.

Exactly, I have the same clamp shown in the above post. I started the car up on blocks of wood and sure enough, I can feel the exhaust shooting out where the clamp actually tightens.

The coke can seems like an excellent idea. I am going to try that next.

I will ask again, do the pipes slip into one another or butt up to each other?


David

The pipes slip into one another. However, there is about an 1/8" gap around the pipe. I do not have a picture of a Kooks Y-Pipe but it narrows down from 3" at the end where it connects to the I-Pipe.

The pipes slip into one another. However, there is about an 1/8" gap around the pipe. I do not have a picture of a Kooks Y-Pipe but it narrows down from 3" at the end where it connects to the I-Pipe.

Do you have an 18 wheeler type repair shop local? Like a Freightliner dealer? If so they sell a clamp just like the one you have but it is made with a "step" for pipes that slip inside each other. The clamp is not flat. That will fix the problem.


David

The problem is not the step, it is the design of the clamp. Air escapes where the bolts tighten the clamp together. It is a poor design but I think this is how all band clamps are designed.

If the coke can idea does not work, I will bring it back to the shop that should have welded the pipes together as I asked.

Hey guys, keep in mind that these clamps need to be tightened with an impact wrench, not by hand. When I put mine on, it had what you were describing (small "blow by leaks" near the clamp body). I crank on 'em as much as I could with my hand wenches. Still leaked. So I broke out the impact wrench and hit it hard. It actually deformed the clamp to take on the shape of both pipes (one's a little smaller then the other), and it hasn't leaked at ALL since then. This is on a 12.5:1 383 through a full exhaust, so you know it's got some back pressure. I really thought I'd break the bolts off when I was tightening it though.

Dave C.

Do you have an 18 wheeler type repair shop local? Like a Freightliner dealer? If so they sell a clamp just like the one you have but it is made with a "step" for pipes that slip inside each other. The clamp is not flat. That will fix the problem.


David

How big is the step on these? I am needing a 2.5 to 3in step. If nothing else i will RTV the neck out of the pipes

what you need to do is roll up some aluminum foil and put it in the clamp where the 2 ends come together, then tighten the clamp down. Use the foil to act as a gasket for the "gap" area with this style clamp. Also you really need to make these tight.

I assume that your leak is from that part of the clamp. If its leaking from another part of the clamp then get a new clamp and you need to clean off the pipes with some scotch brite to make them smooth. Rusty pipes equal leaky pipes.

Use some aluminum foil to fill the gap instead of gasket material.

what you need to do is roll up some aluminum foil and put it in the clamp where the 2 ends come together, then tighten the clamp down. Use the foil to act as a gasket for the "gap" area with this style clamp. Also you really need to make these tight.

I assume that your leak is from that part of the clamp. If its leaking from another part of the clamp then get a new clamp and you need to clean off the pipes with some scotch brite to make them smooth. Rusty pipes equal leaky pipes.

Use some aluminum foil to fill the gap instead of gasket material.

Right now i am using reg. muffler clamps(which suck) but i had intended to use some band clamps. However the step made that impossible. I will definately use the aluminum foil idea and probably some rtv aswell to ensure i get it sealed.

Right now i am using reg. muffler clamps(which suck) but i had intended to use some band clamps. However the step made that impossible. I will definately use the aluminum foil idea and probably some rtv aswell to ensure i get it sealed.



Band clamps are made to conform to the shape of the pipe. So a 3" pipe that was expanded and now over top of a 3" pipe will seal up just fine with a band clamp and some foil. You need to really make them tight however. Tight so that the metal of the clamp stretches around the and conforms to the pipe. A little foil in the joint and your golden. Wont leak, rust, or fall out. Dont bother with the RTV... it wont hold up in the long run anyway. The RTV will eventually burn off and deteriorate with the weather and road salt and leave an empty space behind to leak.

If the pipes being joined were made propery then the slip fit should be snug. If they are loosy goosy then the expanded side was expanded too much and should be replaced. But nobody will ever do that so just a little foil in the joint will help seal it up. Now I saw someone mention a 2.5" to 3" joint.... wont work with a band clamp. Need to make an adaptor and use 2 clamps.

The ultimate way is to weld all your joints.

BTW, I hate regular U clamps. They distort and bend the metal to join the 2 pieces and then you can never get them apart

Band clamps are made to conform to the shape of the pipe. So a 3" pipe that was expanded and now over top of a 3" pipe will seal up just fine with a band clamp and some foil. You need to really make them tight however. Tight so that the metal of the clamp stretches around the and conforms to the pipe. A little foil in the joint and your golden. Wont leak, rust, or fall out. Dont bother with the RTV... it wont hold up in the long run anyway. The RTV will eventually burn off and deteriorate with the weather and road salt and leave an empty space behind to leak.

If the pipes being joined were made propery then the slip fit should be snug. If they are loosy goosy then the expanded side was expanded too much and should be replaced. But nobody will ever do that so just a little foil in the joint will help seal it up. Now I saw someone mention a 2.5" to 3" joint.... wont work with a band clamp. Need to make an adaptor and use 2 clamps.

The ultimate way is to weld all your joints.

BTW, I hate regular U clamps. They distort and bend the metal to join the 2 pieces and then you can never get them apart

My original intention was to weld it all together but with still having stock y and s-pipes i didnt want to do that. So now that i put a cutout in place of the cat i had to make adaptor pipes to mate up to those. Which is what gives me the problem with not being able to use band clamps. The pipes fit very snuggle into eachother, the clamps just are crap.