i read somewhere to wrap the connections with aluminum sheeting or something, should i use aluminum foil underneath my band clamps? what is the aluminum stuff called i can buy at lowes that will work for this so i get a good seal?

 

i've never heard of this...

but from a chemical standpoint, the worst thing you can do is put aluminum against steel. it causes a chemical oxidation and is VERY quick and destructive.

the bands should seal well enough for your purposes. mine seem to.

 

If you’re using clamps and are still having exhaust leaks try buying some aluminum tape that can be found at Lowes or home depot. Wrap the tape around the collector; whether header or Y pipe, for thicker area for the clamp to seal up too
I READ THIS ON LS1 TECH. someone also said that band clamps arent great to use because on slip fit connections they tend to leak, should i go to lowes and buy aluminum tape? should i also just go ahead and make 2 block off plates for the a.i.r.? so i dont have my check valves making noises? i read that most header installs have this problem and if i wanna keep my air i need to make block off plates, should i do this? can i also use hi temp silicone on the longtubes where they attach to the heads?

 

Why? Use stock multilayer steel gaskets, clean and dry. They work great.

 

I agree. I've taken off my headers 3 times and reused the same stock gaskets that came on the stock manifolds. No leaks at all. Those multilayer gaskets work GREAT. Now the band clamps are a different story though.

 

uh oh... ok, lets hear your band clamp horror story and how you fixed the problem please dont say weld it