hi,
just installed my slp shorty headers this weekend,and i have a exhaust leak,or so it sounds,the headers ports are square,and my heads are the "D" port,could that be making this sound?and why are the headers like that?i felt around for air,and i couldnt feel where it was blowing out,any other way of checking for exhaust leak?also, to anyone getting ready to do this,it was a pia,and it wasnt the headers themselves,gm just didnt give any room to work with,really a **** poor design in around the engine bay,it took me two days to take my manifolds off,and put my headers in,and do a tune up,that just insane,i have scraps all over my hands and arms,and i even had a "pit" to pull the car over to work on it,it wasnt really difficult,just alot of time,and alot of different,tools need to get to different bolts,but i dont ever want to do that again....
thanks.
phil

 

Sent you mail...

 

could it be the header bolts maybe? mine were so loose after 1 week i can spin them with my fingers. just my OPINION



Mike

 

Probably bad gaskets are warped header flanges. What kind of gaskets did you go with?

 

hi,
thanks for trying to help out first off,and for the header to the heads,i bought the cooper gaskets from jegs,and for the headers to the "Y" pipe,they are just factory oem,does anyone else make aftermarket gaskets for the "Y" pipe,i used dead soft aluminum for my other camaro,and never had a exhaust leak with those,but i havent seen any aftermarket gaskets for the "Y" pipe,also should i have put them on dry?i did put them on dry,just meaning maybe i should have put something on them like high temp rtv maybe,i dont know,its a very mild leak,you can barely hear it at idle,but can hear it in lower rpm driving,and of course gets louder the higher the rpms go,and my headers to my heads bolts can be lose,i bought locking header bolts,so they cant back off,i didnt snug snug them up,but i didnt on my other camaro either,i dont think it is in the head part,because i started it without the "Y" pipe on,and i didnt hear it,of course it was a little louder,but it wasnt to loud that you couldnt hear a leak....anyways,how tight should i have made the "Y" pipe bolts?they are tight,but again,i did not torque on them that good,i was going to tighten them so more,and see it that does it,let me know what you guys think,that would suck it the headers are warped....thanks guys.
phil

 

Check for leaks first... run some smoke through the engine. You can use SeaFoam (from Napa or other auto stores) or you can simply use a little Auto Trans Fluid.

Have the engine at normal operating temps. Disconnect the brake booster vacuum hose from the brake booster (the other end should lead into the intake manifold). Start the car and it will run rough due to the intake leak... now pour in the fluid into the tube so it can flow into the intake manifold. You will get smoke.

The smoke should only come out of the tailpipe. If it comes out anywhere else, you have a leak.

Once you have confirmed the leak, you will find the location. Then you can repair and verify the repair.

 

slp's like to leak at the y-pipe, check your connections there and tighten your header bolts 1-2 times more after a few heat cycles...

 

I tightened my bolts after 30 minutes of run in, again after a 2 hour drive back home, and once a week after that. Now after about a month the header bolts don't move period.

Fel-pro sells a sintered metal gasket for the Y-pipe, I forgot the part number. It works OK but in my case the headers/y-pipe don't really match up well anyway...