Exhaust manifold leak? Maybe ill just buy some tri mils.... (1 Viewer)

[Beehanger]

Sprayed some brake clean as an experiement to see if it might reveal "leaks" in my manifold. Is this an accurate test, cause obviously its all dripping down out of both of these gaps, I replaced the springs that hold these in but am wondering if this thing is just warped to crap or what.

Had a hell of a time trying to get it on with the engine OUT of the car. can only imagine what itll be like getting back in when the eyelots dont line up properly.


Trying to not chase exhuast leaks for the next decade. Shoud i Just get some cheapy TRI MILS have a buddy ceramic coat them and call it good?


Dan

 

[OSS]

The inner bore of the exhaust manifold sockets on each end of the manifold that encompass the elbow arms, gets a bit rusty and cruddy.
If you wet sand the inner bore (that makes contact with the arm rings) with some 1000 grit wet/dry Emory paper and WD40, you can clean it up and smooth it out so that the arm with new rings can slide in without too much fuss.
The trickiest part is getting the rings under the socket lip, but once they’ve been fitted under, the arm slides in pretty easily.
WD40 will be your friend here for inserting. It won’t leave a residue. It’ll smoke a tad at engine warm up but that’s it.

 

[Spike Strip]

Dan, I think you're confusing the use of the Brake Cleaner to check for leaks: Those horns are just a slip fit and will not stop the flow of a volatile solvent like brake cleaner. What you're seeing is normal.

@OSS 's suggestion of cleaning up the inside of the main part of the manifold with emery cloth (very very fine) is a good one. You might also use some High-temp RTV, like the Permatex, but it's not necessary and probably burns off after a while.

 

[Beehanger]

Dan, I think you're confusing the use of the Brake Cleaner to check for leaks: Those horns are just a slip fit and will not stop the flow of a volatile solvent like brake cleaner. What you're seeing is normal.

@OSS 's suggestion of cleaning up the inside of the main part of the manifold with emery cloth (very very fine) is a good one. You might also use some High-temp RTV, like the Permatex, but it's not necessary and probably burns off after a while.

Do I need to replace the springs if I take this thing out again? I can get things to slide okay already and replace the springs once., Or,are you more referring to sanding it down, so it stops leaking or so it can slide?

 

[Spike Strip]

Springs/Rings are good unless broken. You won't stop the 'leaking' if you're testing with brake cleaner- it's not that kind of seal.

If already assembled and they fit together well, then probably best to leave them alone.

If you had the intake and exhaust resurfaced, you may need to 'clearance', meaning file, the stud holes so manifold slides over the studs.

 

[Skreddy]

@Beehanger where in Idaho are you located?

 

[Beehanger]

@Beehanger where in Idaho are you located?

Ketchum

 

[Beehanger]

Springs/Rings are good unless broken. You won't stop the 'leaking' if you're testing with brake cleaner- it's not that kind of seal.

If already assembled and they fit together well, then probably best to leave them alone.

If you had the intake and exhaust resurfaced, you may need to 'clearance', meaning file, the stud holes so manifold slides over the studs.

do you mean making the eyelets bigger?

Exhuse my poor drawing.

 

[OSS]

What Spike was referring to is the stud holes in the manifold assembly that slide over the studs on the cylinder head.
Since the manifold is a 2 part assembly, the two parts need to line up perfectly at the stud holes so that the nut & washer on each stud tightens both halves equally.

 

[Skreddy]

Ketchum

Dang. Would’ve been glad to give you a hand in person to help get this back on the road but that’s quite a ways from where I’m at.

 

[Beehanger]

Springs/Rings are good unless broken. You won't stop the 'leaking' if you're testing with brake cleaner- it's not that kind of seal.

If already assembled and they fit together well, then probably best to leave them alone.

If you had the intake and exhaust resurfaced, you may need to 'clearance', meaning file, the stud holes so manifold slides over the studs.

Can a machine shop fix the lack of alignment here?? Should i try with half a remflex instead?

 

[Skreddy]

How did you attach the intake to exhaust manifold? Did you just snug up the boots holding them together? They typically need to be snugged up, then installed on the engine studs and snugged, then final tightened all of them so they properly align. The outer ones you can move to orient so that’s no big deal.

 

[Spike Strip]

All you need to do is take a round-file and remove material in these holes (all the holes that are misaligned) until the assembly fits over the studs and the others that takes bolts are clear.

 

[Beehanger]

This thread is very relevant to this issue. Rolling with the Sri-Mills cause I have access to a great machinist and welder.

Dan

 

[Beehanger]

These are the machines headers! All is going according to plan except the rust I can’t get off on the inside of the pipes and in the joining section of all six pipes. It’s just too tight in there. I’m wanting to paint, but not sure if it’ll adhere or last. Spent 3 hours getting all the rust off and it’s a damn shame. Photo 2 and 3 show the edges of the rust that’s kind of collected in there. Photo 4 is a before picture so you can imagine what it looks like at these hidden locations.

Could I spray some rust treatment from permeatex in there (and on the inside of the pipes as well?!)

Painting tomorrow, getting this done as is and painting if I don’t hear anything. Painting part seems straight forward at least except for that tight fit in there! I’d be fine spraying permatex rust treatment on that portion of the headers every few months if that’s what it takes.
Thanks
Dan

 

[OSS]

Don’t worry about rust on or in the header pipes. They’ll heat up to several hundred degrees when the engine is running.
For example: the stock exhaust manifold is just bare cast iron and the down pipe is bare steel too.
The exhaust parts get too hot for any paint to last long. If the engine is run every once in a while, (few weeks) the heating will keep rust at bay.