I checked the bolts at the header and nothing is loose. Really, I only have one gasket failing (the front). I believe it could have been a little jarred when first installed. And like you say, this small leak could expose the gasket to burn through.Hi Jason,
I sent out the replacement gaskets for you. One thing to keep in mind, when a flange connection is loose it will burn through the gasket eventually, sometimes quickly and sometimes it takes a while. Best thing to do with exhaust connections that are at or near the cylinder head on any vehicle is to re-check the bolts/nuts after a few heat cycles. Sometimes you end up needing to re-tighten them after a little driving after they settle a bit.
The copper gaskets are nice as well, they don't provide as much "cushion" as the ones we use, but they'll last longer especially if there is a slight leak. If you get a slight leak when using the copper gaskets due to there not being enough gasket thickness to absorb the any flange imperfections you may need to double up on the gaskets.
I think the one's little_joe used are SCE 4225 shown here: SCE Gaskets 4225 - SCE Pro Copper Embossed Exhaust Flange Gaskets - Overview - SummitRacing.com
So does it make sense to run both a copper and ems gasket for added support? The y-pipe is very loud with a leak, plus constant CEL. Need a state inspection sticker soon so I'm open to all options, but I really only want to pull this y-pipe down once.