ima gonna kill my loose collectors!!!

[ocbaud]

i am sick and tired of having to tighten my collector bolts all the time! i dont have a gasket because they are like this:
http://www.ocbaud.com/pictures/truck...collectors.jpg
i tried grade 8 lock washers but they didnt seem to help.

so tonight at work i picked up 6 grade 8 bolts, grade 8 lock washers, and grade 8 lock nuts.

if they come loose again, i'm gonna have an exhaust shop fab me up some different collectors that will use 6 bolts on each header!!!

[PHOENIX]

You should have lock washers on there. Not sure what type of lock nuts you bought but if you bought the nylon type I think the nylon will melt and just be like a regular nut (or worse). They do make lock nuts that have punch marks on the sides. After the nut is threaded they stamp 3 sides of the nut and it slightly changes the nut which makes it harder to put on and of course come off. Try some heavy duty thread locker (high/extreme heat) on the nut and install the lock washers. With a quality thread locker and lock washer you shouldnt have any problems. Wouldnt hurt to use the lock nuts that DO NOT depend on plastic or nylon to "lock" the nut into place.You could always try to double nut it also.

[TIMSPEED]

Originally Posted by ocbaud

so tonight at work i picked up 6 grade 8 bolts, grade 8 lock washers, and grade 8 lock nuts!!!

Duh! Even on my crappy exhaust on my truck, I have two nuts on the collector bolts..one to keep it on, and the other to keep that one tight. NEVER use just one nut. You're a guy, you should know that, LOL

[1972C10]

Get your pipes welded to the header unless your pulling the motor every week like a pro stock you can get by And if you have to pull your headers to get the engine sawzall the pipes and get some couplers from the parts house.

I have some hedman Torque steps with the pipes welded to them i can still pull the engine and never have another collector leak!

[1972C10]

After lookin at your pics i realized what you were talkin about ..

I used to have alot of header leaks due to the engine moving alot are you running new stock replacement motor mounts ? or old ones ? or polys?

I run solids and forgot what header leaks are but My application is alot different than yours Mine is total Hot Rod I drive it often but its not my daily driver SO you might look into poly motor mounts.

[ocbaud]

energy suspension poly motor mounts are what i'm running.

[updatelee]

grade 8 bolts
grade 8 lock washers
two grade 8 nuts
dead soft aluminum gaskets

works for me.

[78chevstepside]

for my headers I like header hush flange stiffners and aluminum gaskets.
bolts with lock washers. I also put flanges , with flange stiffners on my crossover pipe( for easy tranny acess.) . never have a leak or loose bolt for the 4 years they have been on there .

[updatelee]

where can I find more info on these "hush flange stiffners" ? what about on the head side ? currently im just using mr gasket bolts, they come loose about once every 2 months or so ... have you tried any of the different locking bolts ?

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...79&prmenbr=361
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...24&prmenbr=361

their expensive, thats the problem. Id like to hear from other's before handing out $60us for a few bolts. hehe

[GMC1tondually4dr]

Timspeed is right, two nuts are better than one, you can also use the metal self locking nuts. If you're really anal, metal self locking, double nuts, AND safety wire. Use a dab of antisieze on the bolt, and YOU have total control of when and where the collector comes off.

[TwinTurbo]

I have modified my colelctors, they have a slip fit pipe in them that slips into the rest of the exhaust that botls to it, no more leaks. Then I have bolts through the collector flanges with the nuts wirelocked to the bolt head. It will never fall aparat again. Wire locking is cheap & easy.

[piecesparts]

JUST double nut the bolts and ensure that they are tight.

[SanitysBane]

y a slip joint?

[TwinTurbo]

because a slip joint won't start to leak if the collector flange bolts are a little loose, it won't blow out the gasket immediately. I did this because my exhaust occasionally scrapes the road and I don't want to have to change the gaskets each time it happens.

[71-longbed]

only thing i can think of is ... try adding another exhaust hanger close to the front of your truck ... i have stock manifolds and my passenger side pipe and manifolds would work themselves loose every month or so ... i found that the closest exhaust hanger on that side had come loose and the pipe moved more ..... just a thought