Header tick...

[redbird555]

Ok I put bbk lt's and an ory on my car this week. I checked the flanges before I put them on as they were used, and they looked ok, i also bought new mls gaskets and reused the stock bolts... Drove the car for about 100 miles and all seemed well, today i noticed a slight tick after it warms up sitting at idle. This sound may have been there upon install but i never noticed. under load i hear nothing its smooth, the o2's are not setting codes for a rich condition due to a leak. I tried baby power, a stethescope, and a small cloth on a stick to try and find a leak and i got nothing. The noise is only audible underneath the car, up top all the primaries are quiet with no ticking and sound fine underneath it's audible and kinda sounds like its coming from the middle of the car??? I just drove it 200 miles today back up to school and the ticking is no worse or better.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrNfAOiP85E[/ame]

[35th-ANV-SS]

This thread may help you....

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...ht=header+leak

[ss~zoso~ss]

mine does the same thing, probably a small gap btwn the header, gasket, and head

i dont really mind it, you get used to it

god knows i aint taking the header off... you should know what im talking about if you did the install yourself

[Smittro]

Ok I put bbk lt's and an ory on my car this week. I checked the flanges before I put them on as they were used, and they looked ok, i also bought new mls gaskets and reused the stock bolts... Drove the car for about 100 miles and all seemed well, today i noticed a slight tick after it warms up sitting at idle. This sound may have been there upon install but i never noticed. under load i hear nothing its smooth, the o2's are not setting codes for a rich condition due to a leak. I tried baby power, a stethescope, and a small cloth on a stick to try and find a leak and i got nothing. The noise is only audible underneath the car, up top all the primaries are quiet with no ticking and sound fine underneath it's audible and kinda sounds like its coming from the middle of the car??? I just drove it 200 miles today back up to school and the ticking is no worse or better.

Leaking flanges IMHO. Can be fixed by using doubled flange gaskets..

mine does the same thing, probably a small gap btwn the header, gasket, and head

i dont really mind it, you get used to it

god knows i aint taking the header off... you should know what im talking about if you did the install yourself

You can double the gasket without removing the header completely.
1. Remove the bolts and pull back on the header slightly.
2. Wedge the gap between the header and head open just enough to get the gaskets in, say 1/4 inch.
3. Stack the 2 gaskets with all the holes lined up.
4. Then place one end of the gaskets so you can catch them through the header and the gaskets bolt hole.
5. With one bolt through the two gaskets, thread the bolt in with your fingers a just few threads.
6. Once the bolt is started, swing the gasket into position and start the next bolt still with only a few threads started.
7. once you have all the gasket/s in place and all the bolts started, pull your wedge, and go ahead and tighten/torque them down.
8. Repeat for the next gasket, it's even easier when/if the gasket is all one piece..


Remember if it leaks @ the head, there will actually be fire comming from the leaking area under WOT and it may get worse over time..
Open fire in cramped engine bay = bad..

[redbird555]

Ok thanks I figured it has to be something with the head. Although I'm 200 miles away at school until around xmas time. ss~zoso~ss you said you just left urs? Has it gotten any worse? Will it hurt the o2's or anything to run it like that. This is prolly what I'll have to do till I'm home next time, smittro i got underneath the car and had someone rev it to see if i could find a leak and i didnt ee fire so hopefully its tight enough to prevent that for now.
Thanks Dan-

[redbird555]

One other thing... Smittro you said to double gasket the flanges. But since I have mls gaskets the one side if bubbled out around the holes for the manifolds. Therefore the only way to double flange i suppose would be to use a paper gasket on the head to the mls gasket, which I heard is not good as they tend to blow out quickly.

[Smittro]

One other thing... Smittro you said to double gasket the flanges. But since I have mls gaskets the one side if bubbled out around the holes for the manifolds. Therefore the only way to double flange i suppose would be to use a paper gasket on the head to the mls gasket, which I heard is not good as they tend to blow out quickly.

Why can't you double the mls gaskets? Paper would burn up. Get a hold of the company that made the headers, they will most likely sell you 2 sets of gaskets. Kinda sounds like yours are crushed.

[Smittro]

Ok thanks I figured it has to be something with the head. Although I'm 200 miles away at school until around xmas time. ss~zoso~ss you said you just left urs? Has it gotten any worse? Will it hurt the o2's or anything to run it like that. This is prolly what I'll have to do till I'm home next time, smittro i got underneath the car and had someone rev it to see if i could find a leak and i didnt ee fire so hopefully its tight enough to prevent that for now.
Thanks Dan-

A little trick for collector flanges..

For triangular flanged headers.
1. Get 3 pairs of Visegrips. (not channel locks)
2. Align the flanges together with gasket in place.
3. Clamp the Visegrips in the middle of the flanges between the bolt holes tight as you can get them.
4. Install your bolts and tighten them a little @ a time till they are good and tight the whole way around.
5. Remove Visegrips.
Purpose: Some header collector flanges will "bow" or flex in the middle when the bolts are tightened down. The vise grips will prevent the flange from bowing @ their centers.. Using three sets of grips is key though.. It wont matter if the vise grips are leaning to one side or the other due to the lack of room. Just make sure they are clamped tightly @ the center of the flange between the bolt holes.

[redbird555]

Why can't you double the mls gaskets? Paper would burn up. Get a hold of the company that made the headers, they will most likely sell you 2 sets of gaskets. Kinda sounds like yours are crushed.

I didnt think they could be doubled because on the header side of the gasket each hole has an uplift in the gasket like shown here. I would think if two were put together theyd leak because the rest of the two gaskets are not. I wasnt aware they could be crushed especially since these are new...also you said the collector flanges could be line up with vice grips my collectors have ball flanges welded in place with studs so i think theyre ok i did check them for giggles and they have no leaks.

[Smittro]

I didnt think they could be doubled because on the header side of the gasket each hole has an uplift in the gasket like shown here. I would think if two were put together theyd leak because the rest of the two gaskets are not. I wasnt aware they could be crushed especially since these are new...also you said the collector flanges could be line up with vice grips my collectors have ball flanges welded in place with studs so i think theyre ok i did check them for giggles and they have no leaks.

Cool.. I was kinda splitting it between you and Zoso.. But it's all good. Some have flat flang some don't.. Maybe someone else could use the info.. Good luck bud..

[redbird555]

Yup definitely a good a trick to know. Does anyone think it will hurt the o2 sensors with that small leak Ive driven it 300-400 mi and everything seems to be fine....

[chuckie669]

If you get fed up enough with it, most exhaust shops will do a free inspection. It sure beats laying under your car on ramps

[ss~zoso~ss]

i just left mine, didnt get worse, no signs of carbon buildup / flame heated areas on headers

[redbird555]

Ok cool I'm gonna check it out next time I'm home but I'm gonna check all the plugs and wires today. zoso you didnt have any probs with o2 codes?

[redbird555]

Thanks to chuckie I figured out the prblem. Upon checking my spark plug wires I noticed number 7 had a distinct pulse going through the boot on the plug... sure enough the plug was about a turn and a half loose no more sound now.

[Too Fast]

^^^That is exactly what I was going to recommend. I just saw this thread, I had a friend help me with my header install and he left 2 plugs a little loose, and had the same ticking sound. I am so sorry I did not read this earlier LOL! I worried about my new ticking sound for 2 weeks before I found it.

[redbird555]

Ah dont worry abt it lol. I had the headers resting on the spark plugs when I was putting the headers on since I was doing it by myself I gues that may have loosened the one up.

[chuckie669]

Sounds like its time for some burnout vids now...

[redbird555]

The one in the avatar isnt good enough lol. That was when the car was mostly stock.... I did do a good one when I got them in all of first gear sideways and into second it was good lol black marks and lots of smoke. The headers are by far my best mod yet I used to just squeal the tires with the 2.73's up to abt 20-30. Now I have trouble getting any traction going fishtailing up to 50.

[tatertot91]

Sounds like its time for some burnout vids now...

Yes, i believe it is
I'll get the video camera