I've installed alphawerk headers and they ran great for about 2 weeks, but then they started to leak.

My friends and I retightened the passenger side header (was pretty damn loose), and a good bit (but not all) of the leak was fixed.

As time went buy the header has come loose again and is now leaking a bit (not as much as before).

I am looking for suggestions on getting these headers sealed tight and prevent the bolts from backing off again.

I was thinking of the following options:
-Locktite
-Locking Bolts (cant find them)
-Locking Washers on stock bolts.

I have bought new gaskets from Nissan and will be switching those out whenever I tighten my headers.


Does anyone have any insight to this problem and know a good solution?

Thanks for your time.

 

the best header bolts I have ever seen had small holes in the head of the bolt that allow you to run steel wire through it....you can safteywire the bolts so they can't loosen.

bolts with allenhead fittings are the best.

If you end up finding them, PM me and I will give you a picture of how to run the steel wire.

 

Sorry about the big headache.

I paid to have headers installed. Twice! Once the original install. The installer told me to come back in a couple hundred miles, and he would tighten the bolts. Like a dummy I didn't pay attention. They eventually got so lose that the gaskets shifted. So the fix was to essentially install them again.

Been fine for 47,984 miles. The secret? High-temperature Loktite.

 

Another important thing to do is always use a stock Nissan gasket. They don't degrade, crumble or burn out.

Many of the aftermarket header kits use really bad quality gaskets that blow out. The first thing to do with them is to throw them in the trash... and then get a good set of reliable Nissan gaskets.

 

+1 on stock metal gaskets

 

Where did u get high-temp locktite?

 

Thought I had solved this problem.
My test pipes had carbon deposits on both gaskets.
I was having leaks on these gaskets before (test pipes to headers), so I went to nissan and bought the metal gaskets.
They seemed like much better quality and I didn't expect them to leak.
Well they did...

I bought a set of Kinetix test pipes a while back and they came with missing flanges on the y pipe side, so I had to get flanges welded on at an exhaust shop. I think the problem is that they did not line them up well enough before they welded the flanges on and now the stress from bad angles are causing the leaks.

I've replaced the test pipes with stock cats and now have a different leak.

I'm getting so sick of exhaust leaks, I think I just want to run open header.


The good news is that I may not have a header leak, the bad news is that I've already replaced the y-pipe to mid pipe gasket 3 times and it continues to eventually fall apart and leak. Can someone recommend a place to buy nice quality standard gaskets?

Thanks again for you time reading my rant

 

I see how this can get very frustrating for you. Sorry to hear that.

I recommend you go back to stock headers and cats with new gaskets for each. If problem persists then work from there.

Never really was a fan of aftermarket headers..

 

Aftermarket headers are fine. The problem are the gaskets. Aftermarket are always crap. Theres a performance shop near by that works on chevy trucks, the main guy buys OEM gaskets by the truck load. He says those are the best, when installing headers. So start by replacing the aftermarket gaskets. Also as far as locktite, that's an awesome product, but if you want to go with locking bolts try Summit Racing. They may have them for your application. They look better than running that steel wire through the other type of bolt. The locking bolt has some sort of clip that prevents the bolt from comming loose.

 

I'm still using stock header gaskets.
Every other gasket has been replaced though.
I got good quality Nissan OEM gaskets on header -> cats
and some cheap **** from there back.
Where can I buy some quality 2.5 and 3.0 3 hole gaskets?

 

When i ordered gaskets for header/tp, i got the metal ring gaskets. I don't know if you got the ring ones or just regular looks gaskets.

 

I had to get mine at teh stealership. The ones between the headers and tp's. $25 bucks per gasket.

 

I got the good ones from the stealership for the headers, I guess I'll bite the bullet on the other ones too.
Do they have just the generic gaskets in metal form?

 

Make sure you are torquing down the header in the proper squence. Just like you would head studs or wheel studs.

On threads that I may have to remove on a later date I don't use permanent loctite. Loctite blue and/or Nordlock washers.

The only true locking fastener that I know of is a Stage 8 fastener. But $$$$$