Exhaust leak advice

[Blizzard242]

Sooooo I was looking for tons of different ways to search for exhaust leaks. Eventually I remembered that my parents had a fog machine. Some duct tape and a couple of Spectere mock up pipes later and I'm fogging my exhaust. That didn't work so well so I used the compressor to add a bit of oomph to it. I gave up on the fog machine and decided that it was easier to just listen and feel for leaks via the compressor and a couple of rags. So there's my advice for anyone who might be looking for leaks.

Anyways, I found and welded as many leaks as I could before the wideband but found my biggest leak was my header ball flanges. Couldn't get em to stop no matter what. Does anyone have any advice as to what I can use to seal up ball flanges? I tuned the piss out of my car for like 3 hours as best I could but I know it's off a little because of these leaks and it's quite frustrating. Any help?

[flamingchicken]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

maybe try the gaskets they sell at oreilly for ball flanges???

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...2411&ppt=C0022

[ssms5411]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

Cut off the ball flanges and use V-band flanges or 3 bolt flanges. Personally I like V-band flanges easy to take off and on and seal up great.

[T-Mill]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

Where would one get a V-band flange?

*edit* I found them on jeg's website... $105... know of somewhere a bit cheaper?

[ssms5411]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

ebay, have the flanges and the clamps pretty cheap. There used for turbos, so they should last.

[Bandit127]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

Yep, they are used everywhere on the Turbo Diesels. So they should have no problem in these cars. Make sure to check if they use a metal gasket, if they do order extra. Because you can double stack them if one doesn't quite work.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

If I had the time to replace my flanges I most definitely would have. But I do not which is why I asked the above question.

I didn't want to have to take my whole exhaust off again.. I don't have the downtime for it and to make sure that everything fits up snug under the car again. It was a real pain to position them just right in the first place when I had garage time.
http://www.summitracing.com/search/b.../?autoview=SKU that is the type that I have but it's altered a bit. Everything about these pipes look so ghetto I'm embarrassed but quick and running a little rich.

I will look into the gaskets you mentioned flamingchicken. I am afraid that those would be more for the stock manifold and if you've ever replaced those gaskets you'd understand where the difficulty is with the ball flanges I have now.

[flamingchicken]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

they are, but im thinking you should be able to get them in different sizes, cause i believe the flange on headers is bigger than the manifold.

[bigbrian442]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

A thin bead of ultra copper silicone will do wonders. If the ball flange needs to flex when the motor torques your out of luck.

[ssms5411]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

Yep, they are used everywhere on the Turbo Diesels. So they should have no problem in these cars. Make sure to check if they use a metal gasket, if they do order extra. Because you can double stack them if one doesn't quite work.

V-bands don't use gaskets, the 2 flanges are tighten together for the seal. for like 2 - 2.5" V bands and a clamp its like $15 - $20.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

A thin bead of ultra copper silicone will do wonders. If the ball flange needs to flex when the motor torques your out of luck.

I've tried that before and it blew out. Hopefully I just didn't let it sit long enough. I'm gonna go back to the ultra copper and try that out again. I'm also going to get a v-band clamp for my turbo flange too. I suspect leaks there as well. It's round so I should have went with a v-band in the first place but it has bolt holes too so I went the harder route for some reason.

My AFR's have been coming closer and closer to 14.7 in closed loop with every repair I've been doing thus far so I'm happy.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

I got the flanges to stop leaking. Just to find I have the infamous pacesetter header leak in the collector area.. So nice. I couldn't remember if I could get the header out through the top of the driver side so I attempted it. Otherwise I'd have to tear down half my turbo setup and I didn't have time for it. So I wasted a good amount of my day and possibly screwed my flange leak fix. I'm getting tired of this.

[bigbrian442]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

I Don't have any of the " infamous pacesetter" header leaks. I've had them on over 4 years and never had to tighten the header bolts or replace gaskets. I did have to snug the collectors once. If silicone isn't holding up it means your getting flexing in that joint. I'm pretty sure I put the drivers header down from the top when I installed them....might have had the steering column unhooked from the rack. I have never used it, but i have seen some exhaust sealer used at exhaust shops that gets harder than concrete.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

I'm definitely going to look into this sealer you talk of. And a flex pipe. I'm really getting burnt out on crawling under my car looking for leaks. Any idea on how much an exhaust shop would charge to put in a flex pipe, seal up my manifold and any other little holes? I've never taken my car anywhere to get anything done but I'm just tired.

[ssms5411]

Re: Exhaust leak advice

Around here about $60 or so , buy your own flex pipe they will charge alot if they charge you for one. I had all my turbo pipping and exisiting exhaust done at a local shop for $200 , then another $100 to finish up the exhaust so I could take off the turbo one and install the stock one back if need be. Also welded like 4-5 Vbands for me so I could do my turbo later on without having to do them myself. SO for $300 I got my my hot side done and half the cold side with V bands and then stock exhaust done with a Dynomax Bullet race muffler , and my turbo pipes that match mt stock pipes so they interchange. I think it was a good price.