Same here...I modified a wrench to fit the tight areas and check the bolts as part of my cars oil changes....

 

I did not check for warp figuring they were new and a decent name brand (live and learn)
I’ll be giving summit a call tomorrow

 

 

Yup. I'm thinkin' so. Looks like something for at least a 1 3/4" header or larger.
You likely need the 1 5/8". But you need to compare it to your headers not the Exh manifold.

 

Maybe not......I remember Hooker side exhaust headers having a squarish flange inlet......regular gaskets do not work......
Hold that same gasket over the header flange and look at it.....
Remember....you are sealing the FLANGE....forget about what the port looks like.....

Jebby

 

Look closely at this photo:


Jebby

 

The ports on the head are round and I think the square gaskets are a little to big and leak out the bottom.

 

Good stuff. I use the graphite gaskets now. Torque twice, lock on the Percy's, never look back.

 

Yup, way too big. I believe those are 1 3/4.

 

I just installed the Jegs version of Percys gaskets because there seemed to have more gasket material around the holes. The leak is 98% eliminated. I think the carburetor makes more noise. I’m not sure if I’m going to pursue this more or remove the reverse flow mufflers and install glass packs to cover what little leak there is or possibly take a saws all to them and take them out🧐

 

 

Remflex gaskets are the best I've found for header applications.

 

See my post #2...Doubling up on the gaskets always works with a flanges that are not flat/straight......................easy and cheap...most gaskets are simply not thicker enough to adequately seal over time.

 

I have some issue with my frame that actually has my engine slightly mislocated in the engine bay (about 1/2" back of where it should be) and at a very slight list to starboard. This causes the port side sidepipe header to hit the frame and not allow me to get a great seal on the top edge of the header flange at the head.

I tried thing after thing. Double paper. Double graphite. Single copper with goo. Double copper with goo. Combo of graphite and copper, trimmed to the gap and stuffed with goo. EVERYTHING. It ALWAYS blew out and leaked along the top edge, especially at the weaker "siamese" port at #3 and #5.

What worked for me? Earl's Pressure Master Header Seals. The seal material is extremely thick, yet easily deformed. Once deformed, it fits like a glove and DOES NOT blow out like a normal gasket. A copper gasket deforms, and that is its strength, but it does not have nearly the movement of the inserts that the Earl's Pressure Master Header Seals do.

Even in my extreme case where the bottom edge cinches long before the top edge, I've had my set of Earl's in the car since I FINALLY fixed this problem after I re-installed my engine for the 2014 driving season. So...a solid 3+ years of driving? Over 6,000 miles? And I drive my car pretty hard. 4-speed on rubber mounts, so the engine moves around about as much as anyone elses.

While doubling up worked for others, IT ABSOLUTELY DID NOT work for me in any conceivable combination.

They cost a bit, but Earl's is the ticket for stubborn header leaks.

 

Hi Keith!

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am curious though about why the Earls Pressure master seals worked? Are they just thicker than the double gasket approach or is there something else going on with them. My BBK shorty headers I have on another car were warped pretty bad and the double Blue Felpro gaskets solved the problem over copper and Percys as well.

 

I have found that in time (and with heat) the flanges on most headers warp causing the bolts to loosen, I make a saw cut between the first two and the last two tubes, once cut you will see your headers have "sprung", a hacksaw blade width is all it takes.

 

See post #3. Its a Kerf.

 

As I mentioned, my situation is unusual and particularly awful.

Imagine that the header is not aligned with the head. The bottom lip of the header physically touches the head while there is still a ~3/32" gap on the top lip of the header.

Fix that with double gaskets: The bottom edge will set and you will be wanting to compress the gaskets until the top edge is seated. They just don't compress that much. Put goo in the middle, but it blows out after an hour. Use copper gaskets (which are better), but they just don't have THAT much give.

Fix it with Earl's: The material is quite thick. I'd have to measure it, but it's a good 1/8" thick if not more. But it is more like micro-corrugations of graphite, if that makes any sense. It's light and VERY compressible. You have to be a little careful when handling it. So in the same situation as above, you CAN compress the bottom edge sufficiently to get the top edge to "seat". And the gasket is made from a quasi-solid graphite material, so it DOES NOT blow out.

I could take a picture of mine and you'd see the Earl's gasket material bridging the gap. And if I took it apart, you'd see this awesome wedge shape that has been created, perfect to MY situation on MY headers. Any other situation and the gasket would look completely different.

Seals the hell out of some stuff, I'm telling you. And it doesn't break apart like the paper/layered gaskets, or harden and blow out like the red goo.

I have a very severe situation on my car. And I've been through it all. This was my solution and it has worked very well.

 

I also used a set of BBC header gasket by Remflex on my 509 Nova. Best I've ever used.

 

Percy's are great, and I have NEVER had an issue with Remflex...quite a quality product!