Header Flang - WTF?! HTF?!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,483
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From: Las Vegas Nevada
Header Flang - WTF?! HTF?!
Picked up my car this weekend, been sitting for about a year or so without being touched/moved etc (Joined military and have been away from it).
Fired up after 3 cranks, sounded nice untill the hood was opened, then I could head an exhaust leak. Car was on trailer at that point so I turned it off and didnt worry about it. Got to my new place, and opened the hood. I saw something not very pleasent.
Appears the flange has warped some how. Whats the likely cause? Pulled the bolt/threading out of the head, so have to heli-coil it and get the header flattened back out.
The exhaust behind the headers is a dual mandrel 3" system. Held up at the exhaust hanger location and thats it. Could the weight have done that? Passanger side seemed fine...
My plans to finish my car are being queered.. Sigh.. Didnt name her the Runt for nothing I suppose
Matt
Fired up after 3 cranks, sounded nice untill the hood was opened, then I could head an exhaust leak. Car was on trailer at that point so I turned it off and didnt worry about it. Got to my new place, and opened the hood. I saw something not very pleasent.
Appears the flange has warped some how. Whats the likely cause? Pulled the bolt/threading out of the head, so have to heli-coil it and get the header flattened back out.
The exhaust behind the headers is a dual mandrel 3" system. Held up at the exhaust hanger location and thats it. Could the weight have done that? Passanger side seemed fine...
My plans to finish my car are being queered.. Sigh.. Didnt name her the Runt for nothing I suppose
Matt
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,830
Likes: 1
From: atlanta Georgia
what kind of headers are those?
well just a thought... they look like 2 pieces welded together. like the pipes welded to the flange. i think most after market are 1 piece.
also when you first install headers you tigheten the blots down and its a must that u retighten after a couple days of driving.
well just a thought... they look like 2 pieces welded together. like the pipes welded to the flange. i think most after market are 1 piece.
also when you first install headers you tigheten the blots down and its a must that u retighten after a couple days of driving.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,483
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From: Las Vegas Nevada
They are older LPE headers.
I did retighten them after I ran the motor for a bit.
As I said, was fine when I stored it a year and half ago...
Could I take the header off and have the flange flattened?
Matt
I did retighten them after I ran the motor for a bit.
As I said, was fine when I stored it a year and half ago...
Could I take the header off and have the flange flattened?
Matt
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,830
Likes: 1
From: atlanta Georgia
call LPE and see if they will replace them or what thney recommend to do with their headers. if it were me id do that then take the head and header off and too a machine shop to re tap hole and maybe flatten it out.
good luck your friend
Sean
good luck your friend
Sean
Race Director
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Cruise-In II Veteran
Looking at the pic,the flange does "appear bent or warped".BUT,Are you sure it wasnt just the threads that got worn out and let the bolt pull?
That being said,when you take the header off to fix the threads,just check the flange for straightness.It may look more bent than it is.I forget the tools they have but theres tools you can use to check to see if something has warped.Check all the other bolt holes as well while youre there and make sure theres no loose slack in them that may allow them to pull out later.
That being said,when you take the header off to fix the threads,just check the flange for straightness.It may look more bent than it is.I forget the tools they have but theres tools you can use to check to see if something has warped.Check all the other bolt holes as well while youre there and make sure theres no loose slack in them that may allow them to pull out later.
Large Impressive Member
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I'd guess the threads were worn, weak and just pulled out allowing the warpage. It shouldn't be a big deal to straighten. If you don't have access to a shop, take it to a welding, metal fab shop or somewhere of that nature and they should be able to do it in no time.
And a good thread insert repair in your aluminum head will be stronger than new. Good luck!
And a good thread insert repair in your aluminum head will be stronger than new. Good luck!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Las Vegas Nevada
CorvetteKidNC: Does the head have to come off to repair the thread? I want to avoid that. Cause if the heads come off, the LPE Heads and SuperRam go on... And thats just gonna make me cry
Matt
Matt
Large Impressive Member
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by VetteRacer282
CorvetteKidNC: Does the head have to come off to repair the thread? I want to avoid that. Cause if the heads come off, the LPE Heads and SuperRam go on... And thats just gonna make me cry
Matt
Matt
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Those headers didn't warp and pull the threads. The threads were already gone.
The head COULD be repaired on the car IF there is room to get the drill and thread insert tool in there.
RACE ON!!!
The head COULD be repaired on the car IF there is room to get the drill and thread insert tool in there.
Originally Posted by redbullapril23
well just a thought... they look like 2 pieces welded together. like the pipes welded to the flange. i think most after market are 1 piece.
RACE ON!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
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From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
Those headers didn't warp and pull the threads. The threads were already gone.
The head COULD be repaired on the car IF there is room to get the drill and thread insert tool in there.
RACE ON!!!
The head COULD be repaired on the car IF there is room to get the drill and thread insert tool in there.
RACE ON!!!
Does that mean the headers/flange warped from the heat alone? Question: do all headers do that, or is this an isolated instance?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by LT4CompYell
CFI:
Does that mean the headers/flange warped from the heat alone? Question: do all headers do that, or is this an isolated instance?
Does that mean the headers/flange warped from the heat alone? Question: do all headers do that, or is this an isolated instance?
RACE ON!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 914
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From: Redding Ca
You can take the header to any shop that mills cylinder heads and they can mill your flange perfectly flat again. Also I have seen a machine used by engine rebuilders (sort of a large table top with a grinding surface which moves in a circular motion) that is like a large sander that will also mill the flange flat leaving a very slight rough finish, for pretty cheap. If the flange is not very flat, it will start blowing gaskets under pressure. 
I took a header flange off my BBC altered roadser (even with open headers/collectors I could not keep gaskets in it) to get it trued with the large table grinder I mentioned. I did not even have to use an exhaust manifold gasket after that...just bolted the header directly to the cylinder head. Worked great.
I took a header flange off my BBC altered roadser (even with open headers/collectors I could not keep gaskets in it) to get it trued with the large table grinder I mentioned. I did not even have to use an exhaust manifold gasket after that...just bolted the header directly to the cylinder head. Worked great.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Las Vegas Nevada
65Z01: They were TQ'd to spec.
CFI: That would be understandable if the car was driven alot. But like I said, car was fine before, 1.5 year later its warped? Only thing I can imagine is the weight of the exhaust did it, but that doesnt seem too likely either..
The heads are stock/ported, so threads being gone already wouldnt be too big of a surprise, 87 with ~150k before it died..
Any idea what a shop charges to R&R heads/intake? I no longer have the place to work on the car like that, outdoor storage isnt very friendly.. heh.
Matt
CFI: That would be understandable if the car was driven alot. But like I said, car was fine before, 1.5 year later its warped? Only thing I can imagine is the weight of the exhaust did it, but that doesnt seem too likely either..
The heads are stock/ported, so threads being gone already wouldnt be too big of a surprise, 87 with ~150k before it died..
Any idea what a shop charges to R&R heads/intake? I no longer have the place to work on the car like that, outdoor storage isnt very friendly.. heh.
Matt
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: What do I know anyway? I'm just a 50 year old No0b
Those headders have a really thick flange! I would be amazed if they warped in only that spot and that much. Nobody 'banged around' under the car while it was in storage did they? I've never seen one warp like that.
Another thought, with those thick flanges and a lock washer on the bolt as well; how much thread was actually in the head?
Another thought, with those thick flanges and a lock washer on the bolt as well; how much thread was actually in the head?
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Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by VetteRacer282
CFI: That would be understandable if the car was driven alot. But like I said, car was fine before, 1.5 year later its warped?...
The heads are stock/ported, so threads being gone already wouldnt be too big of a surprise, 87 with ~150k before it died..
The heads are stock/ported, so threads being gone already wouldnt be too big of a surprise, 87 with ~150k before it died..
RACE ON!!!
