I second the recommendation for Remflex gaskets. Have had them on for a few years with basic ARP drilled header bolts. After a number of heat cycles, re-tightened the bolts and safety wired them. Haven't had an issue with them backing out or leaking. The Remflex gaskets are very thick and seem to do a great job. Have about 4000 miles on them so far.
Header gaskets and fasteners
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For our headers I recommend the REMFLEX gaskets. For 1 5/8" primary tubes - part # 2042. For 1 3/4" primary tubes - part # 2007. The 2007 can also be used for 1 7/8" and 2" primary tubes but will need to be trimmed to match the larger ports.
The Felpro gaskets work fine as well. Part # FEL-1470.
Regarding header flanges, surfacing, etc. The process used in videos above works fine for headers which have the primary tubes welded inside the header flanges as those headers are. For our headers, we bring the primary tubes through the header flange and weld to the face of the flange. We then machine the welds down to the face of the flange but we do NOT remove the weld as it is the sealing surface for the headers. On our stainless headers, we go over each weld an additional time with the tig torch. I include an install sheet with every set of headers I ship. It describes the header flanges having a slight warp from the laser cutting and heating/shaping and welding process. For our headers, do not machine surface the face of the flange to flatten it!!! This will break through the sealing weld and absolutely guarantee the headers will leak. The method for installing our headers is starting all bolts by hand and then using the following sequence to tighten each: Inside left, inside right, middle left, middle right, outside left, outside right. Alternate using this sequence as you would when tightening lug nuts on your wheels. This will lay the header flange flat to the head from the inside outwards. I have been using and recommending this sequence for almost 23 years without issues.
I think Gerry (95 wagon) was one of my first customers for a set of mild steel TRI-Y headers. Seems like one of his flanges had almost a 1/4" warp to it from one end to the other and he agreed to follow the sequence I suggested and was pleasantly surprised to have the flange lay flat. That was probably 22 years ago so forgive me if my memory isn't 100% accurate.
The Felpro gaskets work fine as well. Part # FEL-1470.
Regarding header flanges, surfacing, etc. The process used in videos above works fine for headers which have the primary tubes welded inside the header flanges as those headers are. For our headers, we bring the primary tubes through the header flange and weld to the face of the flange. We then machine the welds down to the face of the flange but we do NOT remove the weld as it is the sealing surface for the headers. On our stainless headers, we go over each weld an additional time with the tig torch. I include an install sheet with every set of headers I ship. It describes the header flanges having a slight warp from the laser cutting and heating/shaping and welding process. For our headers, do not machine surface the face of the flange to flatten it!!! This will break through the sealing weld and absolutely guarantee the headers will leak. The method for installing our headers is starting all bolts by hand and then using the following sequence to tighten each: Inside left, inside right, middle left, middle right, outside left, outside right. Alternate using this sequence as you would when tightening lug nuts on your wheels. This will lay the header flange flat to the head from the inside outwards. I have been using and recommending this sequence for almost 23 years without issues.
I think Gerry (95 wagon) was one of my first customers for a set of mild steel TRI-Y headers. Seems like one of his flanges had almost a 1/4" warp to it from one end to the other and he agreed to follow the sequence I suggested and was pleasantly surprised to have the flange lay flat. That was probably 22 years ago so forgive me if my memory isn't 100% accurate.
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5,530 Posts
Wasn't pleasantly surprised, more like " what else am I gunna do"
Because of the short primaries , close close coupling , there isnt much give and that weld on the #2 primary broke after a time.
The second header, which I changed in your second shop, was flatter.
It was many years before it broke in the same place .
I will give you the first set was early enough that they were not made by you , just marketed.
While the crown, to a point , can be delt with, please dont say it was part of design.
Long tubes will settle quite well with heat cycles.
Thee shorter the header , the less forgiving .
Because of the short primaries , close close coupling , there isnt much give and that weld on the #2 primary broke after a time.
The second header, which I changed in your second shop, was flatter.
It was many years before it broke in the same place .
I will give you the first set was early enough that they were not made by you , just marketed.
While the crown, to a point , can be delt with, please dont say it was part of design.
Long tubes will settle quite well with heat cycles.
Thee shorter the header , the less forgiving .
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617 Posts
With the GEN II TRI-Y headers we were able to get rid of several welds in the primary tubes and lengthen most of them at the same time.
I never said the warp in the flange was "part of design".
It is a result of the entire manufacturing process from the flanges being laser cut, heating and shaping the ports, welding the primary tubes to the flanges and then heating and adding clearance for the bolt holes. It also doesn't help when the 8 foot x 4 foot sheet of steel starts out warped from the mill. Most flanges arrive to us from laser cutting with either a concave or convex warp. After a header is complete, we clamp the flange flat to the steel bench and heat them to help them settle. Machining them perfectly flat would result in the 3/8" flange being reduced to 1/4" or less at the ends. That's not something I want to do. So we go with the tightening sequence I described above, which has worked well for almost 23 years and close to 3,000 sets of headers.
I never said the warp in the flange was "part of design".
It is a result of the entire manufacturing process from the flanges being laser cut, heating and shaping the ports, welding the primary tubes to the flanges and then heating and adding clearance for the bolt holes. It also doesn't help when the 8 foot x 4 foot sheet of steel starts out warped from the mill. Most flanges arrive to us from laser cutting with either a concave or convex warp. After a header is complete, we clamp the flange flat to the steel bench and heat them to help them settle. Machining them perfectly flat would result in the 3/8" flange being reduced to 1/4" or less at the ends. That's not something I want to do. So we go with the tightening sequence I described above, which has worked well for almost 23 years and close to 3,000 sets of headers.
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Nice job
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