Did anyone ever come up with the definitive cure for constant leaks without welding up? Or did you all just bin them

I have a bad feeling I'm just about to suffer again

 

I came up with a cure for a set that a friend had great difficulty with. Eventually getting a collar welded onto the inside of the headers at the flange of the collect (this became the male part of the system)

You can just see here (pretty sure these are the headers bu under new ownership)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3/DSCF0080.jpg

The up pipe was then able to slot over this collar (female part of system), and we just used standard gaskets.

Annoying thing is, the headers didnt leak from there again, the welds of the collector then just disintegrated and it start blowing from somewhere else.

Steven

 

Stupid Headers

I think I'm still hopelessly looking for a non welding solution, otherwise I'm just going to gouge them and join completely...... Or maybe just get into the zen group buy

 

i binned mine and bought the Version 2 ones, never had any bother at all

 

Try using 3 or three gaskets, seems to do the trick.

 

3 or three hmm

I can't even find anyone that sells them to be honest! not metal laminate joints anyway.

 

Ok 2 or 3, for gaskets buy em from Subaru dealers, RCM, API Engines etc etc....

or are we talking about different things??

 

Same thing, but must be different bore size. The OEM gaskets have an internal diameter of about 40-45mm? the headers ID at the collector to up-pipe is 52mm IIRC which completely swallows the soft metal sealing ring on the oem gaskets.

Or do you know where to get larger ones?

I think I'll Give API and RCM a call anyway though.

Dave

 

I'm using OEM gaskets on mine and im sure they are the same size.
There are two different size gaskets in the OEM headders, Smaller one on the cross pipe and the larger one on the up pipe joint.
Ended up using two gaskets together to make the up pipe to collector joint seal.
Also ended up binning the helix up pipe it came with as that blew its flexi joint, replaced with a nice H&S slip jointed one.

Dan.

 

Sure you've got the large bore headers? they did make a small bore set that age to IRC, It's definetly the right joint and there's about 3-4mm clearance all round between the outside of the sealing ring and the inside diameter of the headers.

 

Ahh thats probably it, i do remeber there being a reference to small/large bore versions but never heard anything about it again so assumed it was another scoobynet myth. I would therefore conclude that my set are the small bore ones.

Dan.