Hot Rods Ramhorn exhaust manifold?

I ordered some ramhorn exhaust manifolds for my SB 350. What would be the best gaskets or sealant to use? I've never swapped out headers or manifolds and I have no clue what I'm doing. Thanks

 

Fel pro is the ticket , use grade 5 bolts and lock washers..ram horns are great manifolds..

 

Just make sure the surface is clean and bolt them on. No gasket or sealant is necessary. I wrap a piece of 80 grit sandpaper around a block of scrap wood and "mill" the surfaces flat. I know it sounds weird but you don't need gaskets.

 

On steel heads, we never used a gasket at all. If the head and manifold surfaces are true, the carbon will fill any void between the 2 surfaces. I'm using ram horns and aluminum heads on my SBC and am using Fel Pro gaskets, as recommended by Dart. I'll see how they hold up.

For bolts I'm using higher-grade stainless steel ones from Ace Hardware. They look to be an A286 alloy and are above a grade 5 hardness (file test). Washers are also stainless steel. I use never-seize on all the threads.

 

I would use gaskets...

 

If you use stainless steel hardware always use anti seize. Unless of course you enjoy repairing torn out threads. The nickel type (silver colored) is good for high temperatures and is what I would recommend on an exhaust system. Be aware that anti seize can be messy and will get everywhere; a little goes a long way.

 

don't use gaskets, Chevy never did. There's a good reason, too. The gasket acts as an insulator, letting the manifold get hotter than it would without a gasket.

Factory installations had lock tabs to keep the outer bolts tight. The manifold moves around every time it heats and cools, and the bolts can loosen.

 

Just stock gaskets and no sealant.

 

stock is NO gaskets.

 

Why grade 5 vs. grade 8?

 

if stock is no gasket why does every full gasket kit have manifold gaskets?

 

Because most folks don't understand how things work.

 

that doesn't make any since. if the application calls for no gasket why would they make replacements?

 

If you ordered the speedway ram horns they come with soft copper gaskets pre cut to fit the ram horn manifolds. If not you can just buy fel pro exhaust gaskets and use tin snips to cut them to the shape of the ram horn manifolds. I've never not used a gasket for aftermarket headers or manifolds. Thats asking for that annoying exhaust leak.

 

it makes perfect sense...any time you can sell someone something they don't need, you make more money.

 

I've used the Speedway rams on my last 3 cars but take a straight edge and check for flat, 2 sets need kissed at the machine shop to be flat. I used the furnished copper gaskets on all 3. On my deuce pu I have stock ramhorns with no gaskets to date?

 

I got these manifolds from Summit. They came with what appears to be stainless bolts. So it looks like the recommendation is no gasket with a little anti seize on the threads and lock washers.

 

Jim is right.There are no exh manifold gaskets on an sbc from the factory.I reckon if you used a copper gasket it would not act like an insulator but the composition ones sure will.Just be sure your surfaces are flat and the bolts are anti-seized.I use star lock washers on mine but thats just me.I suppose you could get the sheet metal lock plates from the dealer,I have never seen them offered aftermarket(havent looked hard either).Work from the middle to the ends tightening the bolts a little at a time until you get to full torque.

 

FORD
http://www.dearbornclassics.com/exhaust-manifold-bolt-lock-tabs-set-of-4-1957-1979.html#

CHEVY
http://www.lategreatchevy.com/full-...old-bolt-lock-set-stainless-steel-small-block

Any better prices or recommendations.

 

Take heed of these words fellow H.A.M.Bers.

 

Gaskets usually cause more problems than they are worth. When that engine was new there were no exhaust gaskets on it. Use grade 5 bolts and no gaskets

 

Jim's right, the older Chevys didn't have a gasket from the factory. I would prep the surfaces carefully and try it without the gaskets, you can always add them later if there is a leak. If it doesn't leak, that's one less gasket to give you trouble in the future. I would add "Check/retorque exhaust manifolds" to my checklist at oil change time if you don't have the factory bend-over tabs.

 

On some applications adding a gasket is asking for a cracked manifold. I've never used a gasket on a manifold and have not had any troubles. If the manifold is hard to find and has some pits I'll use some high temp TRV and call it a day.

BTW save those manifold gaskets for the next time your using headers, they work a lot better than most header gaskets.

 

The company the makes the kits does not know if your using cast iron stock manifolds, or cheap cyclone headers. Just because they are in the kit, doesn't mean they have to be used. My '69 vette 350 was torn town for the first time by my father and I, and it had no exhaust manifold to head gaskets either.

 

it looks like i have three sbc's i need to pull the gaskets from the ram horns

one has been together for 20 years , i'm sure it will cause problems soon if i don't

 

The only problem that I have had with rams horn exhaust manifolds is having anti freeze dripping out of one. I don't think that the manifold gasket had anything to do with it though.

 

I guess you learn some thing new every day. dont use gaskets on cast iron manifolds. I have to be honest ,been workin on sbc for 40 years.I guess I never really noticed. its been long time since I took apart any thing that was factory original.

 

Old Rams Horns are never flat. But a skim in a Bridgeport brings them back. I also spotface the bolt pockets to even them out. New ones might not be flat also. Vietnam castings from Dorman are not so good and need fixing.
I've taken .080 off to flatten an old one that was warped bad. Normal used seems to be .035 which even with gaskets is not good. and should be fixed.

Frank

 

That's funny 'cause my experience has been just the opposite; I've never had to do anything but kiss the surface with a single cut file. I did have to enlarge the end port bolt holes in some truck and van manifolds due to some shrinkage. Most of my experience with cast iron exhaust manifolds was when I worked in the header biz and had to do endless header fit-checks then replace all the stock stuff.

 

I suppose I only get to fix them after they have given up trying to seal warped ones. I don't hear about the successful ones that fit and seal LOL.