Technical THE SUDDEN & ANNOYING TICK,TICK,TICK - NO MORE!

They have a great many collector gaskets Danny and if they don’t have exactly what you need you can do what I did and send them a pattern for your collector gasket and they will make them for you.

My collector flanges are custom 2 bolt flanges that I built myself so obviously there were no gaskets available for them.

I sent them a paper pattern, they made them and they also assigned them a part number so that I could order others in the future which I have done when I took the headers off last winter.

So, collector gaskets are easy Danny.

My own personal collector gaskets with the part number.

As far as reusing them goes I don’t worry about that it’s cheap enough to replace them, I was more concerned with reliable sealing than reuse.

When I took my headers off the Remflex gaskets had to be scraped off the heads as they came apart when removing the headers as you would expect from a high temperature graphite gasket however they don’t fall apart or burn out or leak in service.

 

I've been using the same copper collector gaskets on Plan II for years...and I take them off and put back on pretty much every time I go racing. 5 times on each Drag Week.

 

First set of copper gaskets I had was like that, I took them off several times and reused them. That second set though, they were so hard you couldn't scratch them with a screwdriver and wouldn't seal for crap. I've seen descriptions for "dead soft" and "soft", so there must be some kind of difference in some of them, and I ended up with a "hard" set...

 

Copper silicone. Learned the trick about 15 years ago, never had it fail me. No gasket whatsoever.

I was dropping the engine in my 64 Camino at the time, found I didn't have a gasket set on hand and in my car, with a big block, there's no option for later. Exhaust goes in with the engine. Added benefit that I got additional clearance between the header and steering column. Friend that was over clued me in. I still have a set of Remflex hanging on the wall, unused, that I bought after, expecting it to fail.

Devin

 

Camino? as in, El Camino?

 

Just regular hi temp silicone on my 390 hooker headers ,no gasket ,no leaks

 

As many others posted; remflex are great! I swapped my leaky copper header gaskets out with remflex & have had no issues with them.

 

I used to make my own copper gaskets, one port type since it was hard to find a large piece of "scrap" at work. I'd stack them up, held down to the milling table and crank them out. I used .050 electrolytic copper.

 

I've never had good results, or long lasting sealing using the typical header gaskets. Even the thick ones never lasted as they just didn't seem to stay tight, and are too soft.
Years ago I bought a pair of fenderwell headers for my build, and they came with the factory style "cheap" shiny metallic looking gaskets. I thought at the time they were a poor gasket supplied because they were cheap to make. But I put them on during cam breakin, and figured I'd replace them later.
They've been on the engine over 8 years now, and all I've done was check the bolts once they'd been heated up a couple times. They've never leaked, and I use this style on all my engines with headers now with the same results.

 

Larry, are they available for vortex heads?

 

Thanks for the referral for Remflex. Never heard of them but I'll give them a shot

 

Like you, I had never heard of that brand ether. HRP

 

Yup!
http://catalog.remflex.com/CHEVROLET_GM_CHEVY_Header_Exhaust_Manifold_Gasket_p/2011.htm
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rfl-2011/make/chevrolet

 

I use Copper gaskets. I had lots of problems with header bolts loosening until I used bolts with an internal set screw. Think I bought them from Jegs.

 

What is an internal set screw? Gotta a picture?

 

I find that with copper gaskets, the bolts don't want to back off nearly as easily as with compressible gaskets. The metal core gaskets are much better than the paper ones, but still need to be checked occasionally.

I won't go as modern as the set screw or E clip type bolts, though....

 

I know this is not auto related , but I learned the Louisiana Coonass way of repairing an exhaust leak while riding the old shovel at bike week many years ago . The old tank is tough on exhaust gaskets anyway . A whole lot of shaking goin on ! I blew a gasket, every time I would run up through the gears , a huge explosion would take place inside the exhaust . Caused by the gasket allowing cool air to be drawn into the exhaust . A Cajun , Bud , told me give me 2 gum wrappers a tube of 100% silicone and I’ll fix it for life . I’m like WTH , is he Smokin ? So I did as he ask . He rolled the gun wrappers into a tube , wrapped around the flange of the pipe , coated both sides in silicone and reinstalled . It lasted for years and only stopped because I tore it apart to , refresh the top end . I suppose cut to the chase , the silicone can take high temps and will remain flexible with hot and cold cycles and not become brittle .

 

Correct. It's a 64, and technically within the rules, but more of a "day 2" style car so I don't post much about it.

Devin

 

First I've seen of these, pretty clever. Hopefully those little screws will loosen up when needed. Were they originally developed for header application or used elsewhere?

 

Like any fastener , if you want Some insurance that it will be removable , use never seize . I've never used them , to "techy" for me ,who knows where the idea originated ??

 

You know it Jeff.

 

Gaskets arrived late yesterday and I am happy to report that after replacing them and initial firing the engine there is no longer a annoying TICK, TICK, TICK but I did hear a new Loud RATTLE which I was able to diagnose just by walking behind the old beater, the passenger side chrome tail pipe extension was loose, put my foot on it and the rattle went away, grabbed a screwdriver and the a couple of turns and the rattle was gone, whew! I'm happy that was a simple fix. HRP

 

Good news Danny, enquiring minds need to know What type of gaskets arrived and were installed ?

 

Back in time, about 1977 was the last time I bolted the headers back on my SBF. Mr. Gasket gaskets, no sealant, 7/16 SS 12 point head bolts, a lot of praying as I had to put half the bolts in the headers as the bends in the header tubes were so tight at the flange and then get the whole mess attached with out loosing any bolts. Very tedious.. Lucked out though as no issues in almost 44 years.

 

The non ticking kind you suggested. HRP