Dubz Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Hello everyone I have a 2005 2.5i and for those of you familiar with the headers of an 05 they are very long like the outback headers. I had someone install a set of oem 2005 lgt headers that had to be heavily modified to even fit on my engine still. The exhaust port from my engine block is a single oval port, and the lgt headers are a dual port inlet, just rounded off the edges for a little better flow for me. Headers sound great and everything except for all you hear is the exhaust leak where there's a gap from the gaskets. Currently on the car are aftermarket DNA motoring gaskets that came with my old headers that didn't fit it. The gaskets are dual port but I cut out the portion in the middle to make them single port but I guess that might have weakened them. See below: http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/uzy7evus.jpg http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/agyvybup.jpg http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/yja5yhu9.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/6u8uzuze.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/zy9ajeqe.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/epymepy8.jpg You can see the carbon where the gaskets on leaking on either side of the headers coming from the same 2 areas. Also the guy who installed the headers did strip out one of the threads but he did retap them. They were right after he fixed it again but I currently did not check to make sure they are still tight. My stock header gaskets that came for my car did not line up with these headers at all. I did find these used gaskets that do look similar to my stock ones but I don't have my stock ones on me to check with these: http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/25/e6aqyheq.jpg Either way it's the exhaust gaskets that are the issue here so my question is what gaskets do you think would fit on these without any leak? I'm thinking it has to be the dual port header type in order to line up with these new headers. I was told that when I get the new gaskets to not completely cut out the middle this time but still make it wider only leaving a little section in the middle. Or... Should I just get gasket paper and have it completely cut out to get it to fit... But those are made of paper and not metal so it would burn to seal it better. Sorry for this being so long I can never really make a post short, also I really don't like having to smell, hear, get really bad milage, and get sick sometimes breathing in the fumes Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmP6889928 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 ROL had header gasket material that was virtually fireproof. It was a graphite impregnated thick material that you could actually put a torch on and it wouldn't burn or even cause it to change at all. I don't know where you might find it now, but perhaps if you google "Rol Header Gasket Material" maybe you can find some. It's been about 14 years since I repped them, and haven't kept in touch. Good luck with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm looking for a material that's strong and will hold against the pressure on the side that was weakened when I cut my stock dual port gaskets to one big hole. Basically somethjng that will be guaranteed to hold Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kred Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm surprised the OEM gaskets didn't work. I've got a new set of original gaskets for my car and they work fine. Originally, I had some bad leaking too just because the gaskets were old and breaking down, not because of the size. Dumb question: have you torqued down the three bolts on each head as much as they'll possibly go? Also, how many O2 sensors are you running with? I'm gonna be putting my OBX header for sale soon. Going back to stock. I picked up an 06 OBP LGT, limited, manual, blown turbo, future race car build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 My stock gaskets look brand new. (Not the ones in the pictures) I really wish I could have used them but there was a huge gap in the same area where you can see in the pics where it's blowing out the sides. I am running all 5 o2 sensors, and I have a CEL on still for the cat when I'm using the 2 stock cats instead of the 3. The guy installed the headers with an electric drill with a socket on it and that's what ruined the threads in the first place. I checked and all bolts went on as tight as possible when he fixed the threads. (When I took the pics today one bolt did look crooked though) So yeah currently they're on extremely tight and maybe the headers aren't even sitting flush with the block I'm not sure. The leak either way is 100% coming from these blown gaskets Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kred Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Actually it looks like the gaskets you have on there now make a pretty decent fit, probably just not sealed tight enough. You could try spraying some RTV on both sides of each gasket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 You think that'll do it? The gaskets look almost split where it's leaking now. I don't want that sealer to make it even worse but they're pretty terrible as is. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kred Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 You think that'll do it? The gaskets look almost split where it's leaking now. I don't want that sealer to make it even worse but they're pretty terrible as is. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I don't see any direct exits for the exhaust gasses to leak freely in your pictures. Either the gaskets are junk (which shouldn't be since they're new) or there's not a tight seal on each side of the gaskets. Only one way to find out. That third to last picture, is that my imagination, or is that gasket like folded a tad in the middle? Probably just the angle you took it at I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 No it is folded in the middle just like it's shown. That was as close as I could get at it and holding a light to it at the same time. Plus you can see carbon there too. It's folded probably because there's not a tight seal on either side of the gaskets. Plus they weren't made for this setup. Maybe I should get thicker gaskets with sealer on them? Or does that make nothing seal together? Maybe I can cut some out from a sheet Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scontivt Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Copper RTV and torquing the bolts twice, once on install, and once more after a short drive and cool down, should allow that to seal. You can find copper RTV at Advance Auto parts and any other parts store. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 BUMP Anyone here ever used a manifold adapter to fit onto the headers to provide a better seal? If so is it worth it? Big problem is the dual holes gaskets and single oval ones don't fit together so I'd have to get it machined That's about my only choice since my car won't pass inspection Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 That last gasket picture looks similar to the gasket in the attached picture. Is the attached picture of the same stock gasket you had that didn't line up right? *on second look I think the picture below is the same gasket you have pictured last, except it's so rusted and old that part of it looks torn off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Yeah that's the same exact one I had on it. Those rusty ones I got off someone looked different with that different shape but I don't think they'll work anyway Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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