Copper Exhaust Gaskets SUCK!!

ridelikehell · #1 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 02:40 PM

Sorry all I need to rant...had the exhaust off for the winter and the stupid s**t takes 3 hours to get on...now these brand new copper gaskets leak like theres no tomorrow...what a JOKE these things are!?!?!?!?!

Anyone else find these things as stupid as I do!?

cobrashoch · #2 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 02:44 PM

Nope, not at all - only thing to use when building a custom supergharged engine. What did you seal them with, and why did you go to copper when good felpro's are almost bulletproof?
cobrashock

Wade Chamberlain · #3 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 02:44 PM

Get some Earl's exhaust gaskets. They have an aluminum frame with replacable graphite port seals. They work GREAT!

ERA Chas · #4 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 03:15 PM

No problem in 2 1/2 years with SCE copper on my FE.
Check to see if your header flanges are not warped. If so, true them on a belt sander.
Good luck.

CJ428CJ · #5 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 03:31 PM

I've used copper header gaskets on my FE for the last 2 years with no problems. I wouldn't use anything else.

cobrashoch · #6 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 06:22 PM

Wade - Your the first guy I know that has used those gaskets. I don't quite know much about those replacement graphite jobbies but am ready to learn. Seen them at the Earls here in Indy a few months back.
Meanwhile I'll stay with copper and studs though, till somone convinces me.
cobrashock

Dwight · #7 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 07:36 PM

Coach Mike and I had the copper gaskets on our 5.0, both leaked. I had 28 places that showed blow by. That out of 32 places. Every port had 2 to 4 places leaking. We change to the soft alumium gaskets and they do not leak. I have a set of copper gaskets in good shape for sale, cheap! Coach installed a 408 stroker and used the soft alumiun gaskets with no problems. I will not use copper gaskets on my motors!!!!!

ridelikehell · #8 (**permalink**) 03-29-2005, 09:13 PM

Ron did you mention you use studs? ie instead of bolts?...If so I never thought of that, that would help my problem huge; I've got custom headers and 2 of the bolts are a ***** to get in...I'm talking an hour just to get the driver side header lined up, it's pathetic...

Thanks to everyone else I think I'll grab a set of aluminum gaskets and hopefully some studs if I can find them!!!!

Thanks all!

Michael C Henry · #9 (**permalink**) 03-30-2005, 09:30 PM

Did you try to anneal the copper gaskets first ? annealingMakes them soft .

Wade Chamberlain · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 06:12 AM

Ron - I have one of the very early sets of 4-pipe headers that FFR made. To say the flanges and port welds are ugly...well, that would possibly be the understatement of the year!

I had a terrible time with header leaks until I tried the Earl's. I ran them for about 22,000 miles until I swapped engines...never a single leak. At the time of the engine swap, I ordered new set of graphite seals for them ($19), and they're still going strong with another 20,000+ miles on this engine...still never a leak.

I also have not had any problems with loose header bolts like I have with other gaskets.

http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLin.../HeadSeal.html

Roscoe · #11 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 08:15 AM

I've had the SCE copper gaskets on for 22k miles with no problems at all.

Roscoe

cobrashoch · #12 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 07:13 PM

Wade - I'll keep them in mind for sure. The only thing negative I can think that comes to mind, is if you over torque them it might break a graphite o-ring. Don't know that to be true though.
Ridelikehell - Some tips.
As stated above make sure the flange is true. Sometimes you can split the flange and that helps, or you can true them as stated. Studs help but remember there is always one or two studs that will hit the headers, so you will have to trim them, or on those holes you can use a bolt. Look at both the heads surface and the header flange. Do NOT grind down the raised tube where it sticks through the flange unless they are too rough, that is on the kind of headers where you find this. Thats how they seal. If things are out of whack NO gasket will work though.
Another thing you can do with studs is use two fiber gaskets, sometimes that helps. I always use at least two studs anytime I put on any headers. (and fabrcate them) Much less agravating to get those first non bolts on and the header aligned. That way you can copper or silver spray paint the gasket till they are dripping wet and you can stick them up there on the head, and get the header up and bolted on kinda fast, before the paint dries. And yes, I use spray paint on the copper gaskets too. There's more but this is a good start. Good luck!!!
cobrashock

cobrashoch · #13 (**permalink**) 03-31-2005, 08:10 PM

Roscoe - Club Cranky don't like your politics?
cobrashock

Roscoe · #14 (**permalink**) 04-01-2005, 10:57 AM

Ron:

A bunch of mooks...

Roscoe

ByronRACE · #15 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 01:33 PM

Have you guys ever tried Byson gaskets? www.byson.com

These guys make great gaskets made from industrial asbestos impregnated polymer. Most of the big companies won't use asbestos because of all the hype about cancer caused from asbestos dust. There's no dust here. They are thick, soft, tolerate extreme temperatures, and I've never seen one leak...even on warped flanges.

My daily driver (F150 Lightning) has warped motorsport headers. Felpro's leak. Coppers leak. The soft aluminum gaskets leak. I put a set of bysons on it, no leaks. And, as I said..the flanges are visibly warped. Probably .040" end to middle. The byson gaskets actually melt around the inner area of the port, creating a seal. When you remove a set, the inner material is shiny black and wicks/fills the crevises in the area. Pretty damn neat material.

Byron Reynolds
RACE Systems
San Jose, CA
http://www.racesystems.com