forgot to add that...it's what i used, and knock on wood no leaks

 

Ill start off by saying im cheap. real cheap. If I can make something vs. buying it I will. The Hughes kit is 1/4" aluminum plate. Does it have to be aluminum? I have access to a 4000W CO2 laser. I could easily program and cut 1 of these for my truck, but I dont have access to .250" aluminum. The thickest i can get is .190 thick. What is the purpose of aluminum? would Stainless or regular steel work just as well, or is the issue due to the different expansion rates of the steel vs aluminum. I would still buy the felpro gaskets and the new TTY bolts, from the dealer i presume, But if i could save the $84 I can out that into something else my truck needs.
Thanks
Matt

 

I can't comment on the thickness, but yes it should be aluminum. That is why there is a problem with the stock plate. It's steel and the manifold is aluminum. Expansion and contraction of the two different metals is the problem.

 

i think the expansion and contraction rates of the plate would be much less pronounced on a thicker piece of metal

 

if i recall correctly from physics class, the expansion/contraction rate in a given direction are only dependent on the thickness of the metal in the same direction.

Meaning: increasing the thickness and leaving the length and width the same would only change expansion along the same axis of the thickness. The expansion/contraction with respect to the length and width would not change.

This could be completely wrong. Don't take my word on it.