I installed a set of shorty headers on my truck about a year ago. There has been a strong ticking sound that increases with acceleration and has been getting progressively worse. I read that it can be caused by warped headers, so I am going to get them machined before my engine swap. Does anybody know the recommended torque specs and sequence for headers? Ive searched all through the forum and couldn't find anything useful.

Thanks for any info.

 

My guess about the strong ticking sound is that you have an exhaust leak probly between the gasket and the header.

I had this happen when i put some bbk shorties on a mustang and it had a strong ticking sound that got louder when u rev it up. We ended up taking them off and found a small little bur on the actual header allowing air to leak out between the header and the gasket. We grinded it off and sanded it a little then put them back on and it has never made a ticking sound again.

 

There is no way to torque them to any degree of accuracy, as you can't get a socket on many of the bolts to use a torque wrench.

The key with any header is not necessarily the first torque down, but the subsequent torque after the first. Here's the best luck I've had:

1. Using a standard length box end wrench I tighten them down as tight as I can get them. Don't use too long a wrench or you can actually get enough strength behind it to snap a bolt. I've done this, twice. I start at the center and work back and forth to the outer bolts and then recheck them all in the same sequence.

2. Go drive it for about 10 minutes to get the headers nice and hot. Park it and wait 2 hours. Recheck the torque, there's liable to be a few loose as the heat stretches them a bit.

3. Drive it again for about 30 minutes. Cool overnight and check it again in the morning before you leave. Some are liable to be loose for the same reason.

4. Day 2, drive as normal, end of the day let it cool down and check the torque, some are liable to be a very little bit loose.

5. Drive for one week, recheck bolts. Bet one or 2 are still a bit loose, but not nearly as much has the first time.

6. Drive for a month, check them.

7. Check them ever 6 months.


There is an exhaust paste made by a company called Wurth that that I cannot recommend highly enough. I had been having all sorts of issues with sealing on my headers sealing and had just about given up. I had tried: the orginal Gibson header gaskets, felpro gaskets, remflex gaskets, and even the Percy's dead soft aluminum gaskets. Nothing worked. Kept getting the tick.

A buddy that hotrods and happens to work at NAPA recommended I try the Wurth exhaust paste. It's good up to about 1400* Which is usually well above exhaust temps. He told me to smear some of that paste on the raised flange portion of the header itself and (in the case of the felpro gaskets) smear it onto the gasket into the little notches in the gasket. Then install the gaskets and button it up. The paste stays soft until you heat it, so when you tighten down the header gasket, it fills all the cracks, especially on the corners where the raised flanges are very thin due to the header bolt holes.

Anyway, after I tighten it down, I just idle in the driveway for about 10 minutes. The paste stinks a bit as it hardens so don't sweat the smell, just be sure you didn't leave something laying on the headers like an old rag or plug wire. After they cool throughly, retighten the headers and the paste will keep it's shape and keep the seal.

It's great stuff and one tube should last you a long time.

 

I will have to take a good look at them when I take them off. It shouldnt be too much to get them machined flat if they are warping.

 

Sounds like some pretty good stuff. Ill have to look into it.

 

added to the post, fyi

 

mine were just blown header gaskets.. ive went threw 2 sets.. then i had my buddy look at it and i had some it in wrong a few bolts were in kinda sideways and after i got that fixed no more problems

 

i went through two sets of header gaskets and then i got some remflex gaskets and not even two months later they were blown out so i took them off and put the stock exhasut manifolds back on and i have had no problems every since then. and honestly i count not really tell a difference between the stock manifolds and shorty headers.

 

wow really.. i def say a gain. reved up quicker got going quicker. sounded alot better. i guess it all depends on ur mods and ur truck

 

i basically had most all of them mods when i had the on. and on my truck it actually pops less and sounds better with the manifolds but that could be because of my true duals with no cats and flowmasters 10s with an x pipe. the two best mods i have done to my truck were the sct tuner and true dualing it