Recently bought '01 ram and noticed a header leak. I'm not sure of the brand, just know that they're aftermarket headers. the leak quickly turned into a big leak causing bad misfiring so I stopped driving it. hopefully it hasn't burnt a valve or cracked anything. what type of gasket would I put in there? i haven't pulled it yet. It's at a shop right now. I brought him the stock manifold gasket since someone told me it could be used, just might not be too strong. He said i needed an aftermarket one specifically for headers. any advice? i was just going to buy the copper rtv and use it and see if it holds.
also, my exhaust has holes all over it. i was going to keep the headers and replace everything from there to tips. the setup now is headers, to single on passenger side, through cat then splits, and has no mufflers. My problem is that I dont know what diameter the headers are so I can know what other sizes to get. I was just going to go with 2.5in throughout and maybe 3in tips just because i like the look. I've also heard that 2.25in are the best for backpressure but I have no idea.
any suggestions about anything here lol? could you send some links to exhaust parts and gaskets?
thanks,
eric --sorry if this is sloppy, it's my first post.

 

Welcome to DF.

If you can, get some dead soft copper gaskets. RTV simply won't work. You will burn/blow it out the first time you drive it. The DS copper fellers will last forever. (and are reusable too I beleive.) Not cheap though...... Stock paper gaskets should work in a pinch though.......

There may be a tag, or plate, somewhere on your headers telling ya who made 'em.

Go with 3" pipe for the single exhaust portions, and 2.25 to 2.5 for the dual. You don't want backpressure. Backpressure is bad. You want good scavenging. Which is what headers are all about.

Your headers shorties or long tubes?

 

oh, a jet chip... Don't see those much anymore, thought the word had finally gotten out on them.

Go for a felpro header gasket if you are in a hurry, don't even bother with the RTV. Make sure you do something for the collectors as well, or they will leak. Unless you are running a set of Gibsons, they have a ball socket type connector that doesn't need a gasket.

 

they're shorties. I figured you wanted to maintain some sort of backpressure for whatever reason but I've been wrong many times before lol and I have a set of felpro gaskets i got from advanceauto. They claimed they are for the truck. The guy working on it said they were wrong. Said I would need specific ones for headers. And I initially thought the collector on driver side was leaking. Gonna have to get those too. What do you guys think about welding everything? I think it sounds risky but I hear a lot saying to do it if possible. The guy who's going to do my exhaust when I do get it wants to weld...

 

oh and I've read plenty on the Jet chip BUT I wouldn't know if it sucks or not. Might take it out and see if it's actually doing anything possitive

 

For the gasket that goes between the header and the head, the best you can get (in my opinion) are Remflex gaskets.

 

i looked at the remflex website but I still don't know which one to get. It seems like there are different patterns that will work for the same motor. Makes me feel like I need to know what exactly I'm looking for rather than trying to find something online lol. If you know what will work, feel free to send me a link

 

Hey Aim, didn't you say that your set of Remflex gaskets leaked on you?

 

Basically I just want to know if an exhaust manifold gasket would work with headers. Id assume it would be the same pattern. And if not, where would I get a header gasket? Would i have to know what time of header I'm using? Help please. I'm getting to the point I'm gonna have it all welded together when my new exhaust pieces come in