Shellkamp
Member
I've been investigating an intermittent rough idle and discovered I have an exhaust leak (s) where the manifolds and down pipes meet. This is a ball flange style joint, which wouldn't normally require a gasket, but I'm thinking that after 23 years there's enough pitting in the cast iron and steel that the surface no longer makes the tight seal that it used to.
I already replaced the flange bolts and nuts and torqued then to spec to rule out a misadventure with the old hardware from when the engine was rebuilt several years ago. No change.
I don't really have a desire to take down the downpipe and try to restore the mating surfaces to perfection, so I was hoping for some kind of conical gasket made of lead or something with 'give' to it, and also be rated for high temps, that would be able to compensate for the imperfections. The highest temp permatex product only goes to 700 or 750 degrees, and I don't want to use something irreversible, either. Local auto parts stores don't have anything that would work. What I'd be looking for essentially is a 2" flare gasket.
Does anybody know of such a product?
I already replaced the flange bolts and nuts and torqued then to spec to rule out a misadventure with the old hardware from when the engine was rebuilt several years ago. No change.
I don't really have a desire to take down the downpipe and try to restore the mating surfaces to perfection, so I was hoping for some kind of conical gasket made of lead or something with 'give' to it, and also be rated for high temps, that would be able to compensate for the imperfections. The highest temp permatex product only goes to 700 or 750 degrees, and I don't want to use something irreversible, either. Local auto parts stores don't have anything that would work. What I'd be looking for essentially is a 2" flare gasket.
Does anybody know of such a product?
