So I recently installed my Badmab header and my ZZP 3" high flow catted down pipe with a 2.5" exit. I drove the car for a while and re-torqued down the header bolts and now it sounds like I have an exhaust leak again? Should I have put loc-tite on them when I did the initial install or does it normally take 2 torques to get them to stay down? To be fair I installed them, did the first re-torque and then drove all the way from CA to TX so could that have been the reason they started to back off and cause an exhaust leak? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Its also recommended to use all new gaskets

 

I put mine on once, tightened the hell out of them, and never touched them again. No leaks for me.

Just re torque them and see if it seals everything.

 

Long drive could've loosened them but 1 torque should have been sufficient for that stuff as long as you tightened them good enough. Do you have stock exhaust still?

 

could get like copper pipe sealant

 

So are you saying it's recommended to use loc-tite then? I used all the new gaskets that were sent with the parts, new header gasket, new header to dp gasket and new dp to cb gasket.

Yeah, I'll have to try that tomorrow morning, hopefully it works. Everything seemed to be fine before the drive so I'm thinking the drive must have rattled them loose.

I still have the stock dp and header, why do you ask?

I don't really want to have to go that route, I'd rather everything just work the way it's supposed to. If I have to take all of the bolts off and put loc-tite on them then that's what I'll do I guess.

 

Staged07ss swears by Genuine GM gaskets and thats what I have and they work great. From what I understand all of our gaskets are non reuse able. So don't take it apart again unless you have to

 

If I have to take it apart I'll be sure to have new gaskets handy but I don't plan on doing that any time soon. I'm going to re-torque tomorrow morning and hopefully they stay on this time. I just hope I don't have to keep doing this after a while and I was kind of hesitant to put the loc-tite on but if this keeps up I will definitely be putting loc-tite on.

 

Did you do a catback at the same time? That's where my leaks came from

 

No I didn't do a catback at all yet. I plan on doing that in the future but I'm planning on working on cooling mods next. I would just like to get the existing exhaust leak fixed before I do anything to it. I'm going to try and re-torque everything down today but it might be a little difficult seeing as I'm currently in a hotel room since I just got to my new base. I have some tools but no ramp or jack will make things a little difficult lol. I'm sure I'll get it figured out.

 

when i put the badmad header on i tightned them down as much as i could and got no leaks WITH a new gasket.. make sure you put a new gasket on and didnt reuse the old one.. check your o2 sensor also.. make sure thats tightned down.. when i got my badmad header it was pretty hard to get it tightned down being that the o2 bolt was so close to the header pipe..

OR u snaped a blot or 2 by torquein them down too much..

 

Yeah I used the new gaskets that came with the header, I know better than to re use gaskets. I tightened them back down today and I hope it holds this time, I'm thinking it might have been from the long drive from Cali to Texas but we'll see I guess. If it starts to leak again I'll take the bolts out and loc-tite them back on so I don't have to worry about it again. After I tightened them back on today the squeal on start up went away so I'm hoping that did the trick. I guess we'll see how long it holds!

 

first step would be to locate the leak?.. lol. at the head, at the downpipe, or at the catback. then make sure a gasket didn't blow out, and tighten everything down.

 

I know where the leak was from, I could hear the squealing from the engine bay when I started the car up at the header. I don't know how the gasket would've blown out seeing as it was brand new? I will keep paying attention to see if the leak comes back and if it does I'm going to take everything off and reinstall everything.

 

exhaust leaks don't squeal

 

Well I guess it's not a squeal then it's more like the sound of air escaping from a very small spot and then hissing.

 

Did u use the badmab header gasket? They are junk and cause leaks. Get a gm gasket

 

Ahhh well I guess that might be the problem. I'm assuming that also applies to the header to dp gasket as well or just to the engine? Do I have to go to the dealership to get a GM gasket or can I go somewhere else where I won't get taken from behind and humped into submission on it?

 

Mine was fine..

 

Yeah I'm not so certain it was the gasket for me either. When I torqued the bolts down some of them were pretty loose so I'm pretty sure it was just from the long drive. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself for now. We will see in the coming weeks if they start to back out again.

 

its possible but mine was totally fine and held together for awhile, if u say ur bolts were loose then just tighten em up and see if it works otherwise its simple to take it off and check the gasket

 

Ok im gonna kill this thread right now. Ur description of the sound of the exhaust leak sounds weird to me but watever. Get a friend to come over or just a second person in general and u get under the car. Have the other person block the end on the exhaust with a rag and they're hand. Have them do it for like 5 seconds then let off for a few seconds. Then repeat it. While they r blocking it, feel for a leak and thats it. If its the header, that'll be a little tricky the find out. But after a little while of driving woth the leak. There will be some black **** built up where the leak is so ull be able to spot it. But if u dont find a leak. Then ur fine.