[topkick]

I got a set of shorty headers from Summit Racing, everything bolted up great except for the y-pipe. I've spent nearly 9 hours trying to get it to seal and it's still leaks like crazy at the ball flanges. I'm ready to just hand it off to an exhaust shop but figured I'd ask if anyone has some tips or tricks to get it to seal up. I'd even consider a new Y-pipe that's affordable ($200 or less) but I can't find any that wouldn't break the bank

 

[Breezeway2021]

i dont have much by way of solution but i can say were in the same boat. ive had shorty headers for about 4 yrs and theyve always leaked. ive tried blocks of wood to wedge it in place then tighten it down with the impact but it came back lose. right now i am trying high heat epoxy putty around the two joints and wrapping it in fiberglass wood stove gasket and hose clamp over it. kind of rednecky but it should help. ill let you know how it goes when i finish it up.

 

[topkick]

i dont have much by way of solution but i can say were in the same boat. ive had shorty headers for about 4 yrs and theyve always leaked. ive tried blocks of wood to wedge it in place then tighten it down with the impact but it came back lose. right now i am trying high heat epoxy putty around the two joints and wrapping it in fiberglass wood stove gasket and hose clamp over it. kind of rednecky but it should help. ill let you know how it goes when i finish it up.

Glad I'm not the only one. I look forward to hearing if that "fixes" it. How bad does yours leak? Mine sounds like I'm running open headers when I start it and under load, gets a little better once it warms up but I sure sound like a jackass on the road. Worst part is the y-pipe seems to fit pretty snug and I've sanded the headers and y-pipe smooth with no luck sealing it. Best guess is my y-pipe flanges are out of round

 

[Breezeway2021]

mine isnt quite that bad... lol it is obvious that its the headers but its not super duper loud like my c20 350 with rusted off mufflers.
check if you have an unused O2 bung that its not leaking. my passenger side y pipe connection looks like its good but it actually leaks too, just not as noticeable visually. the driver side its obvious its not lined up, you can even see the crack, but i cant get it to come together.

 

[topkick]

mine isnt quite that bad... lol it is obvious that its the headers but its not super duper loud like my c20 350 with rusted off mufflers.
check if you have an unused O2 bung that its not leaking. my passenger side y pipe connection looks like its good but it actually leaks too, just not as noticeable visually. the driver side its obvious its not lined up, you can even see the crack, but i cant get it to come together.

I got brand new bung plugs for the unused o2 bungs and they don't leak, it's just leaking at the y-pipe, I wouldn't believe it's leaking if I couldn't feel the exhaust escaping because I can't even get a fingernail in-between the headers and y-pipe. I wouldn't worry about it if it wasn't loud as hell. I originally thought it was leaking between the headers and cylinder heads but no just at the y-pipe

 

[miesk5]

Yo Top,
FYI possible solutions;
Leak Repair in a 93; "...I used the same sealant as the factory - chassis grease in a thin film around each port. When the manifold gets hot, the grease will bake into a varnish, much like cast iron cookware. The varnish creates an effective seal..."
Source: by Steve83


And another by member jermil01 @ New headers, exhaust leak

 

[TorqueO]

I saw that Flowmaster makes a Ypipe with cat for our trucks. I've been thinking of getting it myself.

 

[topkick]

Yo Top,
FYI possible solutions;
Leak Repair in a 93; "...I used the same sealant as the factory - chassis grease in a thin film around each port. When the manifold gets hot, the grease will bake into a varnish, much like cast iron cookware. The varnish creates an effective seal..."
Source: by Steve83


And another by member jermil01 @ New headers, exhaust leak

Just the solutions I was looking for! No matter how much I searched nothing like those came up. Thanks man, I'll give those a shot. I'd much rather try those than take it to the muffler shop and pay out the nose for them to do the same thing

 

[topkick]

I saw that Flowmaster makes a Ypipe with cat for our trucks. I've been thinking of getting it myself.

I saw those but I'm not in the market to pay $800, I'm looking for a y-pipe with no cat (offroad y-pipe if you will)

 

[MojoJojo]

Check the Y pipe with a good set of calipers to see if it’s off round. If it’s a glove fit but still leaking I’ll bet it’s off a fraction of a “you know what” hair.

 

[fodder]

I have JBA headers and Magnaflow Y-pipe. I had to have the exhaust shop cut the y-pipe and widen it by an inch or two. It was too pinched in to seat well on either side.

 

[topkick]

Check the Y pipe with a good set of calipers to see if it’s off round. If it’s a glove fit but still leaking I’ll bet it’s off a fraction of a “you know what” hair.

Yeah it's likely out of round on both sides by the tiniest amount. I got some permatex ultra copper and if that can't fix it my local exhaust shop will be getting a call from me Monday morning whether I like it or not, being it’s my daily and I kinda need to be able to drive it. It's not getting exhaust into the cab thankfully but it's god awful loud

 

[TorqueO]

I saw those but I'm not in the market to pay $800, I'm looking for a y-pipe with no cat (offroad y-pipe if you will)

Last I looked they were in the high 300's. They're 800 now!? I should of bought it a few months ago then.

 

[Breezeway2021]

Just did a test drive after finishing my red neck repair... to be totally honest I don’t expect it to last but maybe a year if that. I have done the high heat epoxy putty and covered in header wrap before on my old cast iron manifold. It wasn’t a 100% fix but it really helped.

I couldn’t get good coverage on my passenger side connection because for some reason the collar was upside down from the other side so there wasn’t enough room for the hose clamp to get all the way in. But it’s whatever. The truck is actually pretty quiet now. For the first time since I think ever since it’s been mine I hear more exhaust from the tailpipe than the engine bay so that’s kinda cool.

 

[Breezeway2021]

Side note... why in the world did my last post replace “red neck” as one word with asterisks?

 

[El Kabong]

Side note... why in the world did my last post replace “red neck” as one word with asterisks?

I see it as written in both posts from here. No asterisks.

 

[Breezeway2021]

I see it as written in both posts from here. No asterisks.

I went back and edited it into two words. Here is written as one word: *******...

 

[Jetski247]

ive never had this issue with several different shorty headers that ive installed. although the shorty headers have a bigger ball flange than the stock y pipe. there was a chevy that we did this that leaked, what i did was take heavy duty tin foil and fold it several times to create a 1" x 10" strip, like a multi layered gasket, and wrapped it around the y pipe flange, half on the inside, half on the outside, if that makes sense. it worked very well.

 

[Stevo440]

I got a set of shorty headers from Summit Racing, everything bolted up great except for the y-pipe. I've spent nearly 9 hours trying to get it to seal and it's still leaks like crazy at the ball flanges. I'm ready to just hand it off to an exhaust shop but figured I'd ask if anyone has some tips or tricks to get it to seal up. I'd even consider a new Y-pipe that's affordable ($200 or less) but I can't find any that wouldn't break the bank

Just some FYI, there are 2 different Y-Pipes one for the 5.0 and one for the 5.8, the 5.8 is wider between/across the pipe centerlines that bolts to the headers. There is a procedure you can try as it worked for me: Loosen both flanges where the Y-Pipe and headers bolt together, then go back and tighten them a little bit each side going back and forth until they tighten up but remember tighten them just a little each time back and forth. And another FYI, if you tighten the header to Y-Pipe flanges too much you will collapse the header flange ball seal and it will never seal good again, they are supposed to be smooth and roundish with out any kinks or creases to seal in the Flared end of the Y-Pipe.

 

[Credo]

Here's a way to test the mating of the two. I saw installation guys do this with large gear mechanisms at my job, to get the gearbox mated properly with the bull gear of the bigass antenna we have... Get a piece of lead solder and 'glue' it with grease or silicon into the y-pipe flange, then bolt it up. Now, disassemble it and see if the solder is crushed evenly around. A gap location will be less crushed or not at all. I haven't tried this yet but I will when do the exhaust.