Exhaust header leaks

[slopster]

The other day I noticed a bit of an exhaust leak on my yoshi full system where the header meets the engine. I took the headers off, replaced the gaskets and bolted it back together. Still leaked so I did the bolts up real tight till the plates were a bit distorted and eventually snapped the ball end of my allen key but it still leaked enough to feel quite noticeable on my hand. Are there any tricks to putting it all together?

[Two Smoker]

The other day I noticed a bit of an exhaust leak on my yoshi full system where the header meets the engine. I took the headers off, replaced the gaskets and bolted it back together. Still leaked so I did the bolts up real tight till the plates were a bit distorted and eventually snapped the ball end of my allen key but it still leaked enough to feel quite noticeable on my hand. Are there any tricks to putting it all together?

Hopefully you havent elongated the header pipes from cranking it right up... Is it titanium or stainless??? Best way is to slowly tighten each bolt little by little evenly, then make sure the springs are on (Cant remember if the stainless has springs or not). The header pipe bolts dont get torqued up that much...

[slopster]

I think its stainless might be titainium cos I cant stick a magnet to it. It does have springs do you put them on before or after you tighten it. I did tighten it up evenly and only over tightened it when it was still leaking. I'll back it off and try again tomorrow (when I get another allen key). Would it be a good idea to smear some of that exhaust cement around the gaskets before I put it back together?

[bimotabob]

HI

You shoudn't need to tighten the bolts up tight at all, mine even after refitting the stainless headers several times is only just nipped up to seal.
Something is wrong dude - have a good look and I'm sure you will figure it out.
At a guess it sounds like your headers are warped perhaps.
Stainless is not magnetic like steel - I have some bolts here that I tested and they don't pull to my magnet.

Cheers